1. law, govt and politics

Judicial Clerkship
Handbook
2011 – 2012
University of Richmond School of Law
Career Services Office
2011-12 Judicial Clerkship Handbook
Table of Contents
General Information
Introduction ................................................................................................... 1
A Brief History of the Judicial Clerk ............................................................ 2
What Law Clerks Do for Judges ................................................................... 3
Judicial Clerkship Opportunities ................................................................... 6
Judicial Externship vs. Clerkship ................................................................ 10
Planning and Application Process
Preparing for a Clerkship ............................................................................. 11
How to Choose Judges for Applications ..................................................... 12
Finding the Right Clerkship for You ........................................................... 17
Contents of the Application ......................................................................... 18
Application Timeline ................................................................................... 22
Application Procedures................................................................................ 23
Interviewing with a Judge............................................................................ 29
Etiquette of Accepting a Judicial Clerkship ................................................ 31
Correspondence
How to Address Judges/Justices .................................................................. 32
Sample Cover Letter .................................................................................... 33
Sample Thank You Letter............................................................................ 34
Letter to Adjunct Faculty Recommender .................................................... 35
Letter to Non-Faculty Recommender .......................................................... 36
University of Richmond School of Law Judicial Clerks and Judges
Alumni Letters on Judicial Clerkships ........................................................ 37
Faculty Clerks .............................................................................................. 46
Adjunct and Visiting Faculty Clerks ........................................................... 47
Alumni Clerks.............................................................................................. 48
Alumni with Multiple Clerkships ................................................................ 65
Alumni Judges ............................................................................................. 66
Research Sources .................................................................................................... 76
General Information
Introduction
A
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judicial clerkship provides a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding of the
legal system. The benefits are numerous:
By working directly with a judge or judges, you view the legal process from a judge‘s
perspective while potentially gaining an important mentor.
A judicial clerkship strengthens your resume, opening doors to a successful career path.
Graduates find greater success in their pursuits of firm and faculty positions with clerkship
experience.
Judicial clerks have the opportunity to network with practicing attorneys and other legal
professionals.
A clerkship can provide the chance to spend time in a new area of the country.
There are a wide range of clerkships available, most lasting one to two years. Judicial clerkships
exist at state and federal levels, in trial and appellate courts, as well as in specialty courts and
administrative agencies. Many law students apply for clerkships immediately following graduation,
while increasing numbers of alumni choose to apply for clerkships as well.
The Judicial Clerkship Handbook is designed to introduce you to judicial clerkships and the
application process. Please use this handbook in conjunction with the Judicial Clerkships course in
Blackboard.
You can learn the responsibilities of a judicial clerk through Professor Jones‘ What Law Clerks Do
for Judges and through letters written by alumni who served as clerks. As you decide where to
apply for clerkships, please consult How to Choose Judges for Applications and Judicial
Clerkship Opportunities. You will find listings of federal judges on Symplicity and through
OSCAR (the Online System for Clerkship Application & Review). NCSC (the National Center for
State Courts) provides a listing of all state court websites and the Vermont Guide to State Clerkship
Procedures (username: long, password: trail) describes each state‘s court system and clerkship
application process. Many, but not all, federal judges follow the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan,
accepting applications the day after Labor Day. Deadlines for state applications vary by judge and
by court.
Some students target applications to a small number of courts in a particular geographic region
while others apply to a wide range of courts located across the U.S. and internationally. This
handbook provides listings of members of the Richmond Law community who serve as judges or
who served as judicial clerks. These individuals will serve as invaluable resources in your search.
The listed Research Sources will direct you to helpful books and websites to strengthen your
understanding of judicial clerkships. Please consult the Career Services Office as you strategize
where to apply for clerkships and as questions arise about the clerkship application process.
1
A Brief History of the Judicial Clerk
By John Paul Jones, Professor of Law
T
he practice of employing a recent law graduate as a clerk in a judge's chambers originated in
Massachusetts in the summer of 1875. Horace Gray, then Chief Justice of the Massachusetts
Supreme Court, engaged a Harvard Law graduate as his personal secretary. Notwithstanding
the title then employed, the position involved the duties generally performed by judicial
clerks today: review and organization of case records, research of applicable precedent, and
preparation of memoranda or draft opinions. As support staff were not authorized by the
commonwealth, Chief Justice Gray paid his clerk from his own pocket. When he accepted
appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1882, Justice Gray took both the practice of
employing a clerk, and the practice of paying his wages, to Washington. The Attorney General of
the United States first recommended creation of a paid position in 1885, and Congress created the
first Federal judicial clerkships for the Supreme Court in 1886. Five justices filled the position its
first year, and all nine had a clerk by 1888. At first, most justices hired law graduates for long-term
employment, but Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (who had followed Justice Gray from the
Massachusetts Supreme Court) preserved the tradition of short-term employment which would later
prevail for most of the judiciary. While it is only speculation that Horace Gray's brother, the
renowned John Chipman Gray, selected candidates for his brother from his vantage point on the
Harvard Law faculty, it is clear that Justice Holmes, and later Justice Brandeis, relied upon then
Professor Felix Frankfurter to select their law clerks from each Harvard graduating class.
Law clerks appeared in the chambers of the Supreme Court of California by 1930, and within the
next three years began serving jurists of the highest courts of Illinois, New Jersey, New York,
Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania as well.
The first judicial clerks in Virginia appeared in 1962, when the General Assembly, acting on
recommendations by the Judicial Council of Virginia, the Virginia State Bar, and the Virginia Bar
Association, appropriated for the employment of seven law clerks to assist the justices of the
Supreme Court. That year, Justices Carrico, Snead, and I'Anson each hired "a graduate of an
approved law school who would serve as a research assistant." John M. Pedigo was Justice Carrico's
first law clerk. The General Assembly authorized a "Research Assistant" (as well as a secretary) for
each judge on the Court of Appeals in the legislation creating the Court of Appeals in 1983.
Virginia does not yet furnish its trial court judges with law clerks. At some time prior to 1981, the
local governments served by two northern Virginia judicial circuits appropriated funds for circuit
court law clerks. By 2007, at least thirteen of the thirty-one state judicial circuits had law clerks
furnished by local government. Since at least 1981, the Judicial Council has urged the General
Assembly to appropriate funds for circuit court law clerk positions. The General Assembly has so
far declined to do so.
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What Law Clerks Do for Judges
By John Paul Jones, Professor of Law
RESEARCH
The function that defines the role of the law clerk is research. Every law clerk will perform the sorts
of research learned in law school to find, in printed or electronic form, cases, statutes, regulations,
or scholarly commentary relevant to questions of law. Such questions are most likely to be
presented by a particular case before the court, but they can sometimes arise from a judge's request
for an answer he expects to be generally useful. Depending upon the context, the law clerk may
report the results of such research to the judge orally and informally (as, for example, when
supplying a quick answer while the judge waits to rule from the bench). Otherwise, the law clerk
may report in writing and formally, in the sort of legal memo with which law school has made the
law clerk so familiar. (This is likely to be the form desired when the judge intends the answer for
incorporation in an opinion, or for reference in future, similar cases.)
Law libraries co-located with the seats of appellate courts are likely to have good collections and
professional staff experienced in negotiating with other libraries to borrow what is not in the
collection. On the other hand, law libraries co-located with the seats of trial courts, and law libraries
found in chambers, are likely to be very small. The law clerk will likely be the only librarian. When
a court or chambers is remotely situated, a great deal of seat-of-the-pants adjudicating used to be
necessary. Nowadays, the virtual universality of access to electronic legal data bases like LEXIS
and Westlaw brings very large collections of legal materials (not just cases and statutes, but treatises
and law reviews as well) within reach of the remotest court. Thus, for law clerks working in remote
chambers, electronic research skills are likely to be more important than traditional research in hard
copy. Many judges budget funds for additional training of their law clerks in electronic research.
ANALYSIS
Almost as often as law clerks are called upon to conduct research, they are asked to perform
analysis of contradictory versions of facts or law. Indeed, the two tasks are rarely distinguished in
law school, where facts and issues are artificially limited to those necessary for a specific lesson on
a particular legal doctrine. It is very different with real cases. Resolution of a case by a trial judge
requires her to make findings of fact before she makes conclusions of law. Disputing parties will
have offered contradictory evidence in various forms which must be sorted, compared, and
evaluated in order to arrive at the judge's preferred version. The judge's preferred version becomes a
finding enunciated in her opinion to justify her ruling. Some courts permit the parties to propose
findings of fact; in these courts, the law clerk analyses record facts before endorsing to the judge
one among the competing findings offered by counsel. In courts where the parties do not
customarily propose findings, it is the law clerk who, after scrutinizing the pleading, transcript, and
exhibits, drafts findings for adoption by the judge. Review of the record to establish that the trial
court has found accurately the facts upon which its disposition can rest often requires a similar
analysis of facts by law clerks in appellate courts.
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DRAFTING
All law clerks will draft memoranda for use by their own and other judges. A memorandum for use
within chambers is likely to be the briefest and least formal. A memorandum for circulation to other
chambers is likely to be longer, and more formal. A law clerk should first make sure he has
understood completely and precisely the subject and purpose of the memo. He should then consult
the chambers files for past memos to serve as models. He should adjust his plan for the length and
complexity of the finished product to account for his deadline. (The definitive treatise can be
worthless if delivered late.)
In preparation for a hearing, a law clerk scrutinizes the pleadings and exhibits in order to prepare a
clear summary of the relevant facts, and examines the pleadings in order to prepare an evaluation of
the legal points and authorities relied upon by each side. The resulting memorandum is commonly
called a "bench brief" or "bench memo." In appellate courts, the judges often divide among their
clerks the chore of preparing bench briefs for the cases scheduled each court day and share their
work products with the other judges assigned to hear each case.
Some law clerks will draft documents for the record: orders, jury instructions, or opinions; others
will not. Among those who draft, some will see much of their draft appear in the judge's final
version; others will recognize but a word or two. For those who are expected to produce a first draft,
it is important to realize that the draft belongs not to the clerk but to the judge. If a clerk's draft
serves only as a stimulus for the judge's own crafting of an instruction or opinion, it has served an
adequate purpose.
EDITING
All clerks will edit. They will read drafts produced by their judge, by a party, or even by another
law clerk, checking to see that what they contain conforms to the proof and the law. This is more
than simply editing for clear communication; it presumes that the clerk has an adequate prior
acquaintance with the facts and law to make astute judgments about what has been written. Editing
also includes the pedestrian jobs of proofreading, verifying quotations, and correcting citations to
the court's standard or bluebook form as appropriate. When opinions have been chosen for
publication, a law clerk proofreads again before transmitting the opinion to the publisher, and again
when it appears in advance sheet form. The misplacement of even a comma can prove embarrassing
to a judicial author, so meticulous proofreading is expected.
FILING
The clerk of the court is responsible for maintaining the master file for each case formally entered in
the court. When that file is in the judge's chambers, it may be considered on loan from its custodian,
the clerk of the court. Judges maintain their own files in their chambers; some of these files may
pertain to active cases; others preserve the judge's collection of important documents in completed
cases, or paperwork associated with collateral matters such as judicial council activities, speeches,
or court administration. Some judges direct their law clerks, as well as their secretaries, to assist in
keeping these files complete and up to date.
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Some judges require their law clerks to process incoming mail (usually excepting those items
marked "personal" or "confidential"). The advantage of this arrangement is that the law clerk can
serve as a filter for inappropriate inquiries or communications which, if made directly to the judge,
could jeopardize her appearance of impartiality.
Another kind of mail and filing duty arises from the law clerk's duty to maintain the chambers
library. The task is only burdensome when it has been postponed, and the inserts, updates, and
pocket parts have accumulated. The judge and her clerk are both presumed to have read the first
prints, in slip opinion or advance sheet, of decisions by other judges of her court and of the courts
that bind her. The law clerk ought to make sure that the judge has seen important decisions among
those that arrive in these formats.
CALENDAR SCHEDULING
Some law clerks keep their judge's calendar, scheduling meetings and conferences at the judge's
direction, and, within guidelines set by the judge, rescheduling at the request of parties. Because the
law clerk acts in this regard in a representative capacity, his communications with attorneys should
be formal, tactful, and discreet. Clerks may also be responsible for handling scheduling for the
hiring of the next judicial clerk.
TAKING NOTES
The law clerk takes notes at hearings and in chambers meetings where she attends her judge. These
notes are for the aid of the judge, as well as the law clerk, enabling them to refer to a source other
than an interested party in order to refresh their own recollections of what was said and decided.
Often, in order to supplement his own notes taken on the bench, a judge can more conveniently
consult his law clerk's notes than he can replay an audio tape or wait for a written transcript.
Chambers meetings are not always recorded verbatim, leaving the judge with only the notes of his
clerk as an alternative to the recollections of interested persons.
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Judicial Clerkship Opportunities
There are a wide variety of judicial clerkships available to graduating students and alumni.
Opportunities exist at both federal and state levels for judicial clerks from a variety of backgrounds.
While most clerkships last one year, increasing numbers of judges hire clerks for two-year positions
or career clerkships.
Competitiveness of the application process varies by court and by judge. In 2010, federal judges
hired 1,791 judicial clerks, with 162 clerks hired in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
and its district and bankruptcy courts. Federal clerkship applications submitted via OSCAR (the
Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, used by two-thirds of federal judges) were
down slightly this past year, with 9,570 applicants submitting 382,828 online applications (an
average of 40 applications per person). Half of all OSCAR federal clerkship applicants were alumni
and half were current law students. Many state courts and judges reported record application
numbers as well. With this in mind, it is important for applicants to start the process early, to
strategize where to apply, and to submit well-polished materials to a variety of courts and judges.
APPELLATE VS. TRIAL CLERKSHIPS
There are similarities between trial and appellate clerkships: both entail extensive legal research,
analysis, and writing. However, the daily responsibilities vary between the two types of courts.
Appellate Court Clerkships – Strong focus on intensive research and writing with less time spent
in the courtroom than trial clerks. Typical duties include researching and drafting memoranda on
issues raised for appeal, drafting opinions, reading briefs, and attending oral arguments.
Trial Court Clerkships – Time-sensitive and litigation-related tasks are required. Typical
responsibilities include researching and drafting trial memoranda, attending oral arguments, writing
jury instructions, and performing administrative tasks. Trial court clerks have the opportunity to
meet and observe a variety of legal professionals with a weekly schedule of hearing motions.
COURTS WHERE CLERKSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE
FEDERAL
United States Supreme Court – The Chief and Associate Justices may hire up to 37 candidates for
these most competitive and prestigious of clerkships (in recent years, they have hired 35 clerks).
Previous clerkship experience is required, typically in a federal court of appeals. Clerks are hired
starting at Federal Judicial Salary Plan (JSP) 11, adjusted for the D.C. locality at roughly $62,000,
though Supreme Court clerks have received bonuses of up to $250,000 upon joining large law
firms.
Federal Court of Appeals – There are 13 federal courts of appeal: the Federal Circuit, D.C.
Circuit, and First through Eleventh Circuits. Our closest federal appellate court, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 4th Circuit, has fourteen judges: Chief Judge Traxler; Judges Wilkinson, Niemeyer,
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Motz, King, Gregory, Shedd, Duncan, Agee, Davis, Keenan, Wynn, and Diaz; and Senior Judge
Hamilton. Most federal circuit judges hire three to four clerks for highly competitive and
prestigious one-year positions. Federal appellate clerkships serve as ideal positions for those who
wish to join law faculty or appellate practice. Clerks are hired starting at Federal JSP 11, roughly
$50,000. This base salary is adjusted for cost of living differences in some metropolitan areas.
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Special Note: Staff Attorneys – Many federal appellate courts hire staff attorneys, who
serve as law clerks to all judges on the court. Staff attorneys assist in the screening and preoral argument stages of the appellate process. Federal staff attorney openings can be found
on OSCAR.
Federal District Courts – There are 94 federal district courts serving as the trial-level of the
federal court system. Some federal district clerkships are more difficult to attain than others; the
application process is especially competitive in D.C., the Southern District of New York, and the
Western District of Texas. Our closest federal district court, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, has four divisions: Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond. The
Richmond chambers include those of Chief Judge Spencer, Judge Hudson and Gibney, Senior Judge
Payne, and Magistrate Judges Dohnal and Lauck. Federal district court judges typically hire two to
three law clerks, often for very competitive one-year positions (though a trend has emerged toward
two-year positions). Clerking for a well-respected federal district judge can positively impact
clerks‘ careers. Federal district court clerkships are ideal positions for prospective litigators and
they can launch clerks to appellate-level clerkships. Clerks are hired starting at Federal JSP 11,
roughly $50,000, adjusted for cost of living differences in some metropolitan areas.
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Special Note: Federal Magistrate Clerkships – Federal magistrate judges are appointed by
federal district court judges and serve eight-year terms. Magistrate judge duties will vary by
court, with magistrate judges working to expedite the civil and criminal caseloads.
Magistrate judges often hear the same matters heard by federal district judges. Magistrate
clerkships are fast-paced positions ideally suited for prospective litigators. Clerks are hired
starting at Federal JSP 11, roughly $50,000. This base salary is adjusted for cost of living
differences in some metropolitan areas.
Federal Bankruptcy Courts - Each federal district has a bankruptcy court and judges typically hire
one law clerk. While bankruptcy clerkships are obviously well-suited for those who wish to
practice in the areas of bankruptcy or tax, they also provide valuable experience and contacts for
those who want to practice commercial and business law. Clerks are hired starting at Federal JSP
11, roughly $50,000, adjusted for cost of living differences in some metropolitan areas.
Specialized Federal Courts – Article III and non-Article III judges in specialized courts hire
judicial clerks. Most specialized federal courts are located in D.C., though the U.S. Court of
International Trade is located in New York. Specialized federal courts include the U.S. Court of
International Trade, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Military Appeals,
and U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals. The application process to specialized federal courts can be
less competitive than that of federal district courts. Evidence of strong interest in the subject matter
can give a candidate an edge. Clerks are hired starting at Federal JSP 11, roughly $50,000, adjusted
for cost of living differences in some metropolitan areas.
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Administrative Agencies - Administrative law judges (ALJ‘s) at a number of government agencies
(including the EPA, Department of Labor, and International Trade Commission) hire judicial clerks.
There are 1,150 ALJ‘s employed in 28 administrative agencies. Applications to ALJ‘s can be less
competitive than those to other federal judges. Clerking with an ALJ is especially valuable if you
wish to practice in a field regulated by the agency where you clerk. Further information about
administrative law clerkships (including the results of a CSO/NALP survey of hiring intentions and
application deadlines) can be found on Blackboard. Additional information can be found on the
U.S. Department of Justice‘s Agencies website.
STATE
Highest State Court – A state‘s highest court can be called by different names – including the
―Supreme Court‖ here in Virginia or the ―Court of Appeals‖ in D.C., New York, and Maryland.
Judges in a state‘s highest court hire one or two clerks for a term of one to two years. The selection
process is highly competitive, but less so than with federal appellate clerkships. Currently, the
Supreme Court of Virginia has five active justices (Chief Justice Kinser and Justices Lemons,
Goodwyn, Millette, and Mims) and four senior justices (Justices Carrico, Russell, Lacy, and
Koontz). Two additional justices should be appointed by the General Assembly in spring 2011.
Some Supreme Court of Virginia justices hire judicial clerks during the summer months, before the
Federal Law Clerk Hiring date, while others hire in the fall. Justices‘ chambers are not always
located in the state capital, and the application process may vary from one justice to another.
Clerkships in a state‘s highest court are prestigious positions well-suited to those with an interest in
appellate law. Salaries vary by state and range from $30,000 to $63,000.
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Special Note: Staff Attorneys – Many state appellate courts hire staff attorneys, who serve
as law clerks to all judges on the court. Staff attorneys assist in the screening and pre-oral
argument stages of the appellate process.
State Intermediate Appellate Courts – Most but not all states have intermediate appellate courts.
Intermediate appellate court judges hire one or two clerks for a term of one to two years. The Chief
Judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr., is a University of
Richmond School of Law alumnus. Virginia‘s Court of Appeals has ten additional Judges (Judges
Elder, Frank, Humphreys, Kelsey, McClanahan, Haley, Petty, Beales, Powell, and Alston) and five
senior judges (Judges Coleman, Willis, Annunziata, Bumgardner, and Clements). Please note that
one or more Court of Appeals of Virginia judges may be named to the Supreme Court of Virginia
by the General Assembly in spring 2011, creating new openings on this court. State appellate court
clerkships are great positions for those who are interested in appellate law, and the application
process is often less competitive than those of federal appellate and highest state court clerkships.
Salaries vary by state, ranging from $30,000 to $55,000.
State Trial Courts – Many state trial courts (often called ―Superior Courts‖ or ―Circuit Courts‖)
hire clerks; in some courts, clerks are assigned to particular judges and, in other courts, clerks are
shared among judges. State clerkships provide unique contacts with the state and local political
communities, particularly in states with elected trial judges. State trial courts are fast-paced, with
less formality than appellate courts. There is less emphasis on writing and more contact with the
public and local practitioners. State trial court clerkships are ideal positions for those who hope to
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become prosecutors, public defenders, and litigators. Salaries vary by state, with a range of $20,000
to $54,000.
Specialized State Courts – Many states have specialized courts which handle probate, family,
juvenile, and environmental matters. Some specialized state courts hire law clerks. These
clerkships provide an opportunity to deepen your understanding of an area of focus, while also
networking with professionals in that field.
INTERNATIONAL
There are opportunities - clerkships and short-term positions - available to law students and
graduates with international tribunals and foreign courts. Rarely do these positions pay, however.
Funding can be found through the Foundation Center and PSLawNet.
International Tribunals – Opportunities include trainee programs and internships with the
European Court of Justice, the UN‘s International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court,
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the World Trade Organization Appellate Body.
A comprehensive listing of opportunities with international tribunals can be found in Yale Law
School‘s Opportunities with International Tribunals and Foreign Courts.
National Courts – Opportunities include clerkships, associate positions (often, one year in length),
and internships with the Supreme Court of Israel, Constitutional Court of South Africa, and High
Court of Australia. More opportunities and details can be found in YLS‘ Opportunities with
International Tribunals and Foreign Courts.
“OFF THE BEATEN PATH” CLERKSHIPS
Many Richmond Law applicants migrate to federal and state appellate and trial courts, especially
those located along the East and West coasts. You increase your chances of attaining a clerkship by
looking off the beaten path. Here are a few clerkship options to consider:
Administrative Law Judges
Judges Who Sit in National Parks
Judges Who Sit in U.S. Territories
Judges Who Sit in Less Populated Areas (e.g. North Dakota)
Judges with Senior Status
International Tribunal and Foreign Courts
Native American Tribal Courts
Federal Specialty Courts
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Judicial Externship vs. Clerkship
What is an externship and how is it different from a clerkship?
Although an externship involves working in a judge‘s chambers, it differs from a clerkship in
several ways. An externship is generally a volunteer position and can sometimes be eligible for
course credit. Judicial externships are performed while the extern is still a student, either during the
school year or during the summer. A clerkship is a post-graduate, paid position. Externs perform
duties very similar to that of judicial clerks, including: legal research, preparing memos and drafting
orders, writing draft opinions and stipulations, assembling documents and reviewing motions,
memoranda, briefs, and other documents submitted to the court.
Externships for course credit can be obtained through applying to the Clinical Placement Program,
which is available to second- and third-year students. Volunteer externships, available to all law
students not for credit, can be obtained by individually applying to a judge‘s chambers. To do so,
you would essentially follow the same directions outlined in this handbook for applying for a
clerkship. The application materials required may be fewer and the application timeline shorter.
The best way to find out the specifics for each judge is to contact the judge‘s chambers and ask
about the extern application process, if they have one.
ADVANTAGES
The advantages of judicial externships are almost the same as the advantages of a clerkship: the
opportunity to work closely with a judge and receive insights into the judicial system. A judicial
externship can also offer a nice boost to your resume. A summer judicial externship provides a
student with practical legal experience to add to the resume and boost their qualifications. Another
big advantage of an externship is that it can be a springboard to a post-graduate clerkship,
particularly if your grades are not as competitive as you would like. Judges will often hire clerks
who worked previously as externs. Be careful with this tactic, however; some judges make it a
rule to not hire their own externs as clerks. If you are very interested in clerking for a judge after
graduation, and you do not want to foreclose the opportunity, inquire with the judge about his or her
policies before accepting an externship. Another great advantage is having a judge that may be
willing to help you through the clerkship application process by participating on your behalf or by
referring you to colleagues.
DISADVANTAGES
There are only two real disadvantages to a judicial externship. One is pay: none, unless you work
through the Clinical Placement Program for course credit. The second is that you will probably
work mostly with the judge‘s clerk, rather than with the judge. Often, the extern may find that he or
she is working on projects that the clerk either does not have time or interest to do. However, since
the experience is usually of short duration, the advantages greatly outweigh any disadvantages.
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Planning and Application Process
Preparing for a Clerkship
P
reparation for a judicial clerkship requires advanced planning and can begin as early as your
first year of law school. There are a few things that you can begin to work on quite early in law
school in order to ensure that you are properly prepared when the time comes to apply. Here
are some suggestions of what you can be doing NOW, or what you might need to catch up on,
depending on which stage of law school in which you find yourself.
TIPS FOR FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS

