Four University of Virginia Law grads to clerk for Supreme Court

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Fri Dec 5, 2014, 10:39 AM - Edit history (1)

Four University Law grads to clerk for Supreme Court

Ties 2010 record, University has sent forth most clerks since 2005
by Elizabeth O’Roark | Dec 04 2014 | 10 hours ago

Four University Law graduates have been selected to clerk for the Supreme Court this year, tying the University’s previous record high.

Class of 2014 Law graduates Andrew Kilberg and Ben Tyson will clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts, respectively, and Class of 2013 graduates Galen Bascom and Jonathan Urick will clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Antonin Scalia, respectively.
....

Law Prof. Saikrishna Prakash, who teaches Constitutional law, said the high number of graduates serving as clerks demonstrates the caliber of University Law students.
....

Prakash knew Kilberg and Urick personally, he said. Both were distinguished students because of their wide knowledge of law and impressive ability to apply that knowledge. ... “{They have} the complete package of having a firm, grounded grasp of the law, being able to convey that orally and being able to write elegantly in a way that can convey all of the law’s complexity,” Prakash said.

Let's dig a little deeper, shall we?

Jonathan Urick at LinkedIn

Experience

Law Clerk
Hon. Jeffrey Sutton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
June 2014 – Present (7 months)Columbus, OH

Jeffrey Sutton

In November 2014, Sutton authored the opinion upholding gay marriage bans in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee in a 2-1 ruling by the Sixth Circuit. The ruling was the second to uphold gay marriage bans since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 and runs counter to rulings by the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th circuits.

Jonathan Urick is the fellow who will be drafting Scalia's opinion, a dissenting one, I hope, when SSM reaches SCOTUS.

As for Ben Tyson, he's a pretty bright fellow in his own right:

Ben Tyson '14 to Clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

[JDDavis]

1. U VA law school produces the most legally adroit educated..

bigots in the country.

I guess.

Of the literally dozens of top law schools, should there not be an entry exam for people wanting to clerk for the US SC? Maybe a test for bigotry?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. IANAL, but

I believe there are about 14 law schools that are right up at the top. Don't ask me to name them, but I've seen that number around.

I doubt there can be any argument about the intelligence of clerks at SCOTUS. That said, that one of them, who will be clerking for J. Scalia, is most likely the author of the 6th Circuit's opinion on SSM, does not fill me with hope.

What does have me hopeful is that we can appeal to his intellect.