TESTIMONIALS "Clerking was incredible fun. I never thought I'd work on so many fascinating cases in such a short time. My time as a clerk included cases involving a major domestic terrorism attack, international drug smuggling conspiracies, and a hundred million dollar patent dispute. Every day was a new and engrossing challenge. Sure, clerking is good for your career and prestigious, but do it because it’s fun!” Omar Noureldin ’13, Associate at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP Judicial Clerk 2015-2016 - Honorable Virginia A. Phillips, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
“I would not give up my two years clerking for any amount of money. The experiences that I gained, the friendships that I made, the respect for the legal system that I developed were priceless. I learned not just what kind of lawyer I wanted to be, but what kind of person I wanted to become.” Joel Purles ’08, Associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP Judicial Clerk 2008-2009 – Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judicial Clerk 2009-2010 - Honorable Ferdinand F. Fernandez, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
“When I joined a law firm, I was in position to hit the ground running and contribute from day one. I was able to hone in on arguments that I knew from experience would be persuasive, and I was incredibly familiar with the legal standards facing our clients.” Amy Proctor ’11, Associate at Irell & Manella LLP Judicial Clerk 2011-2012 – Honorable John Kronstadt, U.S. District Judge, Central District of California
“My clerkship was invaluable. It is the foundation of my professional and legal career. The experience was a case study in good lawyering and bad lawyering. Day in and day out I saw what techniques were effective in court and brief writing, and those that were not. Each day we were in trial, presiding over motions and drafting bench memos and orders. And each day I learned from an experienced judge and trial lawyer about how to be a lawyer myself.” Paul Rosen ’05, Chief of Staff for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Judicial Clerk 2005-2006 – Honorable Gary Allen Feess, U.S. District Judge, Central District of California
"Every year, we hire a large number of young lawyers who have clerked for respected judges on various courts ranging from state court judges all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. They are the young lawyers who are investing in their own future and are headed for success. The training that they receive during their clerkship in legal writing, research and analysis gives them a distinct advantage as they begin their career in private practice. Grappling with real-world, time-sensitive problems has honed their legal instincts and given them an inside perspective on how the law works and decisions are made. There is a reason that we give clerkship bonuses!" Kenneth Doran, ‘81 Chairman and Managing Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Board of Councilors Clerkship Committee Chair Dave Walsh ‘85, Partner at Morrison & Foerster Judicial Clerk XX – Honorable Howard B. Turrentine, U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California
USC Gould Clerkship Committee Co-Chairs “Clerking permanently marks you as an elite lawyer. It makes you an insider among federal clerks, who occupy top posts in nearly every domain of the legal profession. Plus, it's the best job around. Clerks see law work at the highest, most sophisticated level. The judges become mentors for life. It’s the one job I’ve never known anyone to regret.” Sam Erman, USC Gould Associate Professor Judicial Clerk 2009-2010 – Honorable Merrick Garland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Judicial Clerk 2010-2011 - Honorable Anthony Kennedy and John Paul Stevens, U.S. Supreme Court serman@law.usc.edu | (213) 740-6372 “A year can seem like a big investment but we encourage students to take a longer view. We know that legal careers are long and varied, and that clerking benefits reverberate through an entire career. Aside from getting the law degree in the first place, there is nothing like clerking for paying long term career dividends.” Abby Wood, USC Gould Assistant Professor Judicial Clerk 2012-2013 – Honorable Judge John T. Noonan Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit awood@law.usc.edu | (213) 740-8012
Career Services Office Elizabeth Armour Associate Dean, earmour@law.usc.edu
Ronald Han Assistant Director rhan@law.usc.edu
| (213) 740-7397
Andrea Chen Ayvazian Assistant Director aayvazian@law.usc.edu | (213) 740-7397
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP The exceptional way to launch a legal career
DEAN’S MESSAGE “Clerking for a judge is one of the most prestigious opportunities for law students, and the benefits will reverberate throughout their careers. I have held many jobs, and not all are on my resume. But clerking for my judge is, and will always be, on my resume. It’s an experience that is like no other.”’
Andrew T. Guzman, Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law Judicial Clerk `1996 - 1997 –Chief Judge Juan Torruella, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
CLERKSHIP BENEFITS A judicial clerkship is one of the most rewarding and impressive post-graduate opportunities available. The many benefits include: • Up close and direct involvement in consequential cases – exposure to a full gamut of cases such as deals gone wrong, death row, terrorism, discrimination, antitrust, RICO and more • Enter into an elite group – join one of the profession’s most powerful networks, and take your place among those practicing at law’s highest echelons • Incomparable training – sharpen your legal analysis, research and writing under the guidance of a judge • Participate in every aspect of cases – observe judicial decision-making • Lifelong relationship with your judge – mentorship, career guidance and a place in the extended chambers family • Significate resume value – clerkships are highly regarded by law firms and other legal employers, so much so that many firms offer clerkship bonuses
USC GOULD’S TRADITION OF CLERKSHIPS We has a long-standing tradition in supporting our students’ interest in clerkships. The program is led by two faculty members serving as co-chairs of the program – Professors Sam Erman and Professor Abby Wood, both of whom have clerked.