Focus on your academic performance. If your first semester did not turn out as you had
hoped, work hard in future semesters for improvement. Make grades and performance your
first priority. Rest assured, however, that it is not just the top performers in each class who
secure clerkships.

Start cultivating relationships with faculty, adjunct faculty, and legal supervisors who can
serve as recommenders. Recommenders should be able to speak highly of your research and
writing skills, as well as your character and fitness. Take the time to visit your faculty
during their office hours to ask questions. Seek opportunities to function as a faculty
research assistant. Get to know your supervisor at work.

Polish your writing skills through journal experience and publication. Give the journal
bluebook exams your very best effort. Participate in national writing competitions. Try to
get your upper-level writing requirement completed during your second year. Strive to
create a polished writing sample.

Participate in Moot Court programs and assume leadership roles in organizations.

Consider a judicial internship or judicial clinical placement. Judges look highly on an
applicant with previous court experience.

Take every opportunity to meet judges – attend campus events with judges, bar events, and
conferences or seminars where judges will speak. Introduce yourself.

Discuss your judicial clerkship aspirations with alumni, faculty, and acquaintances – your
best advice may come from those who clerked with judges or who know judges.

Remain open-minded in your clerkship search, considering courts and geographic regions
of all types.

Attend CSO programs related to judicial clerkships, cover letter and resume preparation,
and interviewing and networking skills.
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How to Choose Judges for Applications
By John Paul Jones, Professor of Law
Here, I offer one answer, or set of answers, with the qualification that this set is but one of many,
and may not be optimal in your particular circumstances.
First, assess your marketability. At this stage, marketability is measured by resort to rather narrow
criteria, those used in most chambers to choose among many applications the few to which an
interview can be offered, given the time a judge can set aside during the brief season of law clerk
hiring.
The most marketable candidate offers the best evidence of skill in research, analysis, and writing.
For most judges, law school grades are relevant evidence of these competences, so marketability
varies directly with GPA and class standing. Most judges also consider relevant what John
Douglass calls "a journal experience." A journal experience can be either membership on the staff
of a law review or publication in a law review. If you are one of the top ten in the class, and on the
flagship journal, you are as marketable as your law school's reputation permits. If you are not, then
your marketability is less.
Anybody in the top 20 percent here at Richmond, active on any of our journals or successful
in moot court, is competitive for a federal clerkship. If you are nearer the top of that group, you
probably still have a reasonable chance, even without the journal or moot court experience; if you
are near the bottom of that group, those experiences are more important, and without them your
chances are low, but certainly not nil.
At any level of marketability, your chances increase or decrease depending on the degree to which
you are geographically challenged. If a particular location is more important than career success,
your chances are reduced to the number of clerkship vacancies in the court at that location, divided
by the number of those applying. Greg Golden, U.S. District Judge Merhige‘s last law clerk, told
those assembled for the 1998 Judicial Clerkship program sponsored by the Career Services Office,
that "Harvard Law School graduates will go anywhere for a federal clerkship." John Douglass, a
top Harvard Law graduate with experience on Harvard's flagship journal, admitted to applying to a
number of federal judges around the country, and clerked in Baltimore, a city with which he had no
previous tie. If those at Harvard are willing to relocate from the attractive environs of Cambridge
and Boston, they must know something about the value of a federal clerkship, something they‘ve
learned from credible and trustworthy advisors.
Besides the performance factors generally relied upon by federal judges for the first phase of the
selection process, you may have other traits or characteristics of interest to particular judges. Senior
Judge Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a devout Mormon and favors
graduates of the law schools of Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. Most judges
have a soft spot for the graduates of the law schools from which they came. Judge Stamp of the
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia has certainly exhibited a willingness
to hire grads from Richmond. Only a relatively few students from T.C. Williams have ever applied
to our other graduate on the Federal bench, Judge Schlesinger of the U.S. District Court for the
12
Middle District of Florida, so it is hard to say whether he, too, would favor applicants from his law
school, but I have no reason to believe he would act atypically.
With a judge, you might otherwise share a college or university, a fraternity or sorority, or a
particular experience, like participation in a varsity sport or military service. Among those who
have excelled in school while competing athletically, there is clearly a sympathetic bond. Among
those who have served in an elite military unit, there is a similar attachment. Some federal judges
maintain close ties with their ethnic group. Perhaps you and a federal judge have both been law
enforcement officers, or offshore racers. Perhaps you have mutual acquaintances. If you‘ve
impressed your law professors, they might have special connections with particular judges for
whom they themselves once clerked or with whom they have worked on committees.
Now look at the other side of the equation. Some courts and judges attract much more attention than
do others, so that competition is greater for some clerkships than for others. Most law clerks
serving justices in the U.S. Supreme Court have already served as a law clerk for a judge on a U.S.
Court of Appeals. A few come directly from the elite among law schools, with sterling credentials
and strong recommendations from former clerks and professors. The U.S. Supreme Court is the
toughest market to crack, and a graduate from T.C. Williams hasn‘t yet. For it to happen, a very
successful T.C. Williams student would have to serve first as a clerk to one of the judges on a court
of appeals to whom a justice routinely turns for his or her clerks.
Some judges on the U.S. Courts of Appeals hire only those who have clerked before, but this
practice is far less prevalent than it is on the U.S. Supreme Court. The prestige of a federal
appellate clerkship attracts the most applicants, so most of these go to those at the elite schools with
sterling credentials and strong recommendations from former clerks and professors. Remember that
law students from Stanford, Yale, and Harvard will go anywhere to get a federal clerkship, so that
they can be found clerking in Fargo, N.D., Abingdon, Va., and Reno, Nevada. By the same token,
because many students are, or imagine themselves to be, geographically challenged, re-location
reduces competition, and some federal appellate clerkships are within the reach of some of you. Rita
Poindexter, TCW '00, worked after graduation for Chief Judge Arnold of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit. While the Fourth Circuit‘s judges are most likely to know something about
T.C. Williams because more of our graduates practice in this circuit, and its headquarters is located
in our backyard, the Fourth Circuit is also home to a disproportionate number of the top law schools
in the country. Thus, the disadvantage of applying to a distant circuit court may be more illusory
than real. At least when I was in his chambers as a humble extern, Judge Wallace of the Ninth
Circuit declined to interview any applicants but those from the top ten percent at the top ten law
schools who had a journal experience (and the top students from BYU or Utah). Judge Wallace‘s
chambers are in San Diego, and he attracted 600+ applications each year. I have a hard time
believing that Judge Kleinfeld, whose chambers are in Fairbanks, or Judge Trott, whose chambers
are in Boise, face the same avalanche of applications each year.
Having said all this, I suppose that I still believe that only the top ten from your class have a
realistic chance of winning an interview this spring with any judge on a federal court of appeals,
without some personal connection. Those of you who clerk for a federal district judge immediately
after graduation, however, may well have a shot at an appellate clerkship afterward.
The biggest federal market is that of the district judges, each of whom may hire two clerks each
13
year. Everything I‘ve said about credentials, connections, and geographic flexibility applies here as
well. Some federal district court judges attract more applications, including more from the elite
schools, than do some federal appellate judges. When John Douglass and I both sought clerkships
in 1980, District Judge Gerhard Gisell attracted many applications because he had recently presided
over Watergate-related cases in the district court for the District of Columbia. I would imagine that,
more recently, District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson attracted similar attention, given his role in
the Microsoft antitrust case.
There are plenty of federal judicial districts in which there no law schools situated, so that all of the
law clerks have to come from someplace else. Other districts are located in states with only one or
two law schools, without much academic reputation. The absence of a home-field advantage in such
districts is therefore an advantage for you.
Judges have judicial careers and make for themselves judicial reputations. The most attractive are
those with excellent reputations, especially those still actively trying cases or hearing appeals.
Some senior judges carry full case loads; others are in the twilight of their careers, now physically
unable to carry a full load any more. Newly appointed judges have yet to acquire a reputation,
except that which lingers from an unpleasant confirmation process. Clerking for a rookie judge is an
investment of one‘s contributions in the first critical years of that judge‘s tenure, a sort of joint
venture, with the expectation that the judge will grow in power and prestige. A judge‘s first law
clerks enjoy a special status thereafter. Rookie judges are the least likely to depend on narrow
pipelines or referral networks for their clerks.
All judges have the capacity to advance the post-clerkship careers of the law clerks with whom they
are satisfied. Some judges intervene more directly than others; the reputations of some judges are
enough to aid their protégés, without the judge‘s active involvement. What sort of lawyering you
want to do after the clerkship (or at least now suspect you might) ought to make some judges more
attractive than others. If you want to try cases as a federal prosecutor, a judge who is a former
federal prosecutor ought to be of more help to your post-clerking career than a judge who was
formerly a medical malpractice litigator. If you want to practice in a law firm with global
aspirations, then a judge who used to be a partner in that firm ought to smooth your employment
there more than any other judge could. These are but examples of a general proposition embracing
all sorts of legal careers.
While the federal district courts have a common subject matter jurisdiction, some are going to hear
more of one sort of case than others. The law clerks who work for the district courts in Norfolk,
New Orleans, or Jacksonville are much more likely to hear admiralty cases than are those who work
in the district courts in Abington, Boise, or Columbia, S.C. If you want to be a federal prosecutor,
go where crimes are tried in federal courts. (In the Eastern District of Virginia, for example, Project
Exile has made ―guns and drugs a tradition.‖) The same sort of advice should work for those with
an interest in immigration law, environmental enforcement, tax, patent, securities, or construction
law.
There are a few specialized federal courts: the Court of Federal Claims, the Tax Court, the Court
of International Trade, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Court of Veterans
Appeals. The Court of Federal Claims hears cases from all over the country in which contract
claims are asserted against the federal government, whether by corporate government contractors
14
like General Dynamics or IDS, or by government employees. It has an important Indian treaty
jurisdiction. The Court of International Trade hears cases arising under multi- and bi-lateral trade
agreements. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit hears appeals from the Patent Office and
from the Court of Federal Claims. The names of the others give at least a hint of their jurisdictions.
We have had good connections with the Court of Federal Claims, where I clerked many years ago
and where Senior Judge Loren Smith, a friend and collaborator of Professor Wolf (a member of our
faculty for many years who is now at Florida State), used to be the Chief Judge. A clerkship there
offers employment futures not only in the area of federal government contract law, but also with
large full-service law firms in which such a department is commonplace, and with other federal
agencies like Justice, the SEC or FTC. It is most likely to lead to a career based in D.C., but not
necessarily.
Clerkships with magistrate judges are generally viewed as less prestigious than clerkships with
judges in the district courts by whom they are directed. On the other hand, some magistrate judges
have excellent reputations and disproportionate influence. One holds court in the Grand Canyon. A
clerkship with a magistrate judge may be the answer for those of you who are committed to a
clerkship in a geographically attractive, and therefore competitive, district.
Everything I have said about the influence a judge can have on your post-clerking career is true for
magistrate judges as well. Before you apply to one of them, familiarize yourself with the subject
matter jurisdiction of a federal magistrate judge.
Clerkships with bankruptcy courts are generally viewed as less prestigious than clerkships with
the district courts with which they are associated. Unlike district court judges and magistrate
judges, bankruptcy judges hear no criminal cases. That bankruptcy courts entertain only actions in
bankruptcy means that they proceed by different procedure than the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure, but bankruptcy cases involve a very wide range of commercial and contractual affairs,
so that clerking in a bankruptcy court offers very fine preparation for a career in commercial law or
business law, especially one concentrating in commercial and business litigation.
Some federal district courts have judicial clerks who deal with prisoner litigation and other cases
brought by pro se plaintiffs. Pro se clerks are most likely to be found in those courts in districts in
which federal prisons are located. One judge of the district court takes on the pro se clerk as his or
her assistant. These clerkships, because they do not deal with civil cases or with high profile
criminal prosecutions, are often regarded as less desirable by many students, although they deal
with civil rights issues, often of constitutional dimension. Nevertheless, they offer the same
benefits, tangible and otherwise, as do other federal clerkships.
Can you see how you can assign yourself a composite attractiveness value based on your
credentials and connections, and then assign composite values to judges based on connections, court
level, geography, and types of cases?
15
Based on all this, I suggest a plan:

Consult OSCAR (The Online System for Clerkship Application & Review) to discover
what judges will be buying when you will enter the market selling.

