Academic

This Saturday I'll be joining the Hon. Thomas Ambro's former clerks in celebrating 10 years for the Judge on the Federal Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit--an occasion to reflect on my wonderful year spent in Wilmington, DE and on clerking in general.  It was an incredible year: 9/11 occurred about a week into our clerkship, and I remember watching the first tower fall huddled around an ancient and tiny television in a back room of Judge Roth's chambers.  Then the building was evacuated. 

The rest of the year was less calamitous.  We Ambrosians (as we called ourselves) came from different law schools and different backgrounds, and it seemed like over the course of the year we talked about everything, from the best way to select a law review board to the First Amendment to who had the most privileged upbringing.  The Judge was a dream to work for: informal, open to new ideas, funny, and kind.  I learned an incredible amount and had a blast doing it.

Clerkship applications were up 66% this year, a predictable response to a dismal legal job market.  But it would be a shame to apply for a clerkship solely to wait out economic storms.  I think clerking is a nearly unmitigated good, even for the transactionally minded attorney.  I tell students it's like studying abroad in undergrad: nearly everyone who does it seems to love it.  The downside is all of those clerkship recommendation letters I have to write (I'm on my last one).  The upside is, it seems to be working (check us out at #10!).  I wish all the best to the 2010 class of clerks, and am looking forward to toasting the Judge this weekend.