Diarmuid O’Scannlain

Which circuit judge has the most former clerks who are now judges themselves? And how is Judge Kozinski spending the Memorial Day weekend?

Bankrupt farmers, tricky tax laws, and bar admission ceremonies are just some of the things you'll encounter at the Supreme Court...

Last July, we shared with you the Supreme Court's official list of law clerks for the October Term 2011. We noted at the time that "this list does not include law school and prior clerkship information, which the [Public Information Office] will release later this year." We now have that updated list of OT 2011 Supreme Court law clerks, featuring law school and prior clerkship data, courtesy of the Public Information Office. Let's look at the list, and count up which law schools and feeder judges sent the most folks over to One First Street....

Let’s play a quick game (which we might return to later if there’s interest). If we were to give out awards to the different federal judicial circuits, in the manner of a high school yearbook, which awards would go to the different circuits? Here are some of my nominations: Most Prestigious: D.C. Circuit Biggest Brainiac: […]

People don't clerk for the money. Sure, clerkship bonuses can be considerable -- but in most cases, a graduate who goes straight into a law firm will do better financially than her classmate who clerks after graduation. If you're planning to clerk or interested in clerking for a federal judge, you should be aware of the latest news about law clerk compensation....

Above the Law readers are traditionalists in matters of grammar, usage, and writing style. How do y'all feel about neologisms? Let's look at two new words, coined by none other than the newly svelte Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit....

At One First Street, home of the Supreme Court of the United States (aka "SCOTUS"), clerk classes are transitioning. July is when outgoing Supreme Court clerks leave the marble palace -- do pass go, do collect a $250,000 signing bonus -- and their replacements arrive. Interested in having a look at July's update on Supreme Court law clerk hiring?

There’s always something fun going on in the Ninth Circuit. Last week, the Court voted against rehearing en banc in United States v. Alvarez, a case raising the constitutionality of the Stolen Valor Act (a law that essentially criminalizes false claims of military heroism). A divided three-judge panel struck down the Act on First Amendment […]

And just like that, it’s December. Flurries fill the sky, Wham’s “Last Christmas” saturates the airwaves, and the list of weddings in the New York Times shortens dramatically. Quality tends to decline along with quantity, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised to find plenty of comment-worthy nuptials (and attractive brides!) over the past couple of weeks. […]

“Okay, Judge Bork. Smile and say ‘The Original Understanding’!!!” (Also: Is that Harvard Law prof Laurence Tribe standing behind Robert Bork, or just someone who looks a lot like him?) Earlier this week, we gave you a detailed report about the fabulous nuptials of Ted Olson — the winning lawyer in Bush v. Gore, former […]

David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other publications. Prior to ATL, he launched Underneath Their Robes, a blog about federal judges. Before entering the media world, David worked as a […]