USC Law professors discuss Supreme Court clerkships
Bice, Klerman and Simon take part in faculty panel sponsored by the Dean of Students' Office
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Clerking for a U.S. Supreme Court justice will no doubt land law students their dream jobs, but there’s an even bigger life-altering benefit.
“You’re participating in making the law,” said Professor Scott Bice (pictured left), who clerked for Earl Warren 1968-1969. “There’s no experience like it. It’s something that is truly remarkable and something that will change you forever.”
Bice joined Professors Daniel Klerman and Larry Simon in the third installment of the new Spring Faculty Panel Series, which focuses on professors’ areas of expertise and experiences.
About 100 students gathered Feb. 23 for the panel discussion on clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court.
“You are part of history — you are writing Supreme Court opinions — the next generation is going to be reading what you wrote,” Klerman said.
When Klerman was a clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens in 1993-1994, he often scanned the New York Times and Washington Post, looking for his written words.
“Sometimes the section of an opinion I had personally written was in the newspaper verbatim,” he said. “It was a pretty thrilling feeling. Of course, the justice’s name was attached to it, but I still knew that piece came from me.”
Simon (pictured right), who clerked for Earl Warren in 1967-68, said there are no courses that prepare clerks for the Supreme Court. “Rarely are you familiar with a particular issue you are writing about,” he said. “I was writing on bankruptcy, and I’d never even taken a course in it. But you get a good overview of what the hot issues are in federal law.”
Bice recommended students get to know their professors and work as research assistants. “You’ll need the recommendations,” he said. “Also, focus on your writing skills. You’ll need to know how to write concisely, clearly and succinctly.”
Klerman (pictured left) said he still has close ties from his days as a clerk. “I made enduring friendships,” he said. “When I go to D.C., I call up the justice and go to lunch. There’s nothing better than clerking for the Supreme Court. Even if you never put it on your resume, you know that you’ve been identified as one of the 34 most promising lawyers of your generation.”
