When I first thought about clerking for a judge, my focus was on a federal district court. I enjoyed my litigation work at WilmerHale in Boston and wanted to see the path of a court case from complaint to trial.
While I initially planned to do only one clerkship, my work in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas spurred my interest in a federal appellate court. So I secured a clerkship on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
With about nine months between the two clerkships, I looked for shorter-term experiences in the interim. I had previously learned that Samantha Franks, ’21, clerked on the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg, which opened my eyes to the possibility of clerking overseas. So I applied to the CJEU and was fortunate to be selected.
You can see a pattern: Instead of starting out with a grand plan after graduation, each experience has led to the next. Michigan Law has been a terrific support as I navigate my clerkship journey—even though I was no longer a student when I secured any of them. For the two US courts, the Office of Career Planning provided insights on courts and judges, reviewed my materials, and did mock interviews. For the CJEU clerkship, I was able to get valuable input from international law professors as well as the Center for International and Comparative Law.
I am not sure yet where my career will take me, but it is probably safe to predict that I will have many more serendipitous experiences along the way. And as I take my next steps, I know that Michigan Law will be there to provide any help I might need.