Browse the books which give background information on federal judges, looking for
connections of the sort I‘ve described, the diversity of their cases, and their geographic
locations.

Based on your estimate of your own marketability, focus your search on a tier of courts and
pick twenty judges you find attractive and think you can make a connection with.

Go to the higher tiers and pick five more; go to the lower tiers and pick five more. You‘ve
now got a list of thirty, including five long shots and five sure things.

Focus on those thirty, collecting what information you can in the library, the Career
Services Office, and online. After initial research, you may find half a dozen should be
replaced or abandoned. When you have a manageable list of good prospects, it will be time
to make some phone calls. After the phone calls, it will be time to plan the process by which
you prepare and submit your applications.
16
Finding the Right Clerkship for You
It is important that you meet a court‘s hiring criteria before you apply for a judicial clerkship. You
need to analyze your own long-range career goals as well as the strength of your application to
determine which clerkship is best for you. Please refer to the Judicial Clerkship Opportunities
section to familiarize yourself with the wide range of available clerkships.
You will find comprehensive listings of federal judges and federal clerkship openings on OSCAR.
State courts and clerkship application procedures can be found through the Vermont Guide to State
Judicial Clerkships (username: long, password: trail).
Consult the Career Services Office and your faculty as you strategize where to apply. The
Research Sources at the end of this handbook provide additional information to assist you in
selecting the courts and judges to whom you should apply.
SPECIFICS ABOUT THE JUDGE
After you have decided which courts to which you will apply, seek specific information about
specific judges to refine your application list. Here are a few questions to ponder as you create your
list:

Do you and the judge share the same political viewpoint?

Is the judge respected by his/her peers?

What is the judge‘s managerial style?

How recently was the judge appointed?

Is the judge‘s geographical location feasible for you?
Finding the answers to these questions will require time, but is not too difficult. Westlaw will prove
to be a valuable tool in researching judges. You may refer to Blackboard for a podcast tutorial on
researching judges in Westlaw.
17
Contents of the Application
Your applications will generally include a cover letter, resume, transcript, writing sample, and at
least two, and often three, letters of recommendation. Everything must be impeccably proofread!
With so many high quality applicants, typos and other small mistakes can automatically result in
your application going in the trash. One judge indicated that approximately 30% of all applications
he receives are tossed away because of errors, including typos, mistakes in the judge‘s title
(―justice‖ instead of ―judge,‖ or vice versa, where applicable), inappropriate abbreviations and
incorrect naming of the court. Judges seek clerks with strong research and writing skills.
Everything in your application packet (including your resume and cover letter) is considered a
writing sample. By starting early, you will not need to rush to put your applications together and
will have plenty of time for proofreading.
RESUME
Please spend time in the spring of second year to go over your resume with a CSO counselor. It is
important to emphasize the research and writing experience that you have gained in law school.
Keep the resume concise and clear. Remember that some older judges may have difficulty reading
a resume with a particularly small font size. Speak with a CSO counselor if you are having trouble
managing the length and font size of your resume. As academic performance tends to be an
important factor for obtaining a judicial clerkship, particularly on the federal level, it is preferable
(not mandatory) to list your GPA and class rank on your resume. Do be sure to update your resume
with your summer employment information.
COVER LETTER
Cover letters should emphasize your interest in a judicial clerkship as well as the skills you have
obtained in law school that pertain to the qualifications of a judicial clerk, namely research and
writing skills, journal experience, academic performance, or previous judicial intern experience.
Two common mistakes that students make on cover letters are making them too lengthy and/or too
generic. Do your best to customize each letter for each judge. For this reason, we strongly
recommend that you do not use the online editor feature on OSCAR. Judges are very interested
in knowing whether you sincerely want to work for them or if they are just one employer on a long
list. If you have properly researched the judge before applying, tailoring your cover letter to the
judge should be much simpler. You should consider addressing your specific interest in the specific
court, which might include interest in the subject matter, or decisions of the specific judge. This
extra effort sends a message that you have done your research, and that your interest is sincere and
deliberate. Remember that your cover letter is a writing sample and is also a demonstration of your
research skills. It must be polished, concise, customized, and engaging. Please refer to the
guidelines for ―How to Address Justices and Judges in Correspondence‖ as well as the sample cover
letter included in the Appendix of this publication.
TRANSCRIPT
A transcript should be included in every judicial clerkship application that you send. If your
18
application submission is electronic via OSCAR, you will enter your grades on an online form
(accessible from the ―My Documents‖ tab). OSCAR provides three different types of grade sheets:
law school, undergraduate school, and other (typically used for advanced degrees). You can create
up to two law school sheets (appropriate for transfer students), and three other user sheets. For
additional information, please see the OSCAR Applicant User Guide available on OSCAR and
Blackboard.
If your application will be mailed, you should include an official copy of your transcript. You
should request official transcripts from the campus registrar‘s office. The Registrar‘s Office
requires up to five business days to provide more than ten transcripts. You may view the
Registrar‘s Official Transcript Policy online. The Transcript Request Form can be accessed online,
but it must be signed and faxed, mailed, or dropped off in person. Please note that there is no
charge for receiving up to 80 copies of your transcript. If you request more than 80 transcripts for
clerkship applications, the CSO can request a fee waiver on your behalf. Please remember to
order official transcripts early.
WRITING SAMPLE
Your writing sample must reflect your very best writing efforts. The best writing sample is one that
a judge is likely to start AND finish. It is worth a call to the judge‘s chambers for guidance
regarding what length of writing sample is appropriate. Believe it or not, shorter is usually better.
We usually recommend that a writing sample be between 5-15 pages in total length. If you have
several writing samples to choose from, select one that might appeal to the judge. Be sure that the
sample illustrates your analytical abilities and is not a large recitation of facts.
The best sample is one that shows your ability to view a case from all perspectives. A research
memo rather than a persuasive memo is best. A moot court brief or a persuasive motion may not be
as effective, as they can be too technical and typically present only one side of an issue. A sample
that you wrote for an employer is acceptable as long as you have requested permission for its use
from your employer, as well as stricken all identifying information from within it, if required. Be
advised that selecting work that you wrote for a judge that may include portions of an opinion
published by the judge should be avoided.
The CSO does not review writing samples for students. We recommend that you discuss your
samples with a professor or faculty advisor.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Judges will require two or three letters of recommendation as a part of your application. These
letters help a judge to distinguish among many qualified applicants. This is why it is very important
to carefully consider who you ask to write letters for you. At least one letter should be from a law
school professor.
The best letters of recommendation are written by individuals with personal experience as a judicial
clerk and with personal knowledge of your skills in legal research, analysis, and writing. You also
19
want your letters to inform the judge about your diligence, integrity, and both your personal and
work relationships with others. Be sure to ask faculty members or supervising attorneys who can
attest to these qualities to serve as your recommenders. Keep in mind that asking a faculty member
to write a letter for you simply because you got a good grade in his/her class does not necessarily
mean that he or she will write you a strong letter. It is better to identify a faculty member who
knows you well enough to attest to the attributes and experience stated above.
When you are ready to approach a recommender, you should provide him or her with a copy of your
resume, your grade list, and a short narrative of any additional information that might be pertinent
and useful.
Guidelines for Approaching Faculty Recommenders
Faculty members generally have experience writing letters of recommendation for students and
should be well versed in the law school‘s process. However, they may not, so it is vital that you
have a good understanding of the system. Below is the basic timeline for approaching faculty
recommenders. For specific dates for each event, see the Application Timeline.
1. Ask faculty if they would be willing to write letters for you
2. Submit complete list of judges to whom you would like to apply to the CSO and to faculty
3. Faculty will draft letters
4. Letters are sent to clerkship administrative assistants for mail merge and either uploading
to OSCAR or envelope-stuffing
5. Stuffed letters are delivered to CSO for holding until bundling party; OSCAR letters are
finalized for electronic submission
6. At bundling party, applicants bring all other application materials, pick up faculty letters,
and compile all applications for judges who prefer paper applications
7. Students must ―Finalize and Release‖ each OSCAR application so that judges will receive
the applications
Guidelines for Approaching Adjunct Faculty Recommenders
There is some limited administrative support for adjunct faculty recommenders at the law school.
However, YOU will need to coordinate between the adjunct and the appropriate clerkship
administrative assistant in taking care of needed administrative support. You may want to
specifically talk to your adjunct about using their own letterhead to distinguish their letter from
others versus using law school letterhead. When you approach an adjunct faculty member, please
include a copy of the Letter to Adjunct Recommenders available in this handbook.
Guidelines for Approaching Non-Faculty Recommenders
Most likely, your non-faculty recommender has written few letters of recommendation for judicial
20
clerkships. It is your responsibility to be very clear as to what it will take in order to complete your
request. You need to be very up front about the number of applications that you plan to send, the
fact that some of the judges may accept application letters only through OSCAR, and your
application timeframe.
Some things to keep in mind as you ask your non-faculty recommender:

How many applications do you plan to send?

Are you asking that their letter be printed on your recommender‘s letterhead?

Are you asking that they mail-merge their letter for each judge, or provide you with a single
generic letter to be photocopied?

Will the recommender be okay with you handling the letters and including them in your
application packet, or would he/she rather mail or deliver the sealed letters directly to the
CSO in a larger envelope?

Are you asking that they handle uploading letters to the OSCAR system?

When do you need to have the letters completed?
To help you communicate the answers to these questions, we have provided you with an
information sheet to give to your non-faculty recommender. A sample for your information is in the
back of this section, and copies are available in the CSO.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are few administrative resources for non-faculty recommenders
available through the law school. When you ask a non-faculty recommender, it is important that
you communicate the amount of work that you are asking of him or her. If you believe that this will
cause a hardship on your recommender, the CSO may be able to provide administrative support, but
only if you request in help by the deadline listed in the Application Timeline.
Rules on Asking Judges to Act as Recommenders
The Commonwealth of Virginia Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee released an opinion in October
2006 detailing the circumstances under which judges may send letters of recommendation. The
Canons of Judicial Conduct specifically say that ―a judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial
office to advance the private interests of the judge or others…‖ While the canon does not totally
restrict a judge from writing a letter of recommendation, it does ensure that a judge take necessary
steps to not lend the prestige of his or her office to advance private interests. Do keep this in mind
if you choose to approach a judge for a letter of recommendation. The answer may be no, not
because the judge does not like you, but rather because he or she feels restricted by the office.
21
Application Timeline
Sign up for the email distribution list and Blackboard course.1
Begin reviewing Blackboard Judicial Clerkship course materials.
Secure three Recommenders and submit Recommender list to Career Services.2
Schedule a Career Services meeting to begin strategizing your applications. 3
APRIL




MAY
 Create an OSCAR account if you intend to apply for Federal clerkships.4
 Review the Vermont Guide if you intend to apply for State clerkships.5
 Review the Judicial Clerkship Handbook.6
JUNE
 Communicate with faculty, alumni, and colleagues who know Judges or who
served as judicial clerks.
 Research Judges and available clerkships.7
JULY
 Submit listings of Targeted Judges to Career Services and to Recommenders and
Administrative Assistants by July 15, 2011.8
 Request Transcripts from the Registrar by July 29, 2011.9
 Create and save online applications for all Federal Judges who accept applications
via OSCAR by July 31, 2011.
AUGUST
 Request assistance from Career Services in preparing recommendation letters for
outside Recommenders (non-UR Faculty) by August 1, 2011.10
 Verify that Recommenders submit all Federal letters of recommendation to Career
Services (paper applications) or OSCAR (online applications) by August 22, 2011.
 Attend the Bundling Party August 29, 2011 in Career Services at 12 p.m.11
 Review and ―Finalize‖ all OSCAR applications by September 1, 2011.
 Mail applications to Federal Judges who require paper applications by September
1, 2011.
 Be fully prepared in advance of the September 6, 2011 Federal Law Clerk Hiring
Plan application date – administrative offices (including the CSO) are closed for
Labor Day and there is no mail delivery September 5, 2011.
 Submit one comprehensive spreadsheet to Career Services listing all Federal
Judges to whom you have applied September 9, 2011.12
Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan*
SEPTEMBER
 September 6, 2011 - First day applications from the Class of 2012 may be received or
accessed by Federal Judges.
 September 9, 2011 - First day Federal Judges may contact Class of 2012 applicants.
 September 15, 2011 - First day Federal Judges may interview Class of 2012 applicants.
VARYING
 Submit State clerkship applications.5
 Hiring Plan critical dates are determined by the Federal Judiciary. Most, but not all, Federal Judges abide by this
schedule. DO YOUR RESEARCH to be certain of each specific Judge’s hiring process and consult Career
Services. Remember, you MUST be ready to accept a Judicial Clerkship offer from a Judge when it is made.
Reference numbers on TIMELINE correspond to APPLICATION PROCEDURES details.
22
Application Procedures
All federal judges are listed alphabetically with basic court and address information online (please
see Blackboard and Research Sources for recommended websites). State judges are listed on the
individual state court websites, which can be accessed through the NCSC. Judges will accept
application materials in two different ways:

Electronic submissions for many federal judges are done through an online system called
OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application & Review. If a judge is listed on
OSCAR as accepting online applications, you must apply online. All law student OSCAR
applications, once finalized, are submitted according to the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan
Critical Dates. Some state judges accept online applications through Symplicity.

Paper applications for federal judges who do not accept applications via OSCAR will be
sent by you, at your expense, at an appropriate time in the application process. In most
cases, you will follow the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan Critical Dates. A few federal
judges do not subscribe to the Plan, however; in this instance, please consult the CSO. State
judges have varying application deadlines. You must consult the Vermont Guide to State
Judicial Clerkships, Symplicity, and individual chambers to determine the appropriate state
application deadlines.
PROCEDURAL DETAILS
Reference numbers on the Application Timeline (p. 22) correspond to these procedural details.
1
Judicial Clerkship Email Distribution List and Blackboard Course
Contact Kristen Binette at [email protected] to request access.
2
Recommenders
Many Judges require three Recommenders. You may ask Faculty, former employers, or other
individuals to serve as Recommenders, writing letters of recommendation on your behalf. Refer to
Obtaining Good Judicial Clerkship Recommendations on Blackboard for tips.
Submit a listing of confirmed Recommenders to Kristen Binette at [email protected]. Your
listing should include each Recommender‘s:
 Name
 Title
 Mailing Address
 Email Address
 Phone Number
For instances where outside Recommenders (i.e. those who are not members of the UR Faculty) will
use an Administrative Assistant to prepare recommendation letters, please provide the
Administrative Assistant‘s name and email address.
23
3
Career Services Meeting
Schedule a meeting with Kristen Binette to strategize where you will apply for clerkships. Before or
during the meeting, provide the following:
 Completed Judicial Clerkship Candidate Information Sheet (in Clerkship Folder)
 Resume
 Cover Letter
 Preliminary Idea of Targeted Judges/Courts
4
OSCAR
You are required to apply online via OSCAR (the Online System for Clerkship Application &
Review) for all Federal Judges of interest who accept online applications. You may create an
OSCAR account, complete your profile, and submit documents now; however, you will not be able
to view Judges‘ records or begin clerkship applications until May 26, 2011. When you create your
profile, request a weekly email update of clerkship openings.
Refer to Blackboard for the OSCAR User Guide and further information. In early June, we will host
an OSCAR training session for interested students and alumni (recorded for those outside
Richmond). OSCAR can be challenging to use, so it is important to start familiarizing yourself with
the system early. Here are a few helpful hints about using OSCAR:





OSCAR only accepts Adobe PDF files. With newer versions of Microsoft Word, you can
convert Word documents to PDF by choosing ―Save as‖ and selecting file type ―PDF.‖
Scanned copies of transcripts are not accepted. You must input your grades on the Grade
Sheet provided within OSCAR.
You MUST set up an application for each individual Judge. This includes uploading
application materials (at least a resume and grade list) for each Judge AND indicating your
Recommenders. Default Recommenders will be populated automatically in the application.
Remember: Recommenders cannot upload letters of recommendation until you have
created applications for each Judge.
OSCAR only allows you to work on ten applications at one time. Therefore, you must
―submit‖ your first ten applications before creating additional applications. (See the User
Guide for a more detailed discussion.)
To save your applications on OSCAR, you click a ―Submit‖ button that makes you panic
and suspect that you are applying to that judge at that moment. Do not panic. You will need
to use the ―Finalize‖ feature later to approve applications for electronic submission. ALL
FINALIZED OSCAR APPLICATIONS FOR CLASS OF 2012 APPLICANTS WILL BE
ELECTRONICALLY SUBMITTED TO JUDGES ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 at 10 a.m. –
not before.
OSCAR Recommender Accounts
Please verify that your Recommenders have OSCAR accounts, accessing OSCAR and selecting the
―My Recommendations‖ tab (NOTE: All UR Law Faculty members and many Adjunct Faculty
members have OSCAR accounts). View the drop-down menu located below ―Choose Existing
Recommender‖ to search for Recommender names. When you find your Recommender, click ―Add
to My Recommenders.‖ If a Recommender does not have an OSCAR account, please notify Kristen
Binette so an account may be created. Please do not create Recommender accounts yourself.
Once selected, Recommenders are displayed at the bottom of the screen in the "Current
24
Recommenders" section. OSCAR automatically sets each of your Current Recommenders as
"Default Recommenders," populating the Recommender fields for each of the Applications you
create. You can change Recommenders‘ default status by clicking on the boxes to the left of their
names in the "Current Recommenders" section and then choosing "Unset as Default Recommender"
from the Batch Options drop-down menu. NOTE: When creating individual applications, you may
delete one or more of your Default Recommenders and/or add one or more non-default
Recommenders from your pool. This allows you to strategically use the recommendation letters
which you believe will be most effective for each Judge.
Remember, Recommenders cannot upload letters of recommendation until you have set up
applications for each Judge. This is why it is essential to create OSCAR Applications in a
timely manner, following the CSO‟s deadlines.
5
Vermont Guide to State Clerkships
State court Judges do NOT come under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan. Each State court (and,
in some cases, each Judge within a court) follows a separate application process and schedule. If
you are interested in applying for State clerkships, you must identify the courts of interest and
monitor their application procedures. The Career Services Office will survey a number of state
judges and courts, presenting anticipated hiring deadlines and procedures in late spring.
The Vermont Guide to State Clerkships details many State courts‘ clerkship application procedures.
This information can be supplemented with NALP‘s State Court Clerkships study (on Blackboard).
Some State courts and Judges post clerkship openings to Career Services; these postings will be
added to Symplicity. Where necessary, notify Career Services and your Recommenders when you
will need State court recommendation letters earlier than the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan dates.
6
Judicial Clerkship Handbook
In particular, please review the following sections:
 How to Choose Judges for Applications – Provides a sense of your marketability in certain
courts.
 Contents of the Application – Pay special attention to ―Letters of Recommendation‖ and
―Rules on Asking Judges to Act as Recommenders.‖
 Letter to Adjunct Faculty Recommender and Letter to Non-Faculty Recommender –
Print and distribute these letters to your Adjunct Faculty and Non-Faculty Recommenders to
explain our process and deadlines.
7
Judge and Available Clerkship Research
You will find an updated, comprehensive spreadsheet of Federal Judges on Blackboard. The
following directions apply for Federal Judges only; please refer to the Vermont Guide to State
Clerkships and the National Center for State Courts for information on State Judges and clerkships.
The Career Services Office will survey a number of 4th Circuit Federal Judges as well as state judges
and courts, presenting their anticipated hiring deadlines and procedures in late spring.
OSCAR will allow you to perform research on Judges‘ chambers, available clerkships, and
application methods. Once you log on to OSCAR, select ―Judges‖ from the top navigation bar. You
25
may narrow your search from the 2,200+ Federal Judges to a smaller group based on geography,
Judge type, application method, availability of clerkships, etc. You can do this in the ―Judges List‖
or ―Advanced Search‖ tab. Or, you can choose to keyword search the name of each Judge of
interest.
Within the “Judges List” Tab:
 Judges who are listed in grey font do not accept electronic applications through OSCAR.
You will not be able to research these Judges further in OSCAR. (But, their Chambers
addresses are listed on the spreadsheet on Blackboard so you may apply via paper.)

Each Judge whose last name is listed in blue font is an OSCAR Judge. This means that this
Judge has an active profile on OSCAR and can be researched further on this site. You may
click on the Judge‘s last name to view his or her profile and Chambers information. You
may select the ―Clerkship Details‖ tab within a Judge‘s profile to see the length, start date,
and application details regarding Clerkships with this Judge.
For each OSCAR Judge, you will see an ―Apply Online‖ category in the Judge List. If this
category is checked, you can apply for this Judge‘s available clerkships via OSCAR.
All OSCAR Judges have an ―Application Methods‖ category as well, with ―Apply Online‖
(a globe icon) and ―Apply by Paper‖ (a mailbox icon) options. If an OSCAR Judge
accepts both application methods, we require that you apply online via OSCAR rather
than applying by paper.
If an OSCAR Judge of interest has a Clerkship opening, it will be listed below the Judge‘s
name in the Judge List. You may save Clerkship openings to a folder (by clicking the
Folder icon, ―Copy to Folders,‖ below the Clerkship listing).
You will want to keep track of targeted Judges‘ application methods and clerkship availability to
prepare your Excel spreadsheets properly (see next section).
8
Targeted Judges
Submit listings of Targeted Judges via TWO Excel spreadsheets to the Career Services Office
([email protected]) and to your Recommenders and their Administrative Assistants. Your
Targeted Judges are those to whom you intend to apply for clerkships. For proper mail-merging of
recommendation letters, it is essential that your two Excel spreadsheets be formatted exactly like the
Sample Targeted Judges Spreadsheet on Blackboard.
Excel Spreadsheet 1 – OSCAR Judges with Clerkship Openings
Judges with current clerkship openings who accept online applications via OSCAR.
Excel Spreadsheet 2 – Judges with Clerkship Openings Who Require Paper Applications
Judges with current clerkship openings who require mailed paper applications.
If judges of interest post clerkship openings AFTER July 15, you will need to submit additional
Excel spreadsheets to the Career Services Office, your Recommenders, and corresponding
Administrative Assistants. These spreadsheets should list ONLY the new judges (with separate
spreadsheets for OSCAR Judges and Judges Requiring Paper Applications). Please do not send new
26
requests and spreadsheets daily. It is a good idea to arrange for OSCAR to send weekly clerkship
updates by email, and for you to contact the Career Services Office, Recommenders, and
Administrative Assistants no more than once a week with new recommendation requests.
UR Faculty members‘ assigned Administrative Assistants are listed below for your reference. The
Administrative Assistants are incredibly helpful in ensuring that your letters are prepared, and it is
essential that you communicate with them in a timely manner.
9
Hilda Billups
Michelle Carpenter
Tracy Cauthorn
Sharon Krol
Jessie Munn
Susan Sheppard
Prof. Berryhill
Prof. Chambers
Prof. Cotropia
Prof. J. Eisen
Prof. T. Eisen
Prof. Epstein
Prof. Gibson
Prof. Heen
Prof. Hodges
Prof. Jones
Justice Lacy
Prof. Lain
Prof. Osenga
Prof. Reeves
Prof. Sachs
Prof. Thompson
Law Skills I & II
Prof. R. Bacigal
Prof. Casey
Prof. Carroll
Prof. Erickson
Prof. Frisch
Prof. Holloway
Prof. Murphy
Prof. Preis
Prof. Robinson
Prof. Strong
Prof. Stubbs
Prof. Swisher
Prof. Tate
Prof. Vermont
Prof. Walsh
Prof. Al-Hibri
Prof. Bryson
Prof. Fisher
Prof. Harbach
Prof. Kelly
Prof. Motro
Prof. Pagan
Prof. Tobias
Prof. Walker
Adjunct Faculty
Dean Douglass
Prof. M. Bacigal
Prof. Margolin
Prof. Volenik
Dean Williams
Transcript Request
The Registrar‘s Office requires up to five business days to provide more than ten transcripts. You
may view the Registrar‘s Official Transcript Policy online. The Transcript Request Form can be
accessed online, but it must be signed and faxed, mailed, or dropped off in person.
Please note that there is no charge for receiving up to 80 copies of your transcript. If you request
more than 80 transcripts for clerkship applications, the Career Services Office can request a fee
waiver on your behalf.
10
Outside Recommender Letters
Some students secure ―outside Recommenders‖ (non-UR Faculty members, such as former
employers). Some outside Recommenders have Administrative Assistants who prepare letters on
their behalf. Others do not have the support to prepare personalized letters for Judges; if this is the
case, the Career Services Office can prepare letters for them as long as they place a request by
August 1.
11
Bundling Party
The Bundling Party is an opportunity to gather and bundle the application materials which you will
send by mail. Your recommenders submit paper recommendation letters to the Career Services
Office, and we hold them for you until the Bundling Party. The Career Services Office will provide
27
mailing labels and manila envelopes for your use at this event. If you require letters, labels, or
envelopes before August 29, please inform the Career Services Office.
12
Comprehensive Spreadsheet
Please submit one Excel spreadsheet to the Career Services Office listing all Federal Judges to
whom you have applied. Faculty are often interested to know where students have applied and we
hope to share this information with them. If you prefer not to reveal your applications to Faculty,
please let us know and we will keep this information confidential.
We recognize that the clerkship application process can be complicated at times. The earlier you begin
your applications, the better organized your process will be. Please stick to the deadlines listed on the
Timeline and Checklist.
Please remember that the Career Services Office is here to assist you through all facets of the
application process.
Please call or email Kristen Binette with questions: (804) 287-6673 • [email protected].
28
Interviewing with a Judge
What to Expect
Most judges hire after an in-chambers interview. Judges do not pay for travel expenses. The CSO
will reimburse a portion of your expenses, so please keep copies of your receipts. When a judge
requests an interview, you should make every effort to accept the interview because judges typically
request an interview only with those candidates in whom they are genuinely interested. Should you
have made applications to other judges in the area, you may tactfully contact their chambers to
determine if you can schedule an interview during the same trip.
Some judges who are out of state may offer the option of phone interviews or videoconferencing.
Please feel free to schedule the interview room in the CSO (room 115F) to handle a telephone
interview (our number is (804) 287-6426). There is free access on campus to videoconferencing
resources in the undergraduate Career Development Center (Tyler Haynes Commons), the
Weinstein International Center, and the Robins School of Business. Contact the Career Services
Office for further details.
INTERVIEW STRATEGY

If invited to interview, respond promptly. Talk with the CSO before submitting applications in
order to develop a strategy of how to schedule interviews if you receive more than one
invitation.

Prior to the interview, develop a list of questions to ask the judge and the current law clerk.
Develop a second list of questions that you think the judge might ask, and think through your
possible responses. Sample questions follow.

Do background research in the press and via Westlaw for stories about the judge. Also, be
sure to know about the court‘s subject matter jurisdiction. You can also read several recent
cases decided by the judge with whom you will interview.

Twenty-four hours before the interview, confirm the date, time, location, and duration of
your interview with the judge‘s secretary or law clerk.

Arrive early for your interview. Take an extra resume, official transcript, and writing sample
to the interview.

Plan to spend about fifteen minutes to two hours interviewing with the judge, clerks, and
secretary.

Be prepared at the time of the interview to accept the judge‟s offer of a clerkship or to
withdraw your application. If you do not withdraw your application shortly after an
interview, the judge will rightfully assume your willingness to accept a position if offered.

Immediately after an interview, send a thank you note.
29
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FROM A JUDGE

Why are you interested in securing a judicial clerkship?

What aspects of the clerkship experience do you value?

Why are you interested in working with me? This particular court?

Why do you want to clerk in this geographic area?

Where do you want to practice after the clerkship?

Do you have confidence in your writing skills?

How would you approach this issue/case/problem?

What qualities do you have that will make you valuable to me as a clerk?

What would you do if we disagreed about an issue in a case before this court?

What are your career goals, short term and long term?

To what other courts/which other judges have you applied?

Are political views of judges important to you?

Tell me about... (a particular recent or significant decision).

In what activities do you participate outside of law school?
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR A JUDGE

What is the nature of your docket?

What percentage of my time would I spend in court, drafting opinions and conducting research?

What criteria do you use when you select a clerk?

Could we discuss the issues you resolved in your recent decision of Barnett v. Allen?

What is your timetable for making a decision?
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CLERK OR SECRETARY

What are your responsibilities?

What has been the most interesting work you have handled?

Do you have contact with other judicial clerks?

Do you have contact with practicing attorneys?

What are your career goals/employment plans? Has your clerkship helped you?

What percentage of your time do you spend in court, drafting opinions and conducting research?

