mechanics of a courtroom, what arguments are persuasive( or not) to a judge, and how to act in front of a jury.”
Anita Kaduru, currently serving as a law clerk to U. S. Bankruptcy Chief Judge Gregory Taddonio in Pennsylvania after graduating from UND Law, similarly recognized the opportunities that a federal clerkship can offer:“ I chose to pursue a federal clerkship
Anita Kaduru because I knew it was a unique and competitive opportunity to distinguish myself early in my legal career. I wanted to learn directly from a judge, and I knew the mentorship and exposure I would receive would be invaluable.”
How does UND manage to consistently develop so many students who successfully compete nationally with graduates from top law schools for these positions? The simple answer is to graduate students who are ready to take on the awesome responsibilities of a federal judicial clerk. The more in-depth answer involves UND’ s emphasis on quality education, providing opportunities for practical training prior to graduation, and making available resources to help students pursue these extremely valuable roles. UND Law is not shy in publicizing that it prioritizes excellence in teaching as part of its mission, which results in innumerable pedagogical benefits for students heading into such clerkships. For example, in spring 2024, Judge Erickson and I began to co-teach a Behind the Bench course designed to further educate students on the practical workings of court systems and how judges make decisions. UND also hosts an annual Federal Clerkship Panel to provide students with a better understanding of the importance and value of a federal clerkship. Additionally, UND offers many opportunities for students to gain relevant practical experience prior to a clerkship through judicial externships, clinics, moot court, and trial competitions. UND hosting the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments last year x is yet another example of its commitment to connecting students with the federal judiciary.
Unsurprisingly, UND Law staff and faculty serve as important resources for students. Mary Feller, Director of Career Development, closely tracks available opportunities, ensures students have all available information, and strategically advises students on pursuing different clerkships. Nearly half of UND’ s full-time law faculty( 47 %) clerked for a federal judge. So, they are uniquely situated to mentor and support students in their applications. Moreover, recommendations from UND’ s nationally recognized experts, such as Professor Alexandra Sickler in bankruptcy law, surely carry weight in support of students’ applications.
When Anita was thinking about pursuing a federal clerkship, the path initially appeared unclear:“ As a first-generation law student, I found the clerkship application process overwhelming at first. The University of North Dakota supported me every step of the way from letters of recommendation and resume feedback to one-onone mentorship and informational sessions that made the path to a federal clerkship clearer. Additionally, my summer placement with
Judge Shon Hastings gave me a firsthand look at life as a clerk and solidified my desire to pursue this opportunity. I truly couldn’ t have asked for more support.”
But there is likely no resource more valuable to UND Law students than the federal judges in North Dakota, who continually provide support in ways not found at most law schools. I quickly learned this when I first sought to host the Federal Clerkship Panel after I joined UND in 2020. Much to my surprise, within hours of sending e-mail invitations to judges I did not know( then), I received some variation of the same response:“ just let me know when and where.” The willingness of those judges to make time in their( very!) busy schedules for our students – often driving hours to attend events in person – is incredibly rare. Since many UND federal clerks eventually take on influential positions in North Dakota at firms, government institutions, academia, and the judiciary, these early career opportunities carry tremendous importance to the North Dakota legal community and the State.
With its affordable tuition and demonstrated success of paving a path toward a federal clerkship, UND Law is quite unique among law schools. Now that U. S. News shined a spotlight on UND, my hope is that even more students feel encouraged to pursue federal( and all other) clerkships in North Dakota and beyond. Though hard to land, a judicial clerkship is very much worth pursuing. Reflecting on my own invaluable experiences during federal clerkships with 8th Circuit Judge Kermit Bye and District of Minnesota Magistrate Judge Leo Brisbois, I could not have asked for a better start to my legal career.
i. Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Federal Clerkships, https:// www. usnews. com / bestgraduate-schools / top-law-schools / most-grads-in-federal-clerkships-rankings. ii. Karen Sloan, These law schools sent the most grads to federal clerkships, https:// www. reuters. com / legal / government / these-law-schools-sent-most-grads-federal-clerkships-2023-05-01 /( May 1, 2023 1:18pm CDT). iii. See, e. g., Karen Sloan, Law firm demand for federal clerks is growing. So are bonuses, https:// www. reuters. com / legal / legalindustry / law-firm-demand-federal-clerks-is-growing-so-arebonuses-2022-04-26 /( Apr. 26, 2022 1:15 p. m. CDT). iv. Michelle Weyenberg & Jack Crittenden, How elitism is killing us: Elitism among federal clerks and judges, THE NATIONAL JURIST( Sept. 14, 2023 9:00 a. m.), https:// nationaljurist. com / national-jurist-magazine / elitism-part-3-why-do-so-many-federal-clerks-come-from-the-topschools-2 /. v. Id. vi. Employment Outcomes: Compilation – All Schools Data( 2024), ABA, https:// www. abarequireddisclosures. org / employmentOutcomes. vii. See North Dakota Supreme Court Law Clerks, N. D. COURTS, https:// www. ndcourts. gov / aboutus / history / north-dakota-supreme-court-law-clerks. viii. Jeremy D. Fogel et. al., Law Clerk Selection and Diversity: Insights from Fifty Sitting Judges of the Federal Courts of Appeals, 137 HARV. L. REV. 588, 590( 2023). ix. See, e. g., Why Should I Clerk and Where Can I Clerk?, CORNELL LAW SCHOOL, https:// community. lawschool. cornell. edu / careers / judicial-clerkships / clerkship-advice / why-should-iclerk-and-where-can-i-clerk /; Law Clerk Handbook, FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER 82( 4th ed. 2020), available at https:// www. fjc. gov / sites / default / files / materials / 43 / Law _ Clerk _ Handbook _ Fourth _ Edition. pdf. x. The Honorable Ralph Erickson Visits UND School of Law as Jurist-in-Residence, N. D. L.( Mar. 6, 2024), https:// blogs. und. edu / ndlaw / 2024 / 03 / the-honorable-ralph-erickson-visits-und-school-oflaw-as-jurist-in-residence /.
Nikola Datzov is an associate professor at the UND School of Law and teaches courses on intellectual property, artificial intelligence, torts, remedies and conflict of laws.
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