Law Students

My First Year... as a Federal Court of Appeals Law Clerk

By Ms. JD Staff

This is the first post in a new series called "My First Year..." In this series, which will appear the first week of each month, we will feature interviews of women as they begin putting their JDs to work in a variety of fields all over the country. Each interviewee will answer a standard set of questions about her first year. We hope this project will give law students and new attorneys a realistic picture about what life is like during the junior years of a legal career.

Today we launch our series with the interview of a Federal Court of Appeals Law Clerk...

How did you decide to pursue this position--was this something you envisioned yourself doing when you applied to law school, or was this something you learned about in school or during your summer?

Having taught middle- and high-school English before entering law school, I had a pretty clear plan about what I wanted to accomplish in and after law school.  One of my goals was to pursue a federal appellate clerkship.  That being said, just because it was a ?goal? didn?t mean I had any clue how to go about making it happen (or what the job would actually entail).  Still, it was a goal I hoped I could make happen.

Describe a typical day on the job... 

Silence. And more silence.  Seriously, mine is a very solitary job.  On a regular day, I come into the office, sit down, and spend the day either researching, writing, or editing.  (To be more specific, my three main tasks are to (1) prepare bench memoranda to the panel summarizing the facts and law of a case and recommending a disposition, (2) draft opinions after oral arguments, and (3) edit other judge?s opinions.  Keep in mind that at the appellate level, most matters are heard by a three-judge panel, and most judges sit only about once a month or so.  Often applicants think they will be ?in court? a lot, which just isn?t so.  Lack of hustle and bustle (and human interaction) doesn?t bother me, but it might bother some.  If you don?t like being alone with your thoughts, this is not the job for you!

What is the most rewarding thing about your job so far?

The most rewarding thing about my job is the daily contact I have with my judge.  I am able to observe how he approaches cases and applies the law to them.  There really is no better experience to prepare you for practicing law than seeing how a judge thinks through a case.

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Full post as published by Ms. JD on February 01, 2010 (boomark / email).