ABSTRACT
The last twenty years have witnessed an explosion of research in comparative law and politics, much of it focused on the topic of judicial independence. This chapter summarizes key lessons learned and identifies open questions for future research. Despite considerable progress, the field confronts difficult challenges of measurement and empirical puzzles not well explained by existing theoretical models. Increased use of strong designs for causal inference among researchers has produced more credible empirical claims, yet some of the most persuasive theoretical claims in the field remain underexplored.