Tell me about the geographic area. In what area do you live?
30
Etiquette of Accepting a Judicial Clerkship
Federal judges and many judges of state courts of last resort are offended if you do not accept an
offer immediately. Unlike other legal employers, judges will not let you hold their offer while you
wait for a better one. You should be prepared at the time of the interview to accept the judge‘s offer
of a clerkship or to withdraw your application (some judges may make offers at the interview).
Many judges will make an offer to you by telephone within a day or two after your interview. If
you do not withdraw your application shortly after an interview, the judge will assume your
willingness to accept the position if offered.
Once you have accepted a clerkship offer, be sure to notify the other judges with whom you
have interviewed or accepted interviews that you have accepted another offer.
Also, please let the Career Services Office know of your acceptance.
31
Correspondence
How to Address Judges/Justices
Addressee
U.S. Supreme Court
The Chief Justice
Associate Justice
FEDERAL COURTS
Exterior of Letter/Envelope
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of the United States
The Honorable (full name)
The Supreme Court of the United States
Salutation
Dear Chief Justice
Dear Justice
:
:
U.S. Court of Appeals
Chief Judge
Judge or Senior Judge
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Judge
United States Court of Appeals for the…
The Honorable (full name)
United States Court of Appeals for the…
Dear Chief Judge
Dear Judge
:
:
U.S. District Court, including Bankruptcy
Chief Judge
Chief Magistrate Judge
Judge or Senior Judge
Magistrate Judge
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Judge
United States District Court for the…
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Magistrate Judge
United States District Court for the…
The Honorable (full name)
United States District Court for the…
The Honorable (full name)
Magistrate Judge
United States District Court for the…
Dear Chief Judge
The Honorable (full fame)
Chief Judge
Name of Court
The Honorable (full name)
Name of Court
Dear Chief Judge
:
Dear Chief Magistrate Judge
Dear Judge
:
Dear Judge
:
:
Other Federal Courts
Chief Judge
Judge or Senior Judge
Addressee
Highest State Court
Chief Justice
Justice
STATE COURTS
Exterior of Letter/Envelope
Dear Judge
:
:
Salutation
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of (State name)
The Honorable (full name)
Supreme Court of (State name)
Dear Chief Justice
The Honorable (full name)
Chief Judge
Name of Court
The Honorable (full name)
Name of Court
Dear Chief Judge
Dear Justice
:
:
Other State Courts
Chief Judge
Judge
Dear Judge
:
:
32
Sample Cover Letter
6000 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804) 289-6000
[email protected]
September 6, 2011
The Honorable Vaughn R. Walker
Chief Judge
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Chief Judge Walker:
As a third-year law student at the University of Richmond School of Law who hopes to pursue
a career in intellectual property law, I would like to be considered for a judicial clerkship
position for the 2012-2013 term. Originally from California, I would like to return to the area.
I am applying to your chambers specifically because of the intellectual property cases being
brought before your court.
I am in the top fifteen percent of my law school class and serve as Managing Editor of the
Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, the nation‘s oldest student-edited journal published
exclusively online. My writing and research skills have been honed through my journal
experience and through a research assistant position with Professor James Gibson. I have
experienced the practice of intellectual property first-hand through the Intellectual Property &
Transactional Clinic, assisting entrepreneurs and non-profit clients in drafting licensing
contracts and applying for patent protection. Last year, through a Judicial Clinical Placement, I
served as an extern to Judge Henry E. Hudson of the United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia. I assisted in the drafting of opinions, observed court proceedings,
and conducted research. I believe my law school experiences have prepared me well to assume
a clerkship in your chambers next year.
I look forward to meeting with you to discuss employment as your law clerk. Enclosed, please
find my application materials. Please advise me if you should require any additional
information and thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tara C. Williams
(your handwritten signature)
Tara C. Williams
Enclosures
33
Sample Thank You Letter Following the Interview
6000 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804) 289-6000
[email protected]
September 20, 2011
The Honorable Vaughn R. Walker
Chief Judge
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Chief Judge Walker:
It was a pleasure meeting with you yesterday. Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you for
a law clerk position for the 2012-2013 term. I enjoyed learning more about the jurisdiction of the
Northern District of California and specifically about the duties of your law clerk.
I am pleased that you enjoyed my article, "Electronic Discovery and Employment Litigation," and that
you have expressed an interest in reading my Journal note. I will send you a copy of the note upon its
completion.
As I indicated in my interview, I am keenly interested in serving as your law clerk. Please contact me if
you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Tara C. Williams
(your handwritten signature)
Tara C. Williams
34
Letter to Adjunct Faculty Recommender
Thank you for writing a judicial clerkship letter of recommendation. This letter is to provide you
with a bit of administrative information to assist you with the process.
Many federal judges receive applications via the Online System for Clerkship Application &
Review (―OSCAR‖). For these judges, applicants upload their materials while recommenders
upload letters of recommendation. Completed application packages are then submitted
electronically. Some federal judges and most state judges prefer to receive paper applications. For
these judges, applicants assemble and mail application materials.
Under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, the first date applications may be received by federal
judges is September 6, 2011. To submit applications on time, students must finalize their
applications the week before Labor Day. State judicial clerkship application deadlines vary widely
by court and by judge; your student applicant will alert you to any relevant state deadlines.
Your student applicant will provide you by July 15 with two Excel spreadsheets of judges to whom
he or she will apply: (1) those who accept applications via OSCAR and (2) those who accept
applications via mail. It is important to note that some judges post clerkship openings late in the
summer or in the fall so students may submit additional names after July 15.
We suggest the following timeline and approach for preparing your letters of recommendation:
1. You (and your assistant, if applicable) should visit OSCAR at https://oscar.uscourts.gov/ and
review the Recommender User Guide found under the ―Resources‖ tab. If you have any
questions concerning OSCAR, please contact the Career Services Office.
2. Draft your letter of recommendation as soon as possible, but no later than August 1.
3. For judges who accept applications via OSCAR, merge personal address information and
salutations where appropriate. Sign the letter or insert an electronic signature. Convert the
letter to PDF and upload it to OSCAR by no later than August 22.
(Note: Students cannot open or read letters of recommendation in OSCAR.)
4. For judges who prefer hard copies, prepare, sign, and seal recommendation letters; also sign
over the outer flap of the sealed envelope. Deliver letters to the Career Services Office by
August 22. Our address is: University of Richmond School of Law, Career Services Office,
28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173.
We sincerely appreciate your support in this process. Should you have any questions, or should
issues arise, please do not hesitate to contact me at (804) 289-6673 or [email protected]. If
you require assistance in preparing your letters, you may also contact Tracy Cauthorn, the
Richmond Law administrative assistant who supports adjunct faculty, at [email protected] or
(804) 289-8192.
Sincerely,
Kristen E. Binette
35
Letter to Non-Faculty Recommender
Thank you for writing a judicial clerkship letter of recommendation. This letter is to provide you
with a bit of administrative information to assist you with the process.
Many federal judges receive applications via the Online System for Clerkship Application &
Review (―OSCAR‖). For these judges, applicants upload their materials while recommenders
upload letters of recommendation. Completed application packages are then submitted
electronically. Some federal judges and most state judges prefer to receive paper applications. For
these judges, applicants assemble and mail application materials.
Under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, the first date applications may be received by federal
judges is September 6, 2011. To submit applications on time, students must finalize their
applications the week before Labor Day. State judicial clerkship application deadlines vary widely
by court and by judge; your student applicant will alert you to any relevant state deadlines.
Your student applicant will provide you by July 15 with two Excel spreadsheets of judges to whom
he or she will apply: (1) those who accept applications via OSCAR and (2) those who accept
applications via mail. It is important to note that some judges post clerkship openings late in the
summer or in the fall so students may submit additional names after July 15.
We suggest the following timeline and approach for preparing your letters of recommendation:
1. You (and your assistant, if applicable) should visit OSCAR at https://oscar.uscourts.gov/ and
review the Recommender User Guide found under the ―Resources‖ tab. If you have any
questions concerning OSCAR, please contact the Career Services Office.
2. Draft your letter of recommendation. If you do not have the resources to prepare
personalized letters for all judges, the Career Services Office can assist as long as you
submit a draft by no later than August 1. Your draft letter will be kept confidential.
3. If you or your assistant will prepare letters… For judges who accept applications via
OSCAR, merge personal address information and salutations where appropriate. Sign the
letter or insert an electronic signature. Convert the letter to PDF and upload it to OSCAR by
August 22. (Note: Students cannot open or read letters of recommendation in OSCAR.)
4. If you or your assistant will prepare letters… For judges who prefer hard copies, prepare,
sign, and seal recommendation letters; also sign over the outer flap of the sealed envelope.
Deliver letters to the Career Services Office by August 22. Our address is: University of
Richmond School of Law, Career Services Office, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA
23173.
We sincerely appreciate your support in this process. Should you have any questions, or should
issues arise, please do not hesitate to contact me at (804) 289-6673 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Kristen E. Binette
36
University of Richmond School of Law
Judicial Clerks and Judges
Alumni Letter on Judicial Clerkships
By Patricia C. Amberly – Class of 2007
February 2008
I
am a 2007 University of Richmond School of Law graduate currently halfway through my
one-year clerkship with Justice Cynthia Kinser of the Virginia Supreme Court. I started my
clerkship a few weeks after taking the Virginia bar, so I went to work the first week with my
brain crammed full of Virginia law. Yet I had no idea how that law would apply to the real
world or – scarier yet – to my job as a law clerk. Following a brief in-chambers training and two
days of training in Richmond, all the new clerks were baptized by fire, participating in writ panels
and, one week later, experiencing the exhilaration that is court week.
My clerkship experience has been wonderful – and unique in a few ways.
First, justices on the Supreme Court of Virginia can live anywhere in the state (something I didn‘t
know when I applied!) and only two of the current justices – Chief Justice Hassell and Justice
Lemons – work full-time in Richmond. Justice Keenan works from Arlington, Justices Agee and
Koontz have offices in Salem, Justice Goodwyn is in Chesapeake, and Justice Kinser has an office
in her hometown of Pennington Gap, Virginia. Pennington Gap is in the far southwest tip of
Virginia – a 6 hour drive from Richmond (when traffic on 81 is not too bad). Instead of working in
a courthouse, as most law clerks do, we have an office in what should be a strip mall but PG is rural
and there is nothing resembling a mall here – you have to drive to Kentucky for that! Our office
consists of an amazing (helpful, resourceful, and intelligent) secretary, offices for two full-time law
clerks, and an office for Justice Kinser. It‘s a pretty quiet place, but we manage to have fun and
often eat lunch together at the conference table. The best part is that Justice Kinser keeps her office
door open and always has time to answer questions or help you determine how to present a
particular analysis of an argument. Justice Kinser is brilliant – while never making others feel
unintelligent (though I am sure that many of the questions I have ask her, particularly as I was
getting started, were just that!). When in PG, my day is truly an 8:30 to 5 job, much more-so than I
expected. During writ panels and court week, it starts closer to 8 am and runs until 6 or 7 pm,
depending upon how many cases are being heard, if there are last minute issues to research, if court
runs late, etc.
Second, I clerk for an appellate court, so I have no interaction with attorneys. The job is mostly
reading and writing. Luckily, I find appellate work enthralling – in large part because to get to see
the case from every level. When the record for an appeal is before you, you have the original
pleadings, evidence, opinions from trial court and sometimes Court of Appeals judges, briefs of
appellants and appellees, and (often massive) joint appendices. I was worried I would not learn
how to be a good trial attorney by working at the appellate level, but through reading dozens of
transcripts, I have observed what works and what you really should avoid (including interrupting
the trial judge; they really do not like that!). I have also observed oral arguments both for writ
37
panels (where three judge panels decide which cases to grant) and when court is in session.
The Supreme Court runs on a seven-week schedule, with writ panels on the Wednesday of the fifth
week and court week lasting the whole seventh week. That gives my co-clerk and me about two
weeks to research and edit opinions (remember: you do not write opinions – your judge or justice
does!); one week to write two writ memos; one week to finish editing opinions, help with
concurrences or dissents, and begin researching bench memos for the upcoming cases; and one
week to write as many bench memos as necessary/possible. There is never a shortage of work, but
the assignments seem to ebb and flow between leisurely paced reading, analysis, and writing to
crunch-time case printing/cite checking/memo writing/eat-your-lunch-while-you-finish-a-memo-tosend-to-all-the-justices-before-they-have-a-bench-conference moments.
The most influential role of a clerk for the Supreme Court of Virginia is played in the writ panel
process. Each clerk prepares two cases for each session, putting together a ten-page summary of the
facts, assignments of error, legal analysis of the petitioner and respondent as to why the case should
or should not be heard by all the justices (either it is a case of first impression for this Court, the
trial court or Court of Appeals erred, or there is a split among the jurisdictions). At the end of the
memo, you add any legal arguments or case law that the parties neglected in their petitions and
present your own analysis of why each assignment of error should or should not be granted.
Impressively, the justices give thoughtful consideration to your arguments and opinions. At the
Wednesday afternoon writ panels, you actually get to ―hand up‖ your case to the three-justice panel
and hear the petitioner‘s 15-minute argument as to why their case should be granted. It‘s amazing
to listen to a case that you know all the intricacies of – and pretty marvelous to hear the justices‘
questions. I especially love when Justice Kinser asks a question based on suggestions in my memo
or discussions we have had about the case. She, like the other justices on the court, values the
opinions of her law clerks and wants them to be part of the processes of the court – even if she
disagrees on what the outcome of a case should be.
Court week is pretty much writ panels to the nth degree. It includes everything enjoyable about writ
panels, from diving into a case and really learning the facts and law to analyzing the positions of the
appellants and appellees. My fondest memory of this job was during my first court week, after
working really hard with my co-clerk on a case that was set to be written by Justice Kinser. The
oral argument was persuasive on both sides and the justices all had questions at every turn.
Following opinion conference, I was anxious to find out what the justices had decided but I did not
know how or when we would be told and had spent the whole afternoon wondering. As soon as she
came back to the office, I asked Justice Kinser how it had gone. She invited my co-clerk and me to
grab chairs in her office to talk about it. Then, instead of telling us how they had decided she said
―so, Trish, what do you think the outcome is?‖ I briefly explained the arguments at trial that I found
persuasive, those that I thought were not-so-good, what cases I found reliable, finally, and what I
presumed the justices had decided. She laughed and said they had – unanimously – decided the
exact opposite. More intrigued than embarrassed, although feeling a tad bit foolish, I sat and
listened to what the justices had reasoned and why. It was the why of their decision that got me –
and continues to do so. Whether it‘s a procedural issue, a unique presentation of the facts, or the
establishment of precedent that will impact the law throughout the state, the ―why‖ is the crux of
what matters to all of the justices and all of the law clerks. And that is the reason you should be a
law clerk – to be able to look at the law through the eyes of a judge; to learn how to write pointedly
and persuasively to best support your clients cause; and to really understand what our legal system
38
is all about.
My clerkship has been an invaluable experience and I encourage all law students to consider
pursuing one. I boldly – and naively – sent out more applications than most of my peers combined
(to which I was profusely apologetic to my faculty recommenders and grateful to the CSO for their
immense assistance!). The Supreme Court of Virginia was on the bottom of my list, because I did
not think I had a prayer of clerking for a Justice. I am glad I wasted some money on stamps,
envelopes… and paper, ink, and labels… this has truly been a ―dream job‖ experience and one I
will not ever forget.
39
Alumni Letter on Judicial Clerkships
By R. Kennon Poteat, III – Class of 2006
I
February 2007
knew early in my law school career that I wanted to clerk at the federal level. Having this
career goal in mind, I strove to establish myself as a strong candidate through academic
performance, journal membership, summer work experiences, judicial clinic participation,
and extracurricular activities. After applying for clerkships during my third year of law
school, I was fortunate to have been selected to serve as law clerk to United States District Judge
Rebecca Beach Smith of the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, for the 2006-2007 term,
and to United States Circuit Judge Edith Brown Clement of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit, in New Orleans, for the 2007-2008 term. Based on my experiences in both applying and
serving as a law clerk, I hope to provide you with some insight into the position and strategies to
help prepare your application.
MY EXPERIENCE
Although I have only completed half of my federal trial court clerkship, I have already had an
extremely rewarding experience. The following list provides a synopsis of my job responsibilities
and explains what I enjoy most about my clerkship:

Research and Writing: My primary job responsibilities are conducting legal research and
drafting bench memoranda and proposed opinions. Thus far, I have helped the judge with
twelve civil opinions, many of which have been selected for publication in the Federal
Supplement Second Series and on Westlaw and LexisNexis. In addition, I have drafted
bench memoranda on a variety of issues, both for civil motions and criminal sentencing
hearings. The issues vary greatly and have provided broad exposure to many different types
of law.

Hearings and Trials: While research and writing predominate, I have also attended
numerous hearings and trials. In civil cases, I have attended hearings on motions to dismiss
and motions for summary judgment. In criminal cases, I have attended four jury trials, three
guilty pleas, and over twenty sentencing hearings.

Exposure to Different Lawyering Styles: When drafting bench memoranda and proposed
opinions or attending hearings and trials, I have been exposed to a wide variety of legal
writing and oral argument styles. Law clerks evaluate a tremendous number of pleadings
and motions and get to observe attorneys present their cases in the courtroom. Through
these observations, I have been able to learn how to be a more effective attorney.

First-Hand Observation of Judicial Decision-Making: The most interesting aspect of my
clerkship has been discussing legal issues with the judge. This one-on-one interaction is
unique and has served as an incredible learning experience.

Breadth of Experience: Every case exposes law clerks to a new set of legal issues and
frequently an entirely new area of law. Clerks are generalists in the truest sense, so I have
become comfortable tackling a variety of legal issues.
Next fall, at the federal appellate level, I will continue to conduct legal research and draft bench
40
memoranda and proposed opinions. These responsibilities will include reviewing appellate briefs,
trial transcripts, and district court opinions. In addition, I will attend oral arguments at the Fifth
Circuit.
ADVANTAGES OF CLERKING
Aside from having the opportunity to serve your country or state, the following list summarizes
what I perceive to be the main advantages of clerking:

Enhance Legal Research and Writing Skills: With the overwhelming majority of a law
clerk‘s time spent on research and writing, it is inevitable that these skills improve and
further develop. Practice makes perfect, and with such a research and writing intensive job,
law clerks are able to strengthen these skills, which are essential in the practice of law.

Learn Federal/State Court Systems and Procedural Rules: As you would expect, law
clerks deal with rules of procedure on a daily basis. Federal law clerks become extremely
familiar with all facets of the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, as state law
clerks do with their particular state‘s procedural rules. In addition, law clerks are exposed to
each jurisdiction‘s local rules, which attorneys must also follow.

Live in New Location: Clerking provides a unique opportunity to live in a new geographic
location. In addition to providing an overall good experience, this also allows law clerks to
gain exposure to different law firms, styles of lawyering, and localized legal issues.

Enjoy Good Quality of Life: While law clerks work hard, as a general rule, they work less
than first-year associates in law firms. In addition, the government provides a sufficient
salary and excellent benefits.

Increase Job Prospects/Refine Job Search: Many employers, both private and
government, actively recruit judicial clerks. Because law clerks are attractive candidates for
employment, doors may open that were once closed when applying as a law student, both in
terms of the type of employer and geographic location. In addition, for those who have not
decided on a specific area of practice, the clerkship provides exposure to new areas of the
law and gives clerks more time to decide on a main area of interest.
APPLICATION STRATEGY
Having explained my clerkship experience and provided what I perceive as the main benefits, which
should give you more perspective on the position, I now want to provide advice on the application
process. First, this process is extremely competitive, as you are applying alongside the top students
of top law schools. As a result, clerkship applicants should start early in establishing an application
strategy and finish strong in putting together a professional application packet. To do this, I would
suggest the following:

Grades: This goes without saying, but the number one criterion for most judges is grades.
If you apply during the fall of your third year, judges are able to evaluate your performance
during your first two years of law school. Therefore, applicants must perform well in the
classroom to have a good shot at obtaining a clerkship. Many judges provide grade cut-offs
for applicants, so you should generally abide by that guideline, unless you have a personal
41
connection, publication, or particularly strong summer employment or extracurricular
activity.

Journal Membership: Next to grades, participating on a journal is the most important
requirement for judges. Journal members cultivate skills that judges value highly and many
will not consider an applicant without such experience.

Recommendations: If an applicant makes the grade and journal cut-off for a judge,
recommendations from faculty and/or legal employers can help to distinguish candidates
from the rest of the pack. In order to secure good recommendations, students should seek to
develop relationships with faculty members. Specifically, serving as a research assistant or
working on an independent study with a professor is an excellent way to establish such a
relationship. In addition, when applicants ask professors to prepare recommendation letters,
which should occur during the spring of their second year, they should provide a resume and
memorandum summarizing the relationship. This simple step will provide the faculty
member with ammunition to use in the letter, which benefits both the applicant and
professor.

Writing Sample: Applicants must also provide an excellent writing sample in their
application packet. I would suggest using an academic piece, such as a note or comment
from a journal competition, over a legal brief from moot court or trial advocacy. I would
also recommend sending your entire paper, with a cover sheet on top, which provides a short
summary and directs the reader to the strongest ten-page section of the piece.

Publications: Judges also like to hire students that have published an article in a legal
journal. While securing a publication in law school journal competitions is very
competitive, if not chosen, I would recommend sending your note or comment to other legal
journals, who have a tendency to publish student pieces.

Clinical Placements: In the second year of law school, students have the opportunity to
participate in Clinics, which are administered by Professor Margaret Bacigal. If possible, I
would strongly recommend participating. Judicial clinics provide a clerkship-like
experience. Other clinics give students the opportunity to actually appear before federal and
state judges, both in the form of written work product and oral argument, which is also
valued.

