Magazine - USC Gould School of Law - University of Southern ...

20
Feature Magazine Fall 2008
to clerk for Judge John C. Godbold in the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Eleventh Circuit. Rasmussen then went on to the United
States Department of Justice Appellate civil division where he
handled litigation in the United States Courts of Appeals and the
United States Supreme Court.
“I always encourage students to explore all of their options;
what you learn by working for a judge is much more important
than the city that you happen to be in,” Rasmussen says. “It’s the
best learning experience they’ll ever receive. You cannot duplicate
it.”
USC Law offers help with letters of recommendation and
pays for travel for clerkship interviews. Throughout the year,
sitting judges also are invited to USC Law to deliver talks on
clerkships.
This year, judges Colleen McMahon and Richard Paez visited
USC Law. McMahon, a district judge of the Southern District
of New York, gave tips on finding clerkships at the district or
appellate level. “It is a neat and treasured experience and something
that if you’re interested in you definitely ought to explore,”
says McMahon. “Judges like to look you in the eyes. You should
feel comfortable with a judge if you’re going to spend a year
with them.”
“All of it together really prepares you for
working at a firm. It’s a great experience.”
Top: Judge Colleen McMahon; Bottom: Sam Goldberg ’06
— Sam Goldberg
Paez, a judge in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, explains
that judicial clerkships offer valuable insight into how judges
make decisions.
“My former clerks tell me that their experience working with
me has given them a great deal of confidence, a great deal of
exposure to different areas of the law, and a chance to improve
their writing like never before.”
Even for those students who aren’t thinking of going into
litigation, there are advantages to clerking, Paez adds. “You get
the experience of working through very concrete legal problems
in a very short time. It is going to give you confidence.”
That was certainly the case for Goldberg, who has been at his
firm since December.
“When you work for a judge you see both sides of what’s going
on in the courtroom,” Goldberg says. “You see the kinds of mistakes
made in private practice and how it plays out in court. You get a
behind the scenes look. You also get the first crack at writing an
opinion, which will undoubtedly improve your writing and editing.
All of it together really prepares you for working at a firm. It’s a
great experience.”
– Gilien Silsby