Stephanie P. Newbold, an assistant professor from the School of Public Affairs at American University, has been selected as the 2012-2013 Supreme Court Fellow assigned to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Supreme Court Fellows Program was created in 1973 by the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger to provide promising individuals with a first-hand understanding of the federal government, in particular, the judicial branch. In the words of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., the program offers “a unique opportunity for exceptional individuals to contribute to the administration of justice at the national level.”

            Each year fellows work with top officials in the judicial branch of government. With assignments at the Supreme Court, the Federal Judicial Center, the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts, and the U. S. Sentencing Commission, fellows have been involved in various projects examining the federal judicial process and seeking, proposing, and implementing solutions to problems in the administration of justice.

            As the fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States, Newbold’s duties will include researching and providing background information for speeches and reports, briefing visiting dignitaries, preparing analytical reports, and overseeing the Judicial Internship Program. Her fellowship begins in the fall in the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice.

Before joining the American University faculty, Newbold taught at The University of Texas at Dallas in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, where she was recognized as a Phi Alpha Alpha Outstanding Faculty Advisor. Much of her research has focused on the constitutional history, legal environment, theory, and context of public administration.  Newbold recently gave a keynote address on “How to Run a Constitution” for the Brookings Institution Executive Education Program and is the author of the book, All But Forgotten: Thomas Jefferson and the Development of Public Administration. She is a member of the American Society for Public Administration, American Political Science Association, and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

Newbold earned a B.A., magna cum laude, in public administration and political science from Elon University in 2001, a M.A. in public administration, and a Ph.D. in philosophy in public administration and public affairs from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, respectively, in 2003 and 2006.

The Supreme Court Fellows are selected by a commission composed of nine members selected by the Chief Justice of the United States.