Supreme Court Clerks

Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Justice Breyer's 2010 Hires

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With Barack Obama about to assume the presidency, alongside a heavily Democratic Senate, the justices in the liberal wing of the Supreme Court are free to retire if they like. Don’t be surprised if Justice David Souter, never a fan of life at One First Street, heads for the exit early in the Obama presidency.

But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer plan to stick around for a bit, at least based on their law clerk hiring. Justice Ginsburg has hired all of her October Term 2009 clerks, as well as at least two for October Term 2010. And Justice Breyer, in addition to filling all his OT 2009 spots, has hired at least three for OT 2010.

We previously reported on Justice Breyer’s hiring of Erika Myers (Stanford 2008 / Kozinski). Today we bring you two more SGB clerks for OT 2010:

1. Natalie Ram (Yale 2008 / Calabresi)

2. David Zionts (Harvard 2008 / Garland)

In addition, here’s another hire by Justice Clarence Thomas, for OT 2009:

Elizabeth Papez (Harvard 1999 / Boggs)

Papez is no stranger to these pages. We previously mentioned her move from Kirkland & Ellis, where she was a partner, to the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (where she entered as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and currently serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General). Papez’s career trajectory — from K&E partner, to high-ranking DOJ official, to Supreme Court law clerk — is a sign of just how coveted a SCOTUS clerkship is, as both a credential and a life experience.

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Updated lists of Supreme Court clerks, for OT 2009 and OT 2010, after the jump.


If you’re aware of some SCOTUS clerk hiring news not previously reported in these pages, please share what you know, by email (subject line: “Supreme Court clerk hiring”). Thanks.

OCTOBER TERM 2009 SUPREME COURT CLERK HIRES (as of December 3, 2008)

Chief Justice John G. Roberts

1. Roman Martinez (Yale 2008 / Kavanaugh)

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2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice John Paul Stevens

1. Hyland Hunt (U. Michigan 2008 / D. Ginsburg)

2. Adam Jed (Harvard 2008 / Calabresi)

3. Merritt McAlister (University of Georgia 2007 / Anderson (11th Cir.))

4. David Pozen (Yale 2007 / Garland)

Justice Antonin Scalia

1. Jonathan Bond (GWU 2008 / Sutton)

2. Steven Lehotsky (Harvard 2002 / D. Ginsburg)

3. Daniel M. Sullivan (Chicago 2008 / O’Scannlain)

4. Katherine Twomey (UVA 2008 / Wilkinson)

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy

1. Scott Keller (University of Texas 2007 / Kozinski)

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice David H. Souter

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Clarence Thomas

1. Elizabeth Papez (Harvard 1999 / Boggs)

2. Marah Stith (Yale 2006 / O’Scannlain)

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

1. Elizabeth Barchas (Harvard 2008 / Garland)

2. Pamela Bookman (UVA 2006 / Sack)

3. Vincent Levy (Columbia 2007 / D. Ginsburg)

4. John Rappaport (Harvard 2006 / Reinhardt)

Justice Stephen G. Breyer

1. Andrew Crespo (Harvard 2008 / Reinhardt)

2. Bessie Dewar (Yale 2006 / W. Fletcher / L. Pollak (E.D. Pa.))

3. Chris Fonzone (Harvard 2007 / Wilkinson)

4. Jennifer Nou (Yale 2008 / Posner)

Justice Samuel Alito

1. Jaynie Randall (Yale 2006 / M. Patel (N.D. Cal.) / Cabranes)

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (retired):

1. Joshua Deahl (U. Michigan 2006 / Benavides)

OCTOBER TERM 2010 SUPREME COURT CLERK HIRES (as of December 3, 2008)

Chief Justice John G. Roberts

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice John Paul Stevens

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Antonin Scalia

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice David H. Souter

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Clarence Thomas

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

1. Amy Bergquist (U. Minnesota 2007 / W. Fletcher / J. Tunheim (D. Minn.))

2. David Newman (Yale 2006 / Katzmann / Rakoff (S.D.N.Y.))

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Stephen G. Breyer

1. Erika Myers (Stanford 2008 / Kozinski)

2. Natalie Ram (Yale 2008 / Calabresi)

3. David Zionts (Harvard 2008 / Garland)

4. ?

Justice Samuel Alito

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (retired):

1. ?

SCOTUS Clerk Hiring [Clerkship Notification Blog]

List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States [Wikipedia]

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Supreme Court clerks (scroll down)

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