University of Georgia

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Curriculum Vitae

Professional Website

Jessica Schoenherr is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia. She received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2020. Dr. Schoenherr’s research interests are in American political institutions and the U.S. federal court system, particularly the Supreme Court. She specifically addresses two different but related questions: (1) Who shapes the law? and (2) Who shapes perceptions of the judiciary and its shaping of the law? Some of her work is funded by a National Science Foundation grant, and different pieces have been published or are forthcoming in outlets including the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, and the Journal of Law and Courts.

Education −+

  • Ph.D., Political Science, Michigan State University, 2020
  • M.A., Political Science, University of Michigan, 2011
  • B.A., Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Michigan State University, 2009

Areas of Expertise −+

  • American Politics
  • Judicial Politics
  • Judicial Behavior
  • Attorney Strategy

Honors, Awards, and Achievements −+

  • Lilly Teaching Fellow, 2026 to 2028
  • Neal Tate Award for best paper on judicial politics presented at the SPSA annual meeting

Course Instruction −+

POLS 1101, POLS 3600, POLS 4760

Research Interests −+

Supreme Court process, judicial behavior, attorney strategy

Selected Publications −+

Lane, Elizabeth A. and Jessica A. Schoenherr. Forthcoming. “Cite and Sway? Attorneys, Briefs, and Persuasion at the U.S. Supreme Court.” Journal of Politics.

Armaly, Miles T., Jonathan M. King, Elizabeth A. Lane, and Jessica A. Schoenherr. Forthcoming. “An Ecclesiastical Court: Christian Nationalism and Perceptions of the U.S. Supreme Court.” American Journal of Political Science.

Scott, Jamil S., Elizabeth A. Lane, and Jessica A. Schoenherr. 2025. “You Better Shop Around: Litigant Characteristics and Support for Supreme Court Decisions.” Journal of Politics.

King, Jonathan M., Jessica A. Schoenherr, and Ian Ostrander. 2025. “Anchoring or Expanding? Gender and Judicial Nominations.” Political Research Quarterly 78(1): 135-150.

Schoenherr, Jessica A., Elizabeth A. Lane, and Miles T. Armaly. 2020. “The Electoral Purpose of Senatorial Grandstanding During Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings.” Journal of Law and Courts 8(2): 333-358.

Jessica A. Schoenherr

Jessica A. Schoenherr

Assistant Professor of Political Science

305D Baldwin Hall

Office Hours:

Tuesday, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, or by appointment

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