She'll Settle It: Judges, Their Sex, and the Disposition of Personal Injury Cases in Federal District Courts

Abstract

This article seeks to provide a better understanding of the influence that judges have on the method by which personal injury cases are terminated in federal district courts. By focusing on four district courts, I find that the sex of a judge has an effect on how cases are disposed of. The findings reveal that female judges are more likely to dispose of cases by settlement than their male colleagues. These results provide a significant addition to the literature that argues that females behave differently than males while serving on the judiciary and should also provide insight into judicial decision making at the case management stage in trial courts.