USC Gould graduates have clerked extensively with judges across all levels of the judiciary. Here is the complete list of judges our students have clerked for. 4
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
FOURTH CIRCUIT
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (Deceased) Justice Thomas C. Clark (Deceased) Justice William O. Douglas (Deceased) Chief Justice William Rehnquist (Deceased) Chief Justice Earl Warren (Deceased) Justice Byron White (Deceased)
Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina Virginia, West Virginia
Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
United States District Court
U.S. Court of Appeals
EIGHTH CIRCUIT
MARYLAND Hon. John R. Hargrove (D. Maryland) (Deceased)
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EIGHTH CIRCUIT Hon. Duane Benton Hon. Roger L. Wollman
United States District Court
1
FIRST CIRCUIT Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island
FIFTH CIRCUIT Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
MISSOURI Hon. Scott O. Wright (W.D. Miss.) Hon. Stephen N. Limbaugh (E.D. Miss.)
5
State Court MINNESOTA Hon. Rosalie Wahl (S.Ct.) (Deceased)
U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals
FIRST CIRCUIT Hon. Juan Torruella
FIFTH CIRCUIT Hon. Harold R. DeMoss, Jr. Hon. John Minor Wisdom (Deceased) Hon. Priscilla Owen Hon. Stephen A. Higginson
State Courts MASSACHUSETTS Hon. Roderick L. Ireland (Supreme Jud. Ct.)
U.S. Bankruptcy Court TEXAS Hon. Marvin Isgur (S.D. Tex.)
SECOND CIRCUIT
2
Connecticut, New York, Vermont
U.S. Court of Appeals SECOND CIRCUIT Hon. Dennis Jacobs
NEW YORK Hon. Shirley Wohl Kram (S.D.N.Y.)
TEXAS Hon. Micaela Alvarez (S.D. Tex.) Hon. Kenneth M. Hoyt (S.D. Tex.) Hon. Lynn Hughes (S.D. Tex.) Hon. George P. Kazen (S.D. Tex.) Hon. Phillip R. Martinez (W.D. Tex.) Hon. Diana Saldana (S.D. Tex.) Hon. Richard Schell (E.D. Tex.) Hon. Ewing Werlein, Jr. (S.D. Tex.)
SIXTH CIRCUIT Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee
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U.S. Court of International Trade NEW YORK Hon. Jane A. Restani Hon. Donald Pogue
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts NEW YORK Hon. Tina L. Brozman (S.D.N.Y.) (Deceased)
THIRD CIRCUIT Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
3
U.S. Court of Appeals SIXTH CIRCUIT Hon. Danny J. Boggs Hon. Damon J. Keith
United States District Court MICHIGAN Hon. Richard A. Enslen (W.D. Mich.) OHIO Hon. James Carr (N.D. Ohio) Hon. John David Holschuh (S.D. Ohio) TENNESSEE Hon. Jon Phipps McCalla (D. Tenn.)
U.S. Magistrate Judges United States Court of Appeals THIRD CIRCUIT Hon. Ruggero Aldisert Hon. Theodore A. McKee United States District Court
TENNESSEE Hon. Tu M. Pham (D. Tenn.)
NEW JERSEY Hon. Anne E. Thompson
SEVENTH CIRCUIT
PENNSYLVANIA Hon. Thomas N. O’Neill, Jr. (E.D. Pa.) Hon. Cynthia M. Rufe (E.D. Pa.) Hon. Donald W. VanArtsdalen (E.D. Pa.) State Courts DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY Chancellor William B. Chandler, III Vice Chancellor John W. Noble Vice Chancellor Donald F. Parsons, Jr.
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Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Mariana Islands, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington
United States District Court
United States District Court CONNECTICUT Hon. Alan H. Nevas (D. Conn.)
