In America, the judiciary, along with pressure groups, is part of the political process and judges make decisions that can concern all Americans especially when assessing the constitutionality of a prospective government act. The ethics of the judicial system makes pressure group activity within it very difficult. Judges must be seen to be balanced in their views, taking into account all views and not showing preferential treatment for any one particular cause.

In a limited way, though, pressure groups can have some impact at a judicial level. The American Bar Association can be called on to vet potential candidates for the Federal Court.

Pressure groups might also use their finances to sponsor what are effectively test cases in American law. The strategy of the NAACP was to use the law courts to further the cause of civil right. If an issue has no legislative action backing it, then financing a court decision can prove successful for pressure groups.

Pressure groups often try to influence the climate of opinion in the judicial community. Lawyers who are sympathetic to a cause could try to get an article published in a law journal hoping that others in the judicial world might read it.

However, the influence of pressure groups on the judiciary is very small as the activities associated with the normal behaviour of pressure groups would be counter-productive at a judicial level.

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