Spread Your Risk: Applicants must determine the type of court and geographical location
in which they would be willing to clerk. To maximize a candidate‘s chances, an applicant
should spread their risk and apply to a variety of courts in many locations. For the federal
judiciary, apply to circuit, district, magistrate, and bankruptcy. At the state level, apply to
the state‘s highest court, intermediate appellate court, and trial courts. As far as geography,
applicants should apply to a variety of areas, in order to enhance their chances of landing a
clerkship.
I hope you will find this information helpful as you decide whether to apply and how to proceed in
the clerkship application process. A clerkship at any level can be a very rewarding experience, and
I highly recommend it.
42
Alumni Letter on Judicial Clerkships
By Ryan D. Frei – Class of 2005
W
February 2007
hen I was applying for judicial clerkships during my third year of law school, each
former law clerk with whom I spoke for advice explained that their clerkship year was,
by far, the most personally and professionally rewarding year of their legal career. The
general sentiment was that, as a law student, you really could not ask for a better way
to transition from law school into the "real legal world." Many people referred to their clerkships as
"intellectually stimulating" and "rigorous," yet ―relaxing.‖ At least one person mentioned that
clerking gives you "one more year to put off billing your time." Everybody labeled their clerkship
as an invaluable learning experience. After absorbing all of this advice, I figured that most of it was
generally true, but somewhat exaggerated. In hindsight, all of these positive thoughts were dead-on
accurate.
I was honored to have been given the opportunity to clerk during the 2005-2006 term for the
Honorable James R. Spencer, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Virginia. It was an immensely enjoyable year. Based on my own experience, and the
experiences of others, I would like to share my thoughts on the many advantages of serving as a law
clerk.
As a disclaimer, I am speaking from having clerked for a federal district court judge. One's
clerkship experience will, of course, vary depending on whether the clerkship is with a trial or
appellate judge, whether the court is in the federal or state system, whether the court is specialized
with limited subject matter jurisdiction, and myriad other factors (e.g., the geographic location of
the court, the judge‘s personality and delegation style, the co-clerk‘s personality, etc.).
Notwithstanding these possible distinctions, clerking has numerous common advantages.
First and foremost, clerking is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between the theory learned in law
school and the reality of actually practicing law. It is also a great choice for students who are not
exactly sure of which practice area(s) they want to pursue. Much like a freshman in college who
takes a wide variety of courses before declaring a major during sophomore year, a law clerk
necessarily benefits from a generous sampling of experience in different substantive practice areas.
As a law clerk, this will arm you with knowledge and a more focused perspective when conducting
your post-clerkship job search.
It is hard to overemphasize the breadth of experience associated with clerking. In the civil context,
a law clerk sees dozens of cases evolve from the filing of a complaint to resolution through a
dispositive motion ruling, settlement, or trial. As a clerk, I worked on countless contract disputes,
several employment discrimination claims, state-law actions founded upon diversity of citizenship,
a high profile patent infringement case on remand from the Federal Circuit, and much more.
Those interested in criminal law will also get plenty of experience. As the year goes by, you
develop a sense for which types of cases will likely result in plea bargains, which defenses and trial
techniques might win over juries, and which sentencing factors carry the most weight. Again, the
variety of substantive experience is remarkable. I researched Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment
case law to make recommendations on motions to suppress; prepared nearly one hundred sentencing
43
memoranda; and confronted and had to work through knotty issues in reviewing prisoners‘ §§ 2254
and 2255 habeas corpus petitions. Perhaps my most personally challenging criminal matter was a
condemned inmate‘s execution-eve § 1983 challenge to Virginia‘s two prescribed methods of
execution.
Aside from the variety of experience, the quality of experience is simply unmatched. Most judges
naturally take their clerks under their wings, so to speak, and enjoy imparting wisdom they have
gleaned from their years on the bench. When you return to chambers with your judge after a court
session, you will hear his or her honest reaction to the advocacy efforts of the attorneys who just
appeared. This ―behind-the-scenes‖ feedback will serve you well as you begin to practice law.
The legal research and writing experience a clerkship offers is another highlight. A law clerk‘s
primary responsibilities are to read through the parties‘ submissions; research the applicable law;
write an in-depth bench memorandum for the judge to use in learning the background of the case
and preparing for a hearing; discuss any concerns or issues the judge raises; and draft an opinion
and/or order after the judge decides on a ruling. Going through this routine for a year or more
teaches you a great deal about effective legal writing and advocacy. By reading hundreds of briefs,
you will surely expand your legal vocabulary; learn to recognize specious arguments and faulty
logic; and come to appreciate how to organize and present arguments in a way that will make it
easier for a law clerk to educate the judge on the merits of your case (e.g., avoid generic case
citations and, instead, try to provide helpful parentheticals to show exactly how the case supports a
particular argument). Also, by drafting opinions for the judge, you learn to write with an
authoritative tone, which paves the way to writing more persuasive briefs once you begin to
practice.
One advantage many people do not often think about before clerking is that law clerks join ―the
courthouse family‖ and stay a part of it even after the year ends. Courthouse personnel are the
backbone of any legal community. Because most clerks work closely with the clerk‘s office staff
and with the members of other judges‘ chambers, a former clerk benefits from a certain level of
rapport and comfort in dealing with courthouse staff in future years.
The contacts a law clerk establishes are not limited to courthouse staff. At the trial court level, law
clerks interact with practitioners on a daily basis. If you plan to remain in the same region in which
you clerked, knowing many of the local practitioners can be quite helpful. Also, most clerks work
with co-clerks on whom they depend for advice, assistance, and friendship throughout the year. I
was fortunate to have had a wonderful co-clerk. We helped each other work through tricky
situations and would always run issues by each other before consulting with our judge. We also
cracked each other up and will always keep in touch (especially given that we share the same
birthday!). Befriending your co-clerk and other law clerks in the building adds so much to your
clerkship experience and will provide you with contacts wherever they go on to work.
Finally, a law clerk‘s quality of life is difficult to beat. Judges know that their clerks worked hard in
law school and expect them to work hard as law clerks, but also want them to enjoy their year of
clerking. Most judges are not concerned with the number of hours their law clerks spend in the
courthouse. Rather, judges care about how well they are prepared when they go on the bench and
how polished their opinions are when issued. Once a law clerk gets beyond the steep learning
curve, leaving at a reasonable hour every day might become the rule—not the exception.
44
As for disadvantages, it is honestly difficult for me to articulate a single one. Obviously, law clerks
make less money (in some cases, literally a third less) than they would have if they had gone
straight to a law firm. That said, however, my salary was enough for me to pay my bills, begin to
make student loan payments, and attend about eight weddings that year. You have to be frugal, but
you can certainly live comfortably (depending to an extent on the cost of living of the city in which
you clerk). Importantly, law clerks often receive lucrative clerkship bonuses immediately after
signing on with a law firm. These bonuses seem to increase on an almost yearly basis. Another
perk is that many firms will reimburse a law clerk for Bar-related expenses, even if the clerk was
not a summer associate with that particular firm. Also, many firms set law clerk salaries based on
the year in which they graduated from law school.
I have also heard people worry about falling behind their law school classmates if they spend a year
clerking before joining a firm. While there are certainly skills that law clerks do not have the
opportunity to develop while clerking (e.g., propounding and responding to discovery requests,
negotiating with opposing counsel, counseling clients, etc.), in my opinion, the skills they do
improve more than compensate. This is surely part of many law firms‘ reasoning for giving law
clerks a year of partnership credit for clerking.
Overall, from a practical standpoint, law clerks have tremendous advantages in entering practice.
Though you are no longer an official court employee, you will forever have an insider‘s perspective
as to how judicial decisions are made and what goes on in a judge‘s chambers. People—in many
cases, partners with dozens of years of experience—will come to you in your first year at the firm to
ask your opinion on how they should handle a matter pending in the court in which you clerked.
People often want to ―pick a former law clerk‘s brain.‖ Consequently, you will feel respected and
rewarded with a high level of responsibility early in your career.
Of all the encouraging things I could say, perhaps the most significant is this observation: I have
never known a former law clerk who regretted having made the decision to clerk, but I have spoken
with countless attorneys who expressed remorse over not having applied for the opportunity to do
so. This should be pretty revealing.
I hope that all University of Richmond law students with an interest in clerking seriously consider
applying. I can assure you that it is a year well spent—one that you will fondly remember for the
rest of your life.
45
Faculty Clerks
Ronald J. Bacigal
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
John G. Douglass
Hon. Harrison L. Winter
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
David Epstein
Texas Supreme Court
Jessica M. Erickson
Hon. Michael Boudin
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
James Gibson
Hon. Karen Nelson Moore
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Meredith Harbach
Hon. Nancy F. Atlas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Mary L. Heen
Hon. James M. Fitzgerald
U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska
John Paul Jones
Hon. David Schwartz
U.S. Court of Claims
Corinna Barrett Lain
Hon. John C. Porfilio
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Julie E. McConnell
Hon. James W. Benton, Jr.
Virginia Court of Appeals
Kristin Jakobsen Osenga
Hon. Richard Linn
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
John R. Pagan
Hon. Ozell M. Trask
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
John F. Preis
Hon. Royce C. Lamberth
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Kimberly Jenkins Robinson
Hon. James R. Browning
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jonathan K. Stubbs
Hon. James T. Giles
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Mary Kelly Tate
Hon. Robert R. Merhige, Jr.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Kevin Walsh
Hon. Paul V. Niemeyer
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Hon. Antonin Scalia
U.S. Supreme Court
46
Adjunct and Visiting Faculty Clerks
Hon. Michael C. Allen L‟79
Supreme Court of Virginia
Edward D. Barnes L‟72
Hon. Harry L. Carrico
Supreme Court of Virginia
Sean P. Byrne L‟97
Hon. William T. Prince
U.S. Magistrate Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
James C. Cosby L‟86
Hon. Charles S. Russell
Supreme Court of Virginia
Chief Staff Attorney‘s Office
Supreme Court of Virginia
Michael L. Goodman
Hon. James C. Turk & Hon. James H. Michael, Jr.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
Timothy Guare
Hon. James C. Turk
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
John C. Ivins L‟83
Chief Staff Attorney‘s Office
Supreme Court of Virginia
Herndon P. Jeffreys, III
Hon. J. Calvitt Clarke Jr.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Marci Kelly
Hon. Lapsley Hamblen
U.S. Tax Court
Cameron S. Matheson
Hon. Nathaniel Gorton
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Bruce H. Matson
Hon. Blackwell N. Shelley
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Cullen D. Seltzer L‟93
Hon. James W. Benton
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Margaret Ann Walker L‟89
Hon. Charles S. Russell
Supreme Court of Virginia
K. Michelle Welch L‟99
Circuit Court for the City of Richmond
47
Alumni Clerks (1990 – Present)
Each alumnus is listed with the year of graduation (e.g. ’98) followed by the year of clerkship (e.g. 1998).
Alumni with multiple known clerkships are marked with asterisks. To see the career progression for these
alumni, please refer to University of Richmond Alumni with Multiple Clerkships.
FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURTS
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Hon. Thomas L. Ambro – Wilmington, DE
Marc L. Penchansky ‘98 – 1999 *
Hon. Jane R. Roth – Wilmington, DE
Marc L. Penchansky ‘98 – 1998 *
Office of the Staff Attorney
Michael Clements ‘07 – 2008 *
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Hon. G. Steven Agee – Richmond, VA
Brandon Bailey ‘07 – 2008 *
Wade T. Anderson ‘02 – 2008 *
Hon. Roger Gregory – Richmond, VA
Providence Okoye ‘11 – 2012
Hon. Robert B. King – Charleston, WV
Elizabeth Wilson ‗07 – 2008 *
Office of Staff Counsel – Richmond, VA
Heather Fairbanks ‘95 – 1995
Brenda Mallinak ‘00 – 2000
Basil Tsimpris ‘04 – 2004
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Hon. Edith Brown Clement – New Orleans, LA
R. Kennon Poteat, III ‘06 – 2007 *
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Hon. Richard S. Arnold – Little Rock, AK
Rita Poindexter Davis ‘00 – 2000
Hon. C. Arlen Beam – Lincoln, NE
Jeff McMahan ‘08 – 2008
48
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Hon. Gerald B. Tjoflat – Jacksonville, FL
Joseph L. Pope ‗05 – 2008 *
Office of Staff Counsel – Atlanta, GA
Amy Karch ‗00 – 2000
FEDERAL SPECIALTY COURTS
U.S. Tax Court
Christopher S. Johnson ‗09 – 2010
FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS – BY STATE
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Hon. Harvey E. Schlesinger – Jacksonville, FL
Joseph L. Pope ‗05 – 2007 *
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
Hon. Thomas L. Ludington – Bay City, MI
Alissa Hurley ‗10 – 2010
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Hon. Stanley Chesler – Newark, NJ
Dana M. Slater ‗99 – 1999
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
Hon. Malcolm J. Howard – Greenville, NC
Robert Gallagher ‘07 – 2007
U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina
Hon. Frank W. Bullock, Jr. – Greensboro, NC
Ralph Brabham ‘04 – 2004
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
Hon. Edwin M. Kosik – Scranton, PA
Melissa Anderson ‗07 – 2007
Hon. Sylvia H. Rambo - Harrisburg, PA
David Freedman ‗01 – 2001
49
U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
Hon. Gary L. Lancaster – Pittsburgh, PA
Michael Clements ‘07 – 2009 *
U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
Hon. Henry M. Herlong, Jr. – Greenville, SC
Steven E. Buckingham ‘06 – 2007
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
Harry Parent ‘08 – 2009
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
Hon. James C. Cacheris - Alexandria, VA
Lisa Kent ‗93 – 1993
Hon. J. Calvitt Clarke, Jr. - Norfolk, VA
Shaheen Khan ‘92 – 1992
Hon. Robert G. Doumar - Norfolk, VA
Thomas I. Queen, Jr. ‗00 – 2000
Hon. Jerome B. Friedman – Norfolk, VA
Whitney Eaton ‗07 – 2007, 2008
David Rivard ‘10 – 2010
Hon. Claude M. Hilton - Alexandria, VA
Karla Palmer ‗92 – 1992
Alex Burnett ‘04 – 2004
Mary Hallerman ‘10 – 2010
Hon. Henry Hudson – Richmond, VA
Jeff Bauer ‘04 – 2004
Robert Cerullo ‗05 – 2005
C. Brandon Rash ‘06 – 2006
Cassandra Hausrath ‘07 – 2007
Thomas K. Johnstone IV ‘08 – 2008
Erik Seibert ‘09 – 2009
Andriana ―Andi‖ Shultz ‘10 – 2010
Hon. Walter D. Kelley – Norfolk, VA
Michael Wall ‘07 – 2007
Hon. Gerald Bruce Lee - Alexandria, VA
John P. Cunningham ‘99 – 1999
Hon. Robert E. Payne - Richmond, VA
Dana Finberg ‘92 – 1992
50
Hon. Rebecca B. Smith – Norfolk, VA
R. Kennon Poteat, III ‘06 – 2006 *
Hon. James Spencer - Richmond, VA
Kimberly Willwerth ‘96 – 1996
Megan Ann Conway ‘98 – 1998
Edward Dillon ‘01 – 2001
Lee Westnedge ‘02 – 2002
Matthew Rash ‘04 – 2004
Ryan Frei ‘05 – 2005
Steven E. Buckingham ‘06 – 2006
Evan Miller ‘08 – 2008
Jonathan Goodrich ‘09 – 2009
Stanley Hammer ‘11 – 2011
Providence Okoye ‘11 – 2011
Hon. Richard L. Williams - Richmond, VA
C. Randolph Sullivan ‘93 – 1993
Pro Se Clerks/Staff Attorneys - Norfolk, VA
Cathy J. Cannon ‘90 – 1990
Nanci Reaves ‘91 – 1991
Pro Se Clerks/Staff Attorneys - Richmond, VA
Kristen Kertsos ‘04 – 2004
Laura K. Marston ‘06 – 2006
U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
Hon. James P. Jones - Abingdon, VA
Brian Schneider ‘00 – 2000
Renee Rouse ‘01 – 2001
Hon. Jackson L. Kiser - Danville, VA
Philip Brennan ‘92 – 1992
Sidney J. Rosenbaum ‘98 – 1998
Clay Gravely ‘04 – 2004
Will Prince ‘08 – 2008
