Best Judges for Public Interest? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Given that most federal judges come to the bench having spent their careers in the private sector or in prosecution (I understand some consider this pubic service), I am wondering if there are any judges known to attract or seek out clerks with public interest aspirations (legal aid, public defense, issue-driven impact lit, etc.)? Or any whose clerks tend to go into public interest work after clerking?

[Anonymous User]

Given that most federal judges come to the bench having spent their careers in the private sector or in prosecution (I understand some consider this pubic service), I am wondering if there are any judges known to attract or seek out clerks with public interest aspirations (legal aid, public defense, issue-driven impact lit, etc.)? Or any whose clerks tend to go into public interest work after clerking?

There are judges who do this! As an example, Judge Boulware(?) for Nevada. OSCAR postings may also share whether a judge wants PI candidates.

[Anonymous User]

I’ve heard from my school’s career office that Costa in CA5, despite having been a prosecutor, really likes PI people in general. If you’re interested in district courts, Mary Rowland in ND Ill. is a former PD who has tended to hire PI-focused people (don’t let her appointing president fool you as far as ideology, could not be farther from FedSoc).

[Anonymous User]

Myron Thompson (M. D. Ala.) and Martha Craig Daughtrey (CA6) hire a lot of PI people and have *really* great clerk PI networks.

[Anonymous User]

Given that most federal judges come to the bench having spent their careers in the private sector or in prosecution (I understand some consider this pubic service), I am wondering if there are any judges known to attract or seek out clerks with public interest aspirations (legal aid, public defense, issue-driven impact lit, etc.)? Or any whose clerks tend to go into public interest work after clerking?

There are judges who do this! As an example, Judge Boulware(?) for Nevada. OSCAR postings may also share whether a judge wants PI candidates.

Boulware is the first name I thought of too! On the 9th I know Judge McKeown likes to hire PI people as well. Second the recommendation to look at OSCAR postings, PI-friendly judges will usually make their preferences known.

[Wild Card]

IIRC, Kennelly prefers PI as well . . . . Though, of course, many of these clerks end up and stay in biglaw.

[SamuelDanforth]

Definitely Judges Paez and Nguyen on the 9th. Judges Tigar and Chen on N.D. Cal.

[Anonymous User]

In addition to what's already been said, Brodie on EDNY, Ellison on SDTX

[Anonymous User]

Ellison surprises me based on his background/reputation. Restrepo on the Third is another.

[Anonymous User]

Carlton Reeves

[SamuelDanforth]

Ellison surprises me based on his background/reputation. Restrepo on the Third is another.

Really? Interesting. Everyone he has hired from my school was definitely PI-oriented. By reputation (at my school) he is an incredible boss and pays for the plane flight for students he interviews so that money isn't an issue.

[HillandHollow]

Judges Berg, Tarnow, and Michelson in Eastern Dist Michigan all had reputations for preferring public interest minded people, although I think they each defined "public interest" a little differently from one another.

Judge Alvin Thompson in D. Conn. seemed to be very receptive to public interest applicants as well, as I recall, although you maybe would not expect that based on his own background.

[Anonymous User]

Judge Altman (SDFL)

[Anonymous User]

Kelly (8th)

[Anonymous User]

Casper (D. Mass.) seems to value public interest experience and is receptive to applications from public interest students, though a good number of her clerks are firm folks

[Anonymous User]

Casper (D. Mass.) seems to value public interest experience and is receptive to applications from public interest students, though a good number of her clerks are firm folks

I think most judges are like this (value public interest, even if most clerks end up at a firm). At least, both of my judges valued PI and were more than receptive to PI applicants, but their clerks end up at firms more often than not.

I think there are a small number of judges that hire mostly PI clerks and have a dynamic clerk network throughout impact lit organizations, etc (think Myron Thompson). And then there are many, many other judges who like PI but don't have quite the same commitment to hiring PI clerks (think Amit Mehta or, really, most judges).

[Anonymous User]

Stranch (6th) has applicants detail their commitment to public interest in their cover letters.

[theneuro]

Judge Berzon on the Ninth as well. She usually hires at least one Altshuler Berzon summer associate.

[Anonymous User]

Ketanji Brown Jackson (DDC) was a federal public defender
Carter (SDNY) and Paez (9th) have legal aid backgrounds
Sorokin (D Mass) was a federal public defender

[Anonymous User]

McElroy (D.R.I) was a former public defender

[Anonymous User]

Judge Chen (EDNY) is another "receptive to PI but also hires firm folks" judge.

[Anonymous User]

A few more: Martha Vasquez (DNM) (focus on crim/PD), O. Rogeriee Thompson (CA1), Raymond Lohier (CA2)

[Anonymous User]

A few more: Martha Vasquez (DNM) (focus on crim/PD), O. Rogeriee Thompson (CA1), Raymond Lohier (CA2)

James Dennis (CA5), lots of former clerks in PI esp in the South.

[Anonymous User]

A few more: Martha Vasquez (DNM) (focus on crim/PD), O. Rogeriee Thompson (CA1), Raymond Lohier (CA2)

Is Thompson one of those judges that actively seeks out PI students? Or one of those judges that is just receptive to PI applications? She doesn’t have an OSCAR account so I don’t have a good idea of what she looks for

[Anonymous User]

A few more: Martha Vasquez (DNM) (focus on crim/PD), O. Rogeriee Thompson (CA1), Raymond Lohier (CA2)

Is Thompson one of those judges that actively seeks out PI students? Or one of those judges that is just receptive to PI applications? She doesn’t have an OSCAR account so I don’t have a good idea of what she looks for

The former.