JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP PROGRAM FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
Start your legal career with a judicial clerkship. A judicial clerkship is one of the most prestigious and valuable employment experiences available to a graduating student or recent law graduate. Judicial clerks gain inside knowledge of how parties pursue actual cases and how judges resolve legal issues, which is valued highly by legal employers and clients. Clerks are exposed to substantive law and procedure while developing their research and writing skills. They also have the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship with an experienced judge and a professional network of fellow and former clerks. Clerkships are available at all levels of the federal and state court systems and with specialized courts such as bankruptcy and tax courts. The process for obtaining a clerkship is extremely competitive. Vanderbilt’s Judicial Clerkship Program provides support throughout the hiring process and has enjoyed great success in helping students and graduates secure clerkships at all levels of the judicial system. Guidance Throughout Law School and Beyond Starting in their 1L year, students are invited to general information sessions about clerkship
opportunities, which cover the courses and extracurricular activities during law school that help prepare a candidate for a judicial clerkship after graduation. Judicial Clerkship Program Director Michael Bressman holds informational meetings detailing the application and interviewing process and then meets with each interested student individually. Students and graduates receive guidance throughout the application process, including assistance completing and submitting application packages and preparing for interviews. Some judges prefer to hire clerks with one or more years of work experience, and Vanderbilt’s Clerkship Program supports graduates seeking a clerkship as well as current students. Success in Clerkship Placements Each year, Vanderbilt students and graduates secure clerkships with federal appellate and trial court judges, federal bankruptcy judges, and judges in state supreme, appellate and trial courts. In recent years, Vanderbilt Law graduates have also clerked with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Delaware Court of Chancery, and various specialty courts.
“Clerkships are a one-stop shop for new lawyer training. As a clerk, you’re uniquely positioned at the right hand of the judge, managing cases, researching disputed legal issues and drafting opinions. Perhaps most importantly, you get an insider’s look at what makes a good lawyer, which will prepare you for a law job of any type, whether you’re headed to a firm, a nonprofit organization or the government. When you start your next job, you’ll already know what a judge is looking for.” SAMIYYAH ALI
| Class of 2016 Associate, Wilkinson Stekloff, Washington, D.C. 2018–19 Clerk, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court 2017–18 Clerk, Judge Srikanth Srinivasan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit 2016–17 Clerk, Judge Amul R. Thapar, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
VLS ranked 5th among U.S. law schools for percentage of graduates going to federal clerkships in 2020. As of July 15, 2021, members of the classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020 have served or will serve clerkships in the following courts: Class of 2018 Federal Appellate Courts Judge Gilbert S. Merritt Jr. ’60, Sixth Circuit (2018–19) Judge Duane Benton, Eighth Circuit (2018–19) Judge Jay S. Bybee, Ninth Circuit (2020–21) Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, Tenth Circuit (2021–22) Judge William H. Pryor, Eleventh Circuit (2019–20) Federal District Courts Judge Karon O. Bowdre, Northern District of Alabama (2018–19) Judge R. David Proctor, Northern District of Alabama (2018–19) Judge Brian S. Miller ’95, Eastern District of Arkansas (2 clerks, 2018–19 and 2018–20) Judge Shashi H. Kewalramani, Central District of California (2022–23) Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, District of Connecticut (2020–21) Judge Paul G. Byron, Middle District of Florida (2018–19) Judge Michael L. Brown, Northern District of Georgia (2018–19) Judge Leigh Martin May, Northern District of Georgia (2018–19) Judge Karen K. Caldwell, Eastern District of Kentucky (2018–19) Judge Danny C. Reeves, Eastern District of Kentucky (2018–19) Judge David J. Hale, Western District of Kentucky (2018–19) Judge Elizabeth A. Preston Deavers, Southern District of Ohio (2018–19) Judge Thomas A. Varlan ’81, Eastern District of Tennessee (2 clerks, 2018–19) Judge Janis G. Jack, Southern District of Texas (2020–21) Judge Cheryl A. Eifert, Southern District of West Virginia (2018–20) Federal Bankruptcy Courts Judge Mark D. Houle, Central District of California (2019) Judge Louis A. Scarcella, Eastern District of New York (2018–19)