Scott Jones ‘09 – 2009
Harrison ―Hank‖ Gates ‘10 – 2011
Hon. J. Harry Michael - Charlottesville, VA
Robert Merhige ‘91 – 1991
C. Stuart Greer ‘93 – 1993
Hon. Norman K. Moon - Lynchburg, VA
James M. Daniel ‘90 – 1990
51
Hon. James C. Turk - Roanoke, VA
Robert Michael Doherty ‘99 – 1999
Thomas Strelka ‘07 – 2007
Hon. Glen M. Williams - Abingdon, VA
Allison Wright ‗92 – 1992
Lynn Brugh ‘94 – 1994
Sarah Johnson ‘94 – 1994
John Kilgore ‘94 – 1994
U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
Hon. Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. - Wheeling, WV
Ellen Firsching Brown ‘93 – 1993, 1994
Lea Weber ‘96 – 1996, 1997
Georgia Hamilton ‘03 – 2003, 2004
Mosby Perrow ‘04 – 2004, 2005
Jaime Wisegarver ‘10 – 2010
U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia
Hon. Robert C. Chambers - Huntington, WV
Michele Henry ‘01 – 2001
Hon. Joseph R. Goodwin – Charleston, WV
Elizabeth Wilson ‘07 – 2007 *
Hon. Thomas E. Johnston – Charleston, WV
Justin Curtis ‘08 – 2008
Matthew Farley ‘10 – 2010
U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTS
U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Sixth Circuit
Hon. J. Vincent Aug, Jr. – Cincinnati, OH
Jane E. Miller ‘92 – 1992
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida
Hon. Paul G. Hyman, Jr. – Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach, FL
Philip Landau ‘01 – 2001
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
Hon. J. Rich Leonard – Raleigh, NC
Blake Boyette ‘11 – 2011
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
Hon. David H. Adams – Norfolk, VA
J.R. Smith ‘97 – 1997
52
Hon. Kevin R. Huennekens – Richmond, VA
Beth Sieg ‘08 – 2008
Hon. Robert G. Mayer – Alexandria, VA
Christopher Hoctor ‘00 – 2000
Tara Elgie ‘02 – 2002
Maneesh J. Shah ‗06 – 2006
Justin Paget ‘08 – 2008
Hon. Stephen Mitchell - Alexandria, VA
Joseph L. Pope ‘05 – 2005 *
Hon. Stephen C. St. John - Norfolk, VA
Heather Cain Berry ‘02 – 2002
Martha E. Hulley ‘06 – 2006
Paul Catanese ‘07 – 2007
Hon. Frank J. Santoro – Norfolk, VA
James ―Jed‖ Donaldson ‘10 – 2010
Hon. Blackwell N. Shelley - Richmond, VA (deceased)
William "Pete" Musgrove ‘92 – 1992
Christopher McGee ‘98 – 1993
Patrick Skelley, II ‘97 – 1997
Sarah Beckett Boehm ‘00 – 2000
Hon. Douglas O. Tice, Jr. - Richmond, VA
Brian Goodman ‘93 – 1993
Katrina Clark Forrest ‘97 – 1997
Lisa T. Hudson ‘00 – 2000
Shannon Franklin ‘01 – 2001
Dharmesh Vashee ‘01 – 2001
Jennifer McLemore ‘02 – 2002
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Virginia
Hon. Ross Krumm – Harrisonburg, VA
John T. Farnum ‘06 – 2006
Kirk Vogel ‘07 – 2007
Hon. H. Clyde Pearson - Roanoke, VA
Scott Gardner ‘91 – 1991
Lisa Crockett ‘93 – 1993
Kevin Funk ‘03 – 2003
Hon. William Stone - Roanoke, VA
Brandy Rapp ‘05 – 2005
Bryan Stark ‘07 – 2007
Matthew Hull ‘10 – 2010
53
U.S. MAGISTRATE COURTS – BY STATE
U.S. Magistrate, Eastern District of Virginia
Hon. John F. Anderson – Alexandria, VA
Mohsin Reza ‘08 – 2008
Hon. James E. Bradberry - Newport News, VA
Katherine Kelly Benson ‘99 – 1999
Sara J. Palmer ‘00 – 2000
Erin Stubbe ‘02 – 2002
Hon. Dennis Dohnal - Richmond, VA
Halliday Moncure ‘05 – 2005
Laura Marston ‘07 – 2007
Amanda Lavin ‘09 – 2010
Hon. M. Hanna Lauck – Richmond, VA
Lesley McCall ‘08 – 2008
Molly Geissenhainer ‘09 – 2009
Summer Speight ‘10 – 2010
Sam Bernier ‘11 – 2011 (pro se clerk)
Hon. David G. Lowe - Richmond, VA
Meg Poffenberger ‘91 – 1991
Samantha Puro ‘96 – 1996
Katie Rhoades ‘01 – 2001
Kelli Branham ‘04 – 2004
Hon. Tommy E. Miller - Norfolk, VA
Anastasia M. Petrou ‘91 – 1991
Hon. William T. Prince - Norfolk, VA
M. Chris Floyd ‘92 – 1992
Sean P. Byrne ‘97 – 1997
Robert Burger ‘99 – 1999
Hon. W. Curtis Sewell - Alexandria, VA
Annett H. Madison ‘91 – 1991
U.S. Magistrate, Western District of Virginia
Hon. B. Waugh Crigler - Charlottesville, VA
Sarah Johnson ‘94 – 1994
Mary Renae Carter ‘97 – 1997
Hon. Glen E. Conrad – Roanoke, VA
Robin Jamerson Kegley ‘98 – 1998
54
Hon. Pamela Meade Sargent – Abingdon, VA
Joel Hoppe ‘02 – 2002
U.S. Magistrate, Western District of Tennessee
Hon. Thomas Anderson – Jackson, TN
Ed Wallis ‘04 – 2004
U.S. Magistrate, Northern District of West Virginia
Hon. David J. Joel
Erin Bender ‘11 – 2011
STATE COURTS – BY STATE (NOT INCLUDING VIRGINIA)
Superior Court of Alaska – Juneau, AK
Michael Barber ‘07 – 2007
Connecticut Appeals Court – Hartford, CT
Hon. Alexandra DiPentima
Christine Salmon ‘08 – 2008
Superior Court of Delaware - Dover, DE
Christopher L. McLean ‘91 – 1991
Stephanie Tarabicos ‘95 – 1995
Superior Court of Delaware - Georgetown, DE
Katherine Dickerson ‘02 – 2002
Superior Court of Delaware - Wilmington, DE
Chyrrea Sebree ‘97 – 1997
Hon. Joseph R. Slights
Kathleen Murphy ‘07 – 2007
Delaware Family Court – Wilmington, DE
Jessica R. Thompson ‘07 – 2007
John McLaurin ‘10 – 2010
Fourth Judicial Circuit - Jacksonville, FL
Maria De Guzman ‘99 – 1999
Court of Appeals of Georgia – Atlanta, GA
Hon. G. Alan Blackburn
Charles Bonner ‘99 – 1999
Superior Court of Rockdale County - Conyers, GA
Brian Caron ‘03 – 2003
55
Fulton County Superior Court - Atlanta, GA
Hon. Gail Tusan
Calvin Edwards ‘00 – 2000
Circuit Court of Honolulu – Honolulu, HI
Hon. Jeannette Castagnetti
David Van Acker ‘10 – 2010
Court of Appeals of the State of Indiana - Indianapolis, IN
Hon. Patrick Sullivan
Russell J. Taylor, Jr. ‘96 – 1996
Court of Special Appeals of Maryland – Cumberland, MD
Hon. J. Frederick Sharer
Michael Clements ‘07 – 2007 *
Circuit Court of Charles County - La Plata, MD
David Ryden ‘03 – 2003
Deborah Schechner ‘05 – 2005
Circuit Court for City of Baltimore – Baltimore, MD
Elizabeth Hafey ‘09 – 2009
Matthew Peterson ‘09 – 2009
Circuit Court of Queen Anne County - Centreville, MD
Alex Francuzenko ‘93 – 1993
Circuit Court of Talbot County - Easton, MD
Hon. William Horne
Nicole Kleman ‘00 – 2000
Circuit Court of Wicomico County - Salisbury, MD
Abby Hughes ‘93 – 1993
Massachusetts Appeals Court – Boston, MA
David A. Slocum ‘07 – 2007
New Jersey Superior Court - Elizabeth, NJ
Monica Kowalski ‘91 – 1991
New Jersey Superior Court - Hackensack, NJ
Hon. Joseph Conte
Elizabeth Eberhart ‘91 – 1991
New Jersey Superior Court - Monmouth, NJ
Tracy Schneider ‘04 – 2004
Abigail Anne Browne ‘05 – 2005
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New Jersey Superior Court – Morristown, NJ
Daniel Petouvis ‘04 – 2004
Middlesex County Family Court - New Brunswick, NJ
Hon. Roger W. Daley
Edward Haas ‘01 – 2001
Andrea L. DelMonte ‘06 – 2006
New Jersey Superior Court - Ocean County, NJ
William Burns ‘01 – 2001
New Jersey Superior Court - Sommerville, NJ
Jon Grant ‘91 – 1991
New Jersey Superior Court - Toms River, NJ
Richard C. Butz ‘90 – 1990
New Jersey Superior Court - Union County, NJ
Hon. Kathryn A. Brock
Cynthia Sun Ham ‘99 – 1999
North Carolina Court of Appeals - Raleigh, NC
Hon. Sidney S. Eagles, Jr.
Justin Davis ‘01 – 2001
Court of Common Pleas for Montgomery County - Norristown, PA
Scott H. Wolpert ‘91 – 1991
Court of Common Pleas for the City of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Hon. Nicholas M. D’Alessandro
Francis J. Greek ‘90 – 1990
Superior Court of Rhode Island – Providence, RI
Katharine Kohm ‘09 – 2009*
Hon. Bennett R. Gallo
David McGill ‘10 – 2010
Supreme Court of Rhode Island – Providence, RI
Hon. Gilbert V. Indeglia
Katharine Kohm ‘09 – 2010*
Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial Circuit - Darlington, SC
Hon. J. Michael Baxley
Berry Lewis Litsey ‘00 – 2000
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Circuit Court of the 13th Judicial Circuit – Greenville, SC
Hon. Edward Wellmaker
Buckley Warden ‘08 – 2008
Lindsey Builder ‘10 – 2010
Court of Appeals of the State of Washington (Division II) - Tacoma, WA
Kirsten Barron ‘92 – 1992
Yasmeen M. Abdullah ‘06 – 2006
U.S. TERRITORY COURT
Superior Court of the Virgin Islands – St. Thomas, VI
Chivonne Thomas ‘09 – 2009
Andrea Gosine ‘10 – 2010
VIRGINIA STATE COURTS (1998 - PRESENT)
Supreme Court of Virginia
Hon. G. Steven Agee – Richmond, VA
Brandon Bailey ‘07 – 2007 *
Wade T. Anderson ‘02 – 2003, 2008 *
Hon. Harry L. Carrico - Richmond, VA
Julie A. Young ‘98 – 1998
Doron Samuel-Siegel ‘01 – 2001
Chuong Dong Nguyen ‘06 – 2006 – 2009
Chelsea Dunn ‘09 – 2009
Hon. A. Christian Compton – Richmond, VA
Michael C. McCann ‘98 – 1998
Hon. Bernard Goodwyn – Chesapeake, VA
Benjamin Hoover ‘10 – 2011
Hon. Leroy R. Hassell - Richmond, VA
Courtney Sydnor ‘00 – 2000
Brandy Singleton ‘05 – 2005
Jonathan Chiu ‘06 – 2006
Sandra Park ‘07 – 2007
Hon. Cynthia D. Kinser - Abingdon, VA
Tommy B. Baker ‘00 – 2000
Tricia Amberly ‘07 – 2007
Christine Owen ‘08 – 2008
John O‘Herron ‘09 – 2009
58
Hon. Lawrence L. Koontz - Salem, VA
John David Gardy ‘05 – 2005
Cara Sims ‘07 – 2007
Aaron Campbell ‘09 – 2009
Hon. Elizabeth B. Lacy - Richmond, VA
Perry W. Miles IV ‘98 – 1998
Carl ―Buddy‖ Omohundro ‘02 – 2002
Bert Musick ‘03 – 2003
Hon. Donald Lemons - Richmond, VA
Jason T. Jacoby ‘99 – 1999, 2000
Damian Santomauro ‘00 – 2000
Robert Peay ‘02 – 2002
Robert Loftin ‘04 – 2004
Gretchen C. Byrd ‘06 – 2006
Whitney H. Wetsel ‘06 – 2006
Briton Nelson ‘07 – 2007
Ginnie B. Price ‘08 – 2008, 2009
Jeff Hanna ‘09 – 2009
Justin Corder ‘10 – 2010
Hon. William C. Mims – Richmond, VA
Matthew L. Gooch ‘09 – 2010*
Chief Staff Attorney's Office - Richmond, VA
Solette Tiscornia Anderson ‘98 – 1998
Edward P. Noonan ‘98 – 1998
Caroline Browder ‘99 – 1999
Joan M. Mielke ‘99 – 1999
Julia Adair ‘00 – 2000
Lynn Howard ‘00 – 2000
Tara Dowdy ‘01 – 2001
Rob Bryden ‘01 – 2001
Mason Byrd ‘02 – 2002
Douglas Burtch ‘03 – 2003
Tara Manson ‘03 – 2003
John M. Tippett ‘06 – 2006
David M. Uberman ‘06 – 2006
Court Legal Assistance Project - Richmond, VA
Jeannie Anderson ‘98 – 1998
David Kazzie ‘99 – 1999
Rebecca Randolph ‘04 – 2004
59
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Hon. G. Steven Agee - Salem, VA
Wade T. Anderson ‘02 – 2002 *
Hon. James W. Benton, Jr. - Richmond, VA
Randall G. Johnson ‗98 – 1998
Julie E. McConnell ‘99 – 1999
Stacie Cass ‘05 – 2005
Hon. Richard S. Bray - Chesapeake, VA
Alice Coles McBrayer ‘98 – 1998
Hon. Jean Clements– Leesburg, VA
Eric Wiseley ‘04 – 2004
Hon. Johanna L. Fitzpatrick - Fairfax, VA
Matthew J. DeVries ‘98 – 1998
Dawn Bell Williams ‘05 – 2005
Hon. Walter Felton – Williamsburg, VA
Amandeep Sidhu ‗05 – 2005
Hon. James W. Haley Jr. – Fredericksburg, VA
Brian Foreman ‘05 – 2005
Hon. Jere M. H. Willis, Jr. - Fredericksburg, VA
Jeffrey Hunn ‘00 – 2000
Circuit Court for City of Alexandria - Alexandria, VA
Cathryn A. Le ‘99 – 1999
Courtney Joyce ‘00 – 2000
Mary Lee (Molly) Nicholson ‘02 – 2002
Susan Blauert ‘05 – 2005
Rebecca Signer ‘06 – 2006
Chris Findlater ‘09 – 2009
Circuit Court for Arlington County - Arlington, VA
Sean Sullivan Kumar ‘05 – 2005
Katherine ―Kitty‖ Smith ‘10 – 2010
Circuit Court for Caroline County – Bowling Green, VA
Lauren Llyod ‘08 – 2008
Circuit Court for City of Chesapeake – Chesapeake, VA
Clarissa T. Berry ‘07 – 2007
Brian Kirby ‘08 – 2008
Anna Hart ‘09 – 2009
60
Benjamin Hoover ‘10 – 2010
Circuit Court for Chesterfield County - Chesterfield, VA
Kathleen Colie Reed ‘98 – 1998
Lauren M. Ebersole ‘99 – 1999
Lisa M. Langendorfer ‘99 – 1999
Sandy Han ‘00 – 2000
Christy Henderson ‘00 – 2000
Amie Hunter ‘00 – 2000
Robert Bryden ‘01 – 2001
Jennifer Lemore ‘01 – 2001
Mark Colombell ‘02 – 2002
Robert Musick ‘02 – 2002
Terrese Walker ‘02 – 2002
Andrea Agnello ‘03 – 2003
James Chamblin ‘03 – 2003
Dawn Conrad ‘03 – 2003
Yvette Ayala ‘04 – 2004
Cassie Craze ‘05 – 2005
Rebecca Young ‘05 – 2005
Jace M. Padden ‘06 – 2006
Ryan T. Spetz ‘07 – 2007
Hunter Jamerson ‘08 – 2008
Capri Miller ‘08 – 2008
Anne Roddy ‘08 – 2008
Kendall Smardzewski ‘08 – 2008
Brooks Kamszik ‘09 – 2009
Andrew Newby ‘09 – 2009
Harrison ―Hank‖ Gates ‘10 – 2010
Erica Giovanni ‘10 – 2010
Robert Michaux ‘10 – 2010
JT Blau ‘11 – 2011
Michael Matheson ‘11 – 2011
Chris Thumma ‘11 – 2011
Katherine Womack ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for Danville – Danville, VA
Anthony Bessette ‘10 – 2010
Circuit Court for Fairfax County - Fairfax, VA
Eugenia Vroustouris ‗98 – 1998
Amy Jones Mattock ‘00 – 2000
Catherine Slater ‘00 – 2000
J. Suzanne Sones ‘00 – 2000
Maurice Mullins, Jr. ‘01 – 2001
James Metcalfe ‘04 – 2004
Robert Worster ‘05 – 2005
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Patricia M. Moody ‘06 – 2006
Stephen Gangemi ‘08 – 2008
Michelle Rowling ‘08 – 2008
Matthew C. Dahl ‘09 – 2009
Melanie Denson ‘09 – 2009
Diana Pharao ‘10 – 2010
Mary Stuart Landin ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for Hanover County - Hanover, VA
Jennifer Hall ‘99 – 1999
Kerri Nicholas ‘01 – 2001
Amanda Abbey ‘05 – 2005
Helen Jhun ‘06 – 2006
Michael Tittermary ‘09 – 2009
Stephanie Regali ‘10 – 2010
Cassie Baudean ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for Henrico County – Henrico, VA
Laura Ann Piper ‘98 – 1998
Marc W. West ‘98 – 1998
Tony H. Pham ‘99 – 1999
Michael J. Rothermel ‘99 – 1999
Kiva Bland ‘01 – 2001
Vanessa Wilson ‘01 – 2001
Ashton Jennette ‘02 – 2002
Heather Gillespie ‘03 – 2003
Elizabeth Brown ‘04 – 2004
Shannon Otto ‘04 – 2004
Katherine Foster ‘05 – 2005
Brendon David O‘Toole ‘05 – 2005
Jill Meghan Barnett ‘06 – 2006
Antoinette N. Morgan ‘06 – 2006
Colleen F. Shepherd ‘06 – 2006
Kimberly Fitzgerald ‘07 – 2007
Kimberly Brown ‘07 – 2007
James Olmstead ‘07 – 2007
Emily Bishop ‘08 – 2008
Peyton Gresham ‘08 – 2008
Jonathan M. Sumrell ‘09 – 2009
Ryan Wind ‘09 – 2009
Amber Ford ‘10 – 2010
Laurel Huerkamp ‘10 – 2010
Laura Anne Kuykendall ‘11 – 2011
K. Bryn Swartz ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Courts of the 6th Judicial Circuit – Hopewell, VA et. al.
Meghan Ferris ‘08 – 2008
62
David Hartnett ‘10 – 2010
Circuit Court of Loudon County – Leesburg, VA
Joanne Stanley ‘04 – 2004
Circuit Court for City of Newport News - Newport News, VA
David Grandis ‘01 – 2001
Crystal Montague ‘01 – 2001
Lisa Sommermeyer Moore ‘03 – 2003
Circuit Court for City of Norfolk - Norfolk, VA
Karen L. Duncan ‘98 – 1998
W. David Kazzie ‘99 – 1999
Nathaniel Berry ‘03 – 2003
Megan Shearer ‘03 – 2003
Nancy Kaplan ‘04 – 2004
Mary Ann Richardson ‘07 – 2007
Erin Bumgarner ‘09 – 2009
C. Wiley Grandy ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for the City of Portsmouth - Portsmouth, VA
Carlotta Visher Thompson ‘01 – 2001
Heath Thompson ‘03 – 2003
Bishop Ravenel ‘04 – 2004
Bridget Murray ‘09 – 2009
Kyle McLaughlin ‘10 – 2010, 2011
Circuit Court for Prince William County - Manassas, VA
Peter David Houtz ‘98 – 1998
Kathleen Rhoades ‘01 – 2001
Jean Marie Walker ‘02 – 2002
Alan F. Smith ‘06 – 2006
Kathryn Donoghue ‘10 – 2010
Circuit Court for City of Richmond – Richmond, VA
Meegan C. Lawson ‘98 – 1998
William P. Irwin V ‘99 – 1999
K. Michelle Welch ‘99 – 1999
Darren Marting ‘01 – 2001
Jyoti Gwalani ‘02 – 2002
Catherine Haas ‘02 – 2002
Rebecca Herbig ‘03 – 2003
Erik Smith ‘03 – 2003
Karri Seaman ‘04 – 2004
Shari Skipper ‘05 – 2005
Lisa C. Way ‘06 – 2006
Anna-Liisa Jacobson ‘08 – 2008
63
Jonathan Haley ‘09 – 2009
Christina Parrish ‘09 – 2009
Faith Alejandro ‘10 – 2010
Chor Lee ‘10 – 2010
Sau Chan ‘11 – 2011
David Tait ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for City of Roanoke - Roanoke, VA
Jason Cording ‘00 – 2000
Sarah Wojnarowski ‘02 – 2002
Joel Morgan ‘03 – 2003
Emily Baker Oliver ‘11 – 2011
Circuit Court for Roanoke County - Salem, VA
Thomas Cusick ‘08 – 2008
Circuit Court for Rockingham County – Harrisonburg, VA
Janet Westbrook ‘99 – 1999
Chris Miller ‘00 – 2000
James Beard ‘01 – 2001
Matthew L. Gooch ‘09 – 2009*
Circuit Court for Russell County - Lebanon, VA
D. Nathan Castle II ‘09 – 2009
Circuit Court for City of Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, VA
Heather Berlin ‘00 – 2000
Cari Steele ‘00 – 2000
Melissa Libertini ‘01 – 2001
Madeline Starke ‘01 – 2001
Christopher Gill ‘04 – 2004
Sarah Lepere ‘05 – 2005
Teressa Murrell ‘05 – 2005
Camille J. Dillio ‘06 – 2006
Rebecca L. Ennis ‘06 – 2006
Warren M. Ellis ‘07 – 2007
Maciek Kepka ‘07 – 2007
Tiffany Laney ‘09 – 2009
64
Alumni with Multiple Clerkships
A number of University of Richmond alumni have chosen to pursue subsequent judicial clerkships
after their first clerkship experiences. The following alumni have progressed in their judicial
clerkships careers:
Wade T. Anderson „02
State Court: Court of Appeals of Virginia – 2002
State Court: Supreme Court of Virginia – 2003, 2008
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit – 2008*
Brandon Bailey „07
State Court: Supreme Court of Virginia – 2007
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit – 2008
Michael Clements „07
State Court: Court of Special Appeals of Maryland – 2007
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit – 2008
Federal District Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania – 2009
Matthew L. Gooch ‟09
State Court: Circuit Court for Rockingham County – 2009
State Court: Supreme Court of Virginia – 2010
Harrison “Hank” Gates „10
State Court: Circuit Court for Chesterfield County (Judge Allen) – 2010
Federal District Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia – 2011
Ben Hoover „10
State Court: Circuit Court for the City of Chesapeake – 2010
State Court: Supreme Court of Virginia – 2011
Katharine Kohm „09
State Court: Superior Court of Rhode Island – 2009
State Court: Supreme Court of Rhode Island – 2010
Marc L. Penchansky „98
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit – 1998 and 1999**
Joseph L. Pope „05
U.S. Bankruptcy Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia – 2005
Federal District Court: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida – 2007
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit – 2008
R. Kennon Poteat, III „06
Federal District Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia – 2006
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit – 2007
Elizabeth Wilson „07
Federal District Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia – 2007
Federal Circuit Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit – 2008
* Wade Anderson moved with Judge Agee from Supreme Court of VA to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
** Marc Penchansky served two clerkships with separate judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
65
