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

T
Fall 2008
The ideal clerk
To learn about clerkships from a judge’s perspective, USC Law
Magazine interviewed the Honorable George H. King, a judge
for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
and a 1974 graduate of USC Law.
In your opinion, what makes an ideal clerk?
An ideal clerk is a person who is curious about all areas of the
law, who is excited to be challenged by the sometimes seemingly
intractable legal questions that we will inevitably face in each
clerkship term, who is willing to spend extremely long hours in
order to get the work done, and who possesses the good judgment
to balance the competing goals of timeliness and thoroughness.
That person is also someone with whom I can have an intellectually
rigorous exchange as we think through the legal issues in each case,
and who possesses outstanding legal research and writing skills.
The clerk must also understand that personal agendas have no place
in chambers. Finally, an ideal clerk is also one who learns the job
quickly — in days, not weeks or months.
What tips can you offer students who are considering
applying for clerkships?
Take challenging courses for all three years of law school. A transcript
loaded with easier classes tends to reflect poorly on an applicant, and
easier classes do not prepare a student for the rigorous analytical work
that will be necessary as a law clerk. Also, be as flexible as possible.
Federal judges receive hundreds of applications for two or three spots,
and so the process is unpredictable — for the judges and the clerks.
Magazine
Honorable George H. King
Feature
What is a typical day for your clerks?
There is no typical day. Particularly in district court, a judge has some
role in almost every stage of litigation and over cases involving almost
every area of law. There are significant differences between the