Does having daughters influence how judges rule on women's issues? This study investigates the connection between a judge's gender relationships and their judicial decisions. Using new data on U.S. Courts of Appeals judges' family lives, we find that judges with daughters consistently vote more 'feministically' on these matters than those with sons. The effect remains even when controlling for total children count.

This result challenges the long-standing assumption that judges are gender-blind in their decision-making. Our findings show this pattern particularly emerges among Republican judges, while Democratic judges do not display a similar bias based solely on daughterhood. More broadly, these results suggest personal experiences may shape judicial perspectives more than previously recognized, offering empirical support for judicial empathy as a factor.

Key Findings:

* Judges with daughters vote significantly differently than those without daughters (N=89 judges).

* This effect is statistically robust across various testing scenarios.

* The pattern appears specific to Republican judges.

Methodology:

* Analysis of new data on U.S. Courts of Appeals judges' family structures from 1970-2020.