Legal Research

Former clerks invited to appear before the US Supreme Court

By Amy Levine

An interesting article by Tony Mauro of Legal Times appeared on law.com today.  Two former clerks of the US Supreme Court will appear before the court to argue cases as amicus curiae on a pro bono basis.  The Court invites attorneys to represent issues that have been abandoned by their parties or for other reasons do not have counsel. Current Chief Justice Roberts made his first appearance before the Supreme Court which he would later join in this manner.  From 1980 to 1981 Chief Justice Roberts clerked for the late Chief Justice Rehnquist who at that point was an associate justice.  In 1989 while in private practice the court appointed Roberts to represent a party who had been pro se at the lower level and thus required an attorney.  Roberts prevailed on behalf of his client.  Other former clerks have had the opportunity as well.  You can read the article in it’s entirety at Law.com and clicking on the link.

Full post as published by Ross-Blakley Law Library Blog on April 14, 2008 (boomark / email).