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BY STEVE KNOPPER
ORAL HISTORY
And other memories of the high court
from eight former SCOTUS clerks
There’s nothing quite like being a U.S. Supreme Court law clerk.
During a one-year term, clerks typically work 80-hour weeks,
performing duties like reviewing Petitions for Writs of
Certiorari and recommending whether a justice should vote
to hear a case.
But it isn’t all work. Some clerks have played tennis with
Justice William Rehnquist, enrolled in Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor’s yoga classes, putted golf balls with Justice Byron
“Whizzer” White in his office, and participated in end-of-term
skits gently mocking their esteemed bosses. And, once their
terms end, many clerks translate the experience into jobs at
major firms.
We caught up with eight former SCOTUS clerks, all
Chicago attorneys, who clerked in 1974, 2002 and many
years in between.
‘THE CHIEF IS EATING MY SANDWICH’