State Courts Judge Allison E. Accurso, New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division (2018–19) Judge Michael A. Toto, New Jersey Superior Court (2018–19) Class of 2019 Federal Appellate Courts Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, District of Columbia Circuit (2019–20) Judge David B. Sentelle, District of Columbia Circuit (2020–21) Judge Michael H. Park, Second Circuit (2020–21) Judge Kent A. Jordan, Third Circuit (2021–22) Judge David Porter, Third Circuit (2020–21) Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., Fourth Circuit (2019–20) Judge Gregg J. Costa, Fifth Circuit (2019–20) Judge Stephen A. Higginson, Fifth Circuit (2019–20) Judge Gilbert S. Merritt ’60, Sixth Circuit (2019–20) Judge John B. Nalbandian, Sixth Circuit (2019–20) Judge Duane Benton, Eighth Circuit (2019–20) Federal District Courts Judge Richard J. Leon, District of the District of Columbia (2022–23) Judge Corey L. Maze, Northern District of Alabama (2020–21) Judge Marcia Morales Howard, Middle District of Florida (2019–21) Judge Claria Horn Boom ’94, Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky (2019–20) Judge David J. Hale, Western District of Kentucky (2019–20) Judge Lance M. Africk, Eastern District of Louisiana (2019–20) Judge Paul D. Borman, Eastern District of Michigan (2019–20) Judge David C. Bramlette III, Southern District of Mississippi (2019–20)
Judge James C. Mahan ’73, District of Nevada (2019–20) Judge John L. Sinatra Jr., Western District of New York (2019–21) Judge Travis R. McDonough ’97, Eastern District of Tennessee (2019–21) Judge Tu M. Pham, Western District of Tennessee (2019–20) Specialty Courts Judge Mark A. Barnett, Court of International Trade (2021–23) State Courts Justice Ricky Polston, Florida Supreme Court (2019–21) Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III, Delaware Court of Chancery (2019–20) Judge Alan O. Forst, Florida Fourth District Court of Appeals (2019–20) Judge Rex Armstrong, Oregon Court of Appeals (2022–23) Judge John D. Geathers, South Carolina Court of Appeals (2019–20) Judge Richard H. Dinkins ’77, Tennessee Court of Appeals (2019–21) Judge Camille R. McMullen, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals (2019–20) Class of 2020 Federal Appellate Courts Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr., Third Circuit (2021–22) Judge Andrew S. Oldham, Fifth Circuit (2020–21) Judge James E. Graves Jr., Fifth Circuit (2022–23) Judge Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit (2020–21) Judge John K. Bush, Sixth Circuit (2020–21) Judge Joan L. Larsen, Sixth Circuit (2020–21) Judge John B. Nalbandian, Sixth Circuit (2020–21) Judge Amul R. Thapar, Sixth Circuit (2023–24) Judge Duane Benton, Eighth Circuit (2020–21)
Judge Andrew L. Brasher, Eleventh Circuit (2021–22) Judge Adalberto J. Jordan, Eleventh Circuit (2020–21) Federal District Courts Judge Richard J. Leon, District of Columbia (2023–24) Judge Emily Coody Marks, Middle District of Alabama (2020–21) Judge Jerome T. Kearney ’81, Eastern District of Arkansas (2020–21) Judge Brian S. Miller ’95, Eastern District of Arkansas Judge William H. Alsup, Northern District of California (2022–23) Judge Edward M. Chen, Northern District of California (2020–21) Judge John A. Houston, Southern District of California (2020–21) Judge Paul G. Bryon, Middle District of Florida (2020–22) Judge William F. Jung, Middle District of Florida (2020–22) Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr., Northern District of Georgia (2020–22) Judge Eldon E. Fallon, Eastern District of Louisiana (2020–21) Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., Western District of Louisiana (2020–21)
Judge Danny C. Reeves, Eastern District of Kentucky (2020–21) Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, Eastern District of Kentucky (2020–21) Judge Benjamin J. Beaton, Western District of Kentucky (2021–22) Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., Western District of Kentucky (2020–21) Judge Paul D. Borman, Eastern District of Michigan (2020–21) Judge James C. Mahan ’73, District of Nevada (2020–21) Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein, Southern District of New York (2020–21) Judge David L. Russell, Western District of Oklahoma (2020–21) Judge Eduardo C. Robreno, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2020–21) Judge Eli J. Richardson ’92, Middle District of Tennessee (2020–21) Judge Jane J. Boyle, Northern District of Texas (2020–21) Judge Mark T. Pittman, Northern District of Texas (2020–21) Judge David A. Ezra, District of Hawaii (sitting in the Western District of Texas) (2020–21)
Federal Bankruptcy Courts Judge Stacey G.C. Jernigan, Northern District of Texas (2020–22) State Courts Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III, Delaware Court of Chancery Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn, Delaware Court of Chancery Master in Chancery Patricia W. Griffin, Delaware Court of Chancery Judges John R. Grise and Steve A. Wilson, Warren County Circuit Court, Kentucky Judge J. Steven Stafford, Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Thomas W. Brothers ’77, Tennessee Circuit Court, 20th District (2020–22)
Learn more about Vanderbilt’s Clerkship Program.
“I can’t imagine a better transition from student to lawyer than a clerkship. Helping my judge resolve actual cases brings everything I learned in law school to life. And it has given me invaluable insight into how cases get decided and what it takes to persuade judges—my target audience for the next phase of my career.” CAMERON NORRIS | Class of 2014 Associate, Consovoy McCarthy, Washington, D.C. Cameron was a clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2017–18; to Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2015–16; and to Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 2014–15. Cameron argued his first case before the U.S. Supreme Court, CIC Services v. IRS, on Dec. 1, 2020, and the Court issued a unanimous opinion in May 2021 in favor of Cameron’s client, a tax adviser whose lawsuit challenged the validity of an IRS notice that imposed a new reporting requirement.
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