NINTH CIRCUIT
U.S. Court of Appeals NINTH CIRCUIT Hon. Arthur L. Alarcon Hon. Carlos Bea Hon. Robert Boochever Hon. Melvin Brunetti Hon. Richard H. Chambers (Deceased) Hon. Herbert Y. Choy (Deceased) Hon. Walter Ely (Deceased) Hon. Jerome Farris Hon. Warren J. Ferguson (Deceased) Hon. Ferdinand F. Fernandez Hon. Raymond C. Fisher Hon. Alfred T. Goodwin Hon. Ronald M. Gould Hon. Cynthia Holcomb Hall Hon. Proctor Hug Hon. Sandra Segal Ikuta Hon. Alex Kozinski Hon. Dorothy Wright Nelson Hon. Thomas G. Nelson Hon. John T. Noonan, Jr. Hon. Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain Hon. Richard A. Paez Hon. Harry Pregerson Hon. Johnnie Rawlinson Hon. Stephen Reinhardt Hon. Mary M. Schroeder Hon. Barry Silverman Hon. Milan Smith Hon. A. Wallace Tashima Hon. David R. Thompson (Deceased) Hon. J. Clifford Wallace Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw Hon. Paul Watford Hon. Charles Wiggins (Deceased)
United States District Court
Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals SEVENTH CIRCUIT The Hon. John D. Tinder
United States District Court ILLINOIS Hon. Marvin Aspen (N.D. Ill.)
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ARIZONA Hon. Robert Broomfield (D. Ariz.) Hon. Raner Collins (D. Ariz.) CALIFORNIA Hon. Percy Anderson (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Rudi M. Brewster (S.D. Cal.) Hon. William Matthew Byrne (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Cormac J. Carney (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Charles H. Carr (S.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. E. Avery Crary (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Audrey B. Collins (C.D. Cal.)
Hon. John G. Davies (C.D. Cal.) (Retired) Hon. Gary Allen Feess (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Dale S. Fischer (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Richard A. Gadbois, Jr. (Deceased) Hon. Irma E. Gonzales (S.D. Cal.) Hon. William P. Gray (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Andrew Guilford (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Philip S. Gutierrez (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Peirson M. Hall (S.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Irving Hill (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Terry J. Hatter (C.D. Cal.) Hon. A. Andrew Hauk (Deceased) Hon. Marilyn L. Huff (S.D. Cal.) Hon. Roger L. Hunt (D. Nev.) Hon. Harry L. Hupp (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. James M. Ideman (Retired) Hon. Lawrence Irving (Resigned) Hon. Judith N. Keep (S.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. William D. Keller (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Robert J. Kelleher (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. David V. Kenyon (C.D. Cal.) (Ret.) Hon. George King (C.D. Cal.) Hon. John A. Kronstadt (C.D. Cal.) Hon. J. Spencer Letts Hon. Ronald S. W. Lew (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Lawrence Lydick (Deceased) Hon. Howard Matz Hon. S. James Otero (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Mariana Pfaelzer (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Virginia A. Phillips (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Edward Rafeedie (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. William J. Rea (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Manuel L. Real (C.D. Cal.) Hon. John S. Rhoades (S.D. Cal.) Hon. Ernest Robles (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Janis Sammartino (S.D. Cal.) Hon. James V. Selna (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Christina Snyder (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Alicemarie H. Stotler (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Gary Taylor (C.D. Cal.) (Retired) Hon. Gordon Thompson (S.D. Cal.) Hon. Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr. (C.D. Cal.) (Retired) Hon. Howard B. Turrentine (S.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Oliver W. Wanger (E.D. Cal.) Hon. David W. Williams (Deceased) Hon. Stephen V. Wilson (C.D. Cal.) Hon. George H.Wu (C.D. Cal.) Death Penalty Habeas Clerk (C.D. Cal.) HAWAII Hon. David A. Ezra (D. Hawaii) Hon. Alan Kay (D. Hawaii) NEVADA Hon. James Mahan (D. Nev.) Hon. Howard D. McKibben (D. Nev.) Hon. Philip M. Pro (D. Nev.) Hon. Edward C. Reed (D. Nev.) OREGON Hon. Ancer L. Haggerty (D. Oregon) Hon. Robert Mosman (D. Oregon) WASHINGTON Hon. John Coughenour (W.D. Wa.) Hon. William F. Nielsen (E.D. Wa.)
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts CALIFORNIA Hon. Calvin K. Ashland (C.D. Cal.) (Deceased) Hon. Catherine E. Bauer (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Samuel L. Bufford (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Thomas B. Donovan (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Arthur M. Greenwald (C.D. Cal.) Hon. James R. Grube (N.D. Cal.) Hon. Meredith Jury Hon. Victoria Kaufman (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Kathleen T. Lax (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Kathleen P. March (Retired) Hon. Ernest Robles (C.D. Cal.) Hon. John E. Ryan (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Erithe A. Smith (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Maureen Tighe (C.D. Cal.)
Hon. Mark Wallace (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Scott H. Yun (C.D. Cal.) NEVADA Hon. Cam Ferenbach (D. of Nev.)
