Christine Venter, professor and director of the Legal Writing Program at Notre Dame Law School, was among the 12 faculty members awarded research grants by the University of Notre Dame for the 2019 Faculty Research Support Initiation Program.
Venter’s project, titled “Dissenting from the bench: Performative jurisprudence as a necessary part of a thriving democracy,” will focus on Supreme Court dissents, particularly those of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Venter will analyze the kinds of legal issues which prompt justices to read their dissenting opinions aloud from the bench. She will compare some of the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissents with those of Justice Ginsburg and examine the role of dissents in a democratic society.
“I am so grateful to have received this grant and am excited about the opportunity to delve into Justice Ginsburg’s dissenting opinions,” Venter said. “As someone who loves narrative and rhetoric, I am drawn to the dramatic spectacle of a justice reading a dissent from the bench. Undertaking this project will give me the opportunity to explore concepts of audience and voice, to determine for whom and to whom Justice Ginsburg is speaking.”
In addition to legal writing, Venter teaches on the intersection of gender and international law.
The Notre Dame Research Internal Grant Program aims to support faculty researchers and programs that advance the University’s research enterprise, scholarly output, and creative endeavor through a competitive funding process.
“Each year, Notre Dame Research looks forward to supporting up and coming programs through our Internal Grant Program,” said Richard E. Billo, associate vice president for research and professor of computer science and engineering. “This round of Faculty Research Support Grant recipients showcases research from a broad range of disciplines with the potential for far reaching impact.”
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on January 29, 2019.