Authorship in U.S. circuit courts often reflects gender and racial disparities.

Findings: White and male judges are more frequently assigned to write published opinions while less so for unpublished ones.

* Our analysis uses an original dataset of all dispositive circuit panel opinions from 2012.

* The observed differences in assignment likelihood between demographic groups are statistically significant but relatively modest.

Real-World Relevance:

These patterns suggest systemic barriers:

* Historically marginalized judges face fewer opportunities to shape precedent and policy through published work.

* They disproportionately handle the less prestigious task of authoring unpublished opinions.

This nuanced understanding extends existing research on representation in judicial politics.