U.S. Magistrate Judges CALIFORNIA Hon. Volney V. Brown (Retired) Hon. Jackie Chooljian (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Steve Kim (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Jennifer T. Lum (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Jean Rosenbluth (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Carolyn Turchin Hon. Jeffrey W. Johnson, Honorable Jennifer T. Lum, and Honorable Patrick J. Walsh (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Patrick J. Walsh (C.D. Cal.) Hon. Carla M. Woehrle NEVADA Hon. Lawrence R. Leavitt Hon. Robert McQuaid
State Courts ALASKA Hon. Walter L. Carpeneti (Supreme Ct.) ARIZONA Hon. Ruth V. McGregor (Supreme Ct.) Hon. Scott Bales (Supreme Ct.) Hon. Daniel A. Barker (Appellate Ct.) Hon. Rudolph J. Gerber (Appellate Ct.) (Retired)
CALIFORNIA Hon. Paul Boland (Deceased) Hon. Haley Fromholz (Superior Ct.) Hon. Ann I. Jones (Superior Ct.) Hon. Peter J. Meeka and Dan T. Oki (Superior Ct.) Hon. Donald R. Wright (Court of Appeal) (deceased) Hon. John Zebrowski (Superior Ct.) (Ret.)
Superior Court, Law & Motion Department HAWAII Hon. Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. (Supreme Court) Hon. Robert Klein (Supreme Ct.) (Resigned) Hon. Frank D. Padgett (Supreme Ct.) (Ret.) NEVADA Hon. Scott Jordan (Family Court, Reno) The Hon. Charles Springer (Supreme Ct.) The Hon. Valorie J. Vega (State District Court) WASHINGTON The Hon. H. Joseph Coleman (Washington State Court of Appeals, Seattle) The Hon. James M. Johnson (Washington Supreme Court)
TENTH CIRCUIT
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ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming
Alabama, Florida, Georgia
TENTH CIRCUIT Hon. Robert H. Henry Hon. John C. Porfilio (No longer hires law clerks)
ELEVENTH CIRCUIT Hon. Robert Vance (Deceased)
United States District Court COLORADO Hon. Sherman Finesilver (D. Colorado) (deceased) NEW MEXICO Hon. James O. Browning (D. New Mex.) UTAH Hon. Tena Campbell (D. Utah)
State Court COLORADO Hon. Warren O. Martin (Deceased) OKLAHOMA Hon. Steven W. Taylor (Sup. Ct.)
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U.S. Court of Appeals
United States District Court FLORIDA Hon. Henry Lee Adams (M.D. Florida) Hon. William P. Dimitrouleas (S.D. Florida) Hon. K. Michael Moore (S.D. Florida) Hon. Kenneth L. Ryskamp (S.D. Florida) Hon. Thomas B. Smith GEORGIA Hon. Timothy Batten (N.D. Georgia)
D.C. CIRCUIT AND SPECIALTY COURTS LOCATED IN D.C. U.S. Court of Claims Hon. Christine Nettesheim U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
INTERNATIONAL COURTS
High Court of American Samoa Justice F. Michael Kruse Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Law School Hosted Annual Clerkships Events è 1L Clerkship Reception – creates an
opportunity for all first-year students to learn about the benefits of clerkships. Student engage with Gould alumni who have clerked and are currently working at various area law firms. Hosted by the Board of Councilors Clerkship Committee and sponsored by law firms. è Alumni Clerk Panel “Clerkships: The
Best Job You Will Ever Have” – provides an opportunity for those considering clerking to speak more directly with alumni and ask questions. è Dean Hosted Session – for clerkship
applicants to meet with the dean in a more intimate and informal setting over lunch è Turrentine Reception – recognizes students
who have secured clerkships. Past keynote speakers include the Honorable Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable James Selna of the Central District. è Clerkship Bootcamp – prepares graduating
students for their fall clerkships. Instruction provided by USC faculty, members of the Federal Bench, and former USC law clerks.
Career Services Office Support The Career Services Office (CSO) assist students interested in applying for clerkships. Students can obtain the most current information about courts they are applying to. CSO staff will put students in touch with prior clerks, guide applicants through the process, and prepare candidates for their interviews.
Board of Councilors and Alumni Support The Board of Councilors at the USC Gould School of Law is comprised of legal and business professionals appointed by the Dean. They advise on important strategic law school initiatives. These notably include the Board’s Federal Judicial Clerkship program, which encourages and supports students interested in serving as federal clerks. In 2005, they formed the Board of Councilors Clerkship Committee, which educates students about the importance and value of clerking, and assists students pursuing clerkships.