Former Clerks Create Academic Prize in Judge O’Neill’s Name
ices, Judge O’Neill was humble enough to tell all litigants that he
Over his 30-year career on the bench of the U.S.
staff, or others who work in the courthouse.”
District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge
Thomas N. O’Neill Jr. L’53 has become a legend among mem-
O’Neill Prize will go to a student for outstanding involvement,
bers of the Philadelphia Bar, known for his superb tempera-
competence, and commitment to the provision of legal services
ment, intellect, and even-handedness.
to disadvantaged clients. According to Summers, it was O’Neill’s
It comes as no surprise then that a group of his former law
idea to give the prize to a Penn Law student who was focused on
clerks would want to do something special for O’Neill’s 30th
helping people who were disadvantaged in one way or another.
anniversary. They established the Thomas N. O’Neill Jr. Prize,
O’Neill has been committed to Penn during his 30 years on
which was awarded for the first time at Penn Law’s commence-
the bench, hiring numerous Penn Law graduates as law clerks.
ment in May.
For clerks like Summers, they come away with valuable experi-
“He is really remarkable. He is enormously thoughtful, re-
ence and counsel that they can use in the future.
spectful, kind, and intelligent,” said John Summers L’84, one
of O’Neill’s former law clerks. “He takes an enormous interest
with drafting a brief, or thinking about an approach to a case, I
in his law clerks and their careers. He was a remarkable role
try to think how an excellent judge would view that argument,
model.”
brief, or case,”said Summers, a shareholder at Hangley Aronch-
Summers, who clerked for O’Neill from 1984 to 1986, said
ick Segal Pudlin & Schiller. “In my case, that model judge is
while some new judges might be reluctant to come off as nov-
always Judge O’Neill.”
needed all the help he could get from the lawyers. “When I started, Judge O’Neill explained that he had two rules,” Summers said. “First, ‘let’s say good morning and good night every day.’ Second, it is important to be nice to everyone you have contact with, whether it is litigants, lawyers, court O’Neill’s kindness now extends to Penn Law. The Thomas N.
Summers said, “When I’m struggling with an issue, struggling
Penn Law Author’s Book Gets ‘Face Time’ on House of Cards How ironic that a book
a former senior staff member
chronicling an era of good
in the U.S. Senate to write
government made a cameo
about what he considers
on House of Cards, a popular
the giants of the 1960s and
Netflix television series that
‘70s. Shapiro also served as
dramatizes the darker side of
general counsel and ambas-
politics.
sador in the Office of the U.S.
But the book’s author, Ira
Trade Representative during
Shapiro L’73, is not com-
the Clinton administration.
plaining. “Crossing over to
House of Cards follows
pop culture, even momen-
the exploits of fictional con-
tarily, is great fun.”
gressman Frank Underwood,
Astute viewers will notice
a
Democrat
from
Ira Shapiro L’73
South
The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmenship in Times of
Carolina and House majority whip who commits murder and
Crisis on the table of a government official in an early episode
steamrolls opposition on his way to the presidency.
of the show’s second season. Shapiro mines his experience as PE N N LAW JOU R NAL Su m m e r 2014 5