Alumni Judges
FEDERAL JUDGES
Hon. William E. Anderson, Judge
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia
Hon. Harvey E. Schlesinger, Senior Judge
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Hon. Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., Senior Judge
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
STATE JUDGES – BY STATE (EXCLUDING VIRGINIA)
Hon. Alison K. Arce, Judge
Superior Court of Fulton County, Magistrate, Family Division, Atlanta, GA
Hon. Walter C. Martz II, Chief Judge
Maryland Tax Court, Baltimore, MD
Hon. James R. Ward, Judge
Administrative Law Judge, Department of Education, State of MI
Hon. Mary K. Costello, Judge
Superior Court, Hudson County, NJ
Hon. Margaret Foti, Judge
Superior Court, Hudson County, NJ
Hon. Barry N. Frank, Judge
Administrative Law Judge, Office of Administrative Law, State of NJ
Hon. Thomas P. Olivieri, Judge
Superior Court, Hudson County, NJ
Hon. Renee C. Ricciardelli, Judge
Administrative Supervisory Judge, Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development, State of NJ
Hon. Emanuel A. Bertin, Judge
Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, Norristown, PA
Hon. Thomas H. Kelley, Judge
Court of Common Pleas, York County, York, PA
66
Hon. Norman A. Krumenacker, Judge
Court of Common Pleas, Cambria County, Ebensburg, PA
Hon. Donna B. Owens, Judge
Municipal Court, Florence County, SC
VIRGINIA JUDGES
Supreme Court of Virginia
Hon. Harry L. Carrico, Senior Justice
Supreme Court of Virginia
Hon. Lawrence L. Koontz Jr., Senior Justice
Supreme Court of Virginia
Hon. Elizabeth B. Lacy, Senior Justice
Supreme Court of Virginia
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Hon. Larry G. Elder, Judge
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Hon. Walter S. Felton Jr., Chief Judge
Court of Appeals of Virginia
Circuit Courts of Virginia
Hon. Michael Coghlan Allen, Judge
12th Judicial Circuit, Chesterfield Circuit Court *
Hon. Jonathan M. Apgar, Judge
23rd Judicial Circuit, Roanoke City Circuit Court *
Hon. Pamela S. Baskervill, Judge
6th Judicial Circuit, Petersburg Circuit Court *
Hon. James A. Cales Jr., Judge
3rd Judicial Circuit, Portsmouth Circuit Court
Hon. Samuel E. Campbell, Judge
6th Judicial Circuit, Prince George Circuit Court *
67
Hon. Andrew Joseph Canada Jr., Judge
2nd Judicial Circuit, Virginia Beach Circuit Court *
Hon. Bradley B. Cavedo, Judge
13th Judicial Circuit, Richmond Circuit Court
Hon. Teresa M. Chafin, Judge
29th Judicial Circuit, Tazewell Circuit Court *
Hon. James H. Chamblin, Judge
20th Judicial Circuit, Loudoun Circuit Court
Hon. Martin F. Clark Jr., Judge
21st Judicial Circuit, Patrick Circuit Court *
Hon. James F. D'Alton Jr., Judge
11th Judicial Circuit, Petersburg Circuit Court *
Hon. Robert P. Doherty Jr., Judge
23rd Judicial Circuit, Salem Circuit Court *
Hon. V. Thomas Forehand Jr., Judge
1st Judicial Circuit, Chesapeake Circuit Court
Hon. Brett L. Geisler, Judge
27th Judicial Circuit, Carroll Circuit Court *
Hon. Colin R. Gibb, Judge
27th Judicial Circuit, Pulaski Circuit Court *
Hon. Herbert Cogbill Gill Jr., Judge
12th Judicial Circuit, Chesterfield Circuit Court *
Hon. G. Carter Greer, Judge
21st Judicial Circuit, Martinsville Circuit Court*
Hon. Edward W. Hanson Jr., Judge
2nd Judicial Circuit, Virginia Beach Circuit Court *
Hon. J. Overton Harris, Judge
15th Judicial Circuit, Hanover Circuit Court *
Hon. Lee A. Harris Jr., Judge
14th Judicial Circuit, Henrico Circuit Court
Hon. James C. Hawks, Judge
3rd Judicial Circuit, Portsmouth Circuit Court
68
Hon. Cheryl V. Higgins, Judge
16th Judicial Circuit, Albemarle Circuit Court *
Hon. Thomas B. Hoover, Judge
9th Judicial Circuit, New Kent Circuit Court *
Hon. Michael S. Irvine, Judge
25th Judicial Circuit, Rockbridge Circuit Court
Hon. John C. Kilgore, Judge
30th Judicial Circuit, Scott Circuit Court *
Hon. Bruce H. Kushner, Judge
1st Judicial Circuit, Chesapeake Circuit Court
Hon. C. Randall Lowe, Judge
28th Judicial Circuit, Washington Circuit Court *
Hon. Frederick B. Lowe, Judge
2nd Judicial Circuit, Virginia Beach Circuit Court *
Hon. Theodore J. Markow, Judge
13th Judicial Circuit, Richmond Circuit Court
Hon. Burke F. McCahill, Judge
20th Judicial Circuit, Loudoun Circuit Court
Hon. Joseph W. Milam Jr., Judge
22nd Judicial Circuit, Danville Circuit Court *
Hon. Burnett Miller III, Judge
14th Judicial Circuit, Henrico Circuit Court
Hon. William R. O'Brien, Judge
2nd Judicial Circuit, Virginia Beach Circuit Court *
Hon. Leslie M. Osborn, Judge
10th Judicial Circuit, Mecklenburg Circuit Court *
Hon. Frederick Gore Rockwell III, Judge
12th Judicial Circuit, Chesterfield Circuit Court *
Hon. W. Allan Sharrett, Judge
6th Judicial Circuit, Greensville Circuit Court *
Hon. Beverly W. Snukals, Judge
13th Judicial Circuit, Richmond Circuit Court
69
Hon. Walter W. Stout III, Judge
13th Judicial Circuit, Richmond Circuit Court
Hon. Charles J. Strauss, Judge
22nd Judicial Circuit, Pittsylvania Circuit Court *
Hon. Dean W. Sword Jr., Judge
3rd Judicial Circuit, Portsmouth Circuit Court
Hon. C. Peter Tench, Judge
7th Judicial Circuit, Newport News Circuit Court
Hon. Glen Allen Tyler, Judge
2nd Judicial Circuit, Accomack Circuit Court *
Hon. Henry A. Vanover, Judge
29th Judicial Circuit, Dickenson Circuit Court *
Hon. Thomas J. Wilson, IV, Judge
26th Judicial Circuit, Warren Circuit Court*
District Courts of Virginia
Hon. R. Morgan Armstrong, Judge
21st Judicial District, Henry/Martinsville General District Court *
Hon. Stephen D. Bloom, Judge
6th Judicial District, Prince George General District Court *
Hon. Jimmy Don Bolt, Judge
27th Judicial District, Galax Combined Court *
Hon. Harold W. Burgess, Jr., Presiding Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield Circuit Court *
Hon. Theodore J. Burr, Jr., Judge
6th Judicial District, Greensville/Emporia Combined Court *
Hon. James F. Buttery, Jr., Judge
20th Judicial District, Loudoun General District Court *
Hon. Edward K. Carpenter, Judge
16th Judicial District, Goochland Combined Court *
Hon. Lucretia A. Carrico, Judge
11th Judicial District, Petersburg General District Court *
70
Hon. Richard A. Claybrook, Jr., Judge
26th Judicial District, Harrisonburg/Rockingham General District Court *
Hon. Philip V. Daffron, Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield General District Court *
Hon. Marvin H. Dunkum, Judge
10th Judicial District, Buckingham Combined Court *
Hon. Charles B. Foley, Judge
20th Judicial District, Fauquier General District Court *
Hon. William D. Heatwole, Judge
25th Judicial District, Waynesboro General District Court *
Hon. Karen A. Henenberg, Judge
17th Judicial District, Arlington General District Court
Hon. Sage B. Johnson, Judge
18th Judicial District, Smyth General District Court *
Hon. Thomas O. Jones, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond General District Court - Traffic
Hon. Thomas J. Kelley, Jr., Judge
17th Judicial District, Arlington General District Court
Hon. M. Frederick King, Judge
23rd Judicial District, Roanoke City General District Court *
Hon. Vincent Austin Lilley, Judge
23rd Judicial District, Roanoke City General District Court *
Hon. William H. Logan, Jr., Judge
26th Judicial District, Shenandoah Combined Court *
Hon. R. Bruce Long, Judge
9th Judicial District, Gloucester General District Court *
Hon. John Marshall, Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico General District Court
Hon. Gary A. Mills, Judge
7th Judicial District, Newport News General District Court
Hon. Becky J. Moore, Judge
18th Judicial District, Alexandria General District Court *
71
Hon. Roger L. Morton, Judge
16th Judicial District, Orange General District Court *
Hon. Thomas Leroy Murphey, Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield General District Court *
Hon. Kenneth Wilson Nye, Judge
6th Judicial District, Hopewell Combined Court *
Hon. Richard C. Patterson, Judge
29th Judicial District, Tazewell General District Court
Hon. Robert A. Pustilnik, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond General District Court - Civil
Hon. Gregory L. Rupe, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond-Manchester General District Court
Hon. L. Neil Steverson, Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico General District Court
Hon. M. Lee Stilwell, Jr., Judge
22nd Judicial District, Danville General District Court *
Hon. Steven S. Smith, Judge
31st Judicial District, Prince William General District Court *
Hon. Edward M. Turner, III, Judge
27th Judicial District, Carroll Combined Court *
Hon. Thomas L. Vaughn, Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield General District Court *
Hon. Charles H. Warren, Judge
10th Judicial District, Mecklenburg General District Court *
Hon. David Shaw Whitacre, Judge
26th Judicial District, Frederick/Winchester General District Court *
Hon. Susan L. Whitlock, Judge
16th Judicial District, Louisa Combined Court *
Hon. Morton V. Whitlow, Judge
3rd Judicial District, Portsmouth General District Court
Hon. Gordon A. Wilkins, Judge
15th Judicial District, Westmoreland General District Court *
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Hon. Robert G. Woodson, Jr., Judge
10th Judicial District, Cumberland Combined Court *
Hon. Archer L. Yeatts, III, Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico General District Court
Hon. James Stephen Yoffy, Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico General District Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court of Virginia
Hon. Isabel Hall Atlee, Judge
9th Judicial District, Gloucester J&DR Court*
Hon. D. Scott Bailey, Judge
31st Judicial District, Prince William Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Edward DeJarnette Berry, Judge
16th Judicial District, Albemarle/Charlottesville Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Lynn S. Brice, Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Stephen Buis, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Michael J. Bush, Judge
29th Judicial District, Tazewell Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Richard B. Campbell, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Gayl Branum Carr, Judge
19th Judicial District, Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Joseph M. Clarke, II, Judge
23rd Judicial District, Roanoke City Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Joel Pierson Crowe, Judge
3rd Judicial District, Portsmouth Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Gerald F. Daltan, Judge
15th Judicial District, Hanover Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Bonnie C. Davis, Judge
12th Judicial District, Chesterfield Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
73
Hon. John B. Ferguson, Judge
23rd Judicial District, Roanoke City Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Larry E. Gilman, Judge
15th Judicial District, Hanover Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Paul F. Gluchowski, Judge
31st Judicial District, Prince William Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Marilyn C. Goss, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Marcus H. Long, Jr., Judge
27th Judicial District, Montgomery Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Joseph P. Massey, Judge
4th Judicial District, Norfolk Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. R. Michael McKenney, Judge
15th Judicial District, Hanover Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Stacey W. Moreau, Judge
22nd Judicial District, Pittsylvania Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Charles L. Ricketts, III, Judge
25th Judicial District, Augusta/Staunton Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Philip Trompeter, Judge
23rd Judicial District, Roanoke County Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Ashley K. Tunner, Judge
13th Judicial District, Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. George D. Varoutsos, Judge
17th Judicial District, Arlington Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Richard S. Wallerstein, Jr., Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Hon. Junius P. Warren, Judge
21st Judicial District, Martinsville Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. A. Ellen White, Judge
24th Judicial District, Campbell Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court *
Hon. Sharon B. Will, Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
74
Hon. Stuart L. Williams, Jr., Judge
14th Judicial District, Henrico Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
*
Numerous counties and cities comprise this circuit or district. The judge may oversee multiple courts. The court
listed here is the judge’s preferred court of contact, as listed with the Virginia Courts system. All courts in the
judicial circuit or district may be viewed on the Virginia Circuits and Districts map.
75
Research Sources
Almanac of the Federal Judiciary - Contains biographical sketches of all federal judges, major
cases decided, and anonymous critiques. (Law Library KF8700.A19 A4 2010 and Westlaw)
The American Bench - Complete directory of state and federal judges including biographical
information and addresses. (Law Library KF8700.A19 A47)
BNA’s Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks – Describes court structure and
jurisdiction, lists judges‘ contact information. (Law Library KF8700.A19 B15)
Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships – Overview of judicial clerkships (Strauss,
BarBri, 2002). (Career Services Office, Law Library KF8771.S85 2002)
CourtLink, by Lexis-Nexis – Provides case data, court profiles, and judicial profiles.
The Courts: An Excellent Place for Attorneys of Color to Launch Their Careers
Deskbook for Chief Judges of U.S. District Courts
The Directory of Minority Judges of the United States - (Law Library KF8700.A19 D57 2008)
Federal Agency Directory – Provides a comprehensive listing of federal agencies, including web
links (helpful in searching for administrative law clerkships), care of the Government Printing
Office and Louisiana State University.
Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference Documents Library
Federal Appellate Law Clerk Handbook – Survival guide for federal appellate clerks (Lemon,
ABA, 2007). (Law Library KF8807.R86 2007; Google Books Preview)
Federal District Court Law Clerk Handbook – Survival guide for federal trial clerks (Chipchase,
ABA, 2007). (Law Library KF8807.C55 2007; Google Books Preview).
Federal Court Locator – Provides federal judiciary information and opinions, care of Villanova
University School of Law.
The Federal Judiciary / U.S. Courts – Lists all federal courts and judges, also includes recent
appointments.
Federal Judges and Justices - Lists nominations, confirmations, elevations, resignations, and
retirements. (Law Library KF8700.A19 F42)
Federal Judicial Center – Provides information on federal court operations and procedures, court
history, selected educational materials, and judges‘ biographical information.
76
Federal Magistrate Judges Association
JudicialClerkships.com
Clerkships Are for Everyone – NALP article available on Blackboard.
Judicial Staff Directory – Provides listings of current judicial clerks.
Judicial Yellow Book - Contains judges‘ biographical and contact information, as well as the names
of current law clerks. (Career Services Office, Law Library KF8700.A19 J835)
Law Clerk Addict – Blog providing up-to-date information about federal judicial clerk hires and
federal judge demographics.
Law Clerk Handbook: A Handbook for Law Clerks to Federal Judges – Federal clerkship guide
(Sobel, Federal Judicial Center, 2007). (Law Library KF8771.D54 2007)
Legal Directory of Judges, by Westlaw – Provides contact information for state and federal courts
(WLD-JUDGE).
National Center for State Courts – Describes state courts and provides website links.
National Tribal Law Clerk Program – Resources for prospective Native American tribal court
clerks, including a Guide to Tribal Court Clerkships.
The Online System for Clerkship Application & Review (OSCAR)
Opportunities with International Tribunals and Foreign Courts – Care of Yale Law School.
Rat Race: Insider Advice on Landing Judicial Clerkships – Penn State Law Review article, care of
Washington and Lee University School of Law.
State and Local Government on the Net
Symplicity – The clerkship module provides a comprehensive listing of federal judges; state
clerkship openings are often posted here.
The Third Branch - Lists current federal nominations, confirmations, appointments, elevations,
resignations, retirements, and death of judges.
Understanding the Federal Courts – An overview of the federal judicial system provided by the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
U.S. Department of Justice Agencies – Links to DOJ agencies, many of which have administrative
law clerk opportunities.
U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy (OLP) – Federal court nominations/vacancies.
77
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Administrative Law Judges
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Administrative Law Judges
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Administrative Law Judges
U.S. Federal Energy Regulation Commission Office of Administrative Law Judges
U.S. Social Security Administration – Legal Careers
U.S. Senate Index of Nominations
Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures – Username: long, password: trail.
Virginia Attorney’s / Secretary’s Handbook – Current listing of Virginia courts and judges, with
contact information. (Career Services Office)
Virginia‟s Judicial Branch Recruitment Register – Lists employment opportunities in Virginia‘s
courts.
Virginia‟s Judicial System – Provides general information relating to Virginia‘s courts.
Want's Federal-State Court Directory – Provides an overview of each state‘s court system and
judges. (Law Library Reference KF8700.A19 F47).
78
University of Richmond School of Law
Career Services Office
28 Westhampton Way
Richmond, Virginia 23173
Phone 804.289.8638 • Fax 804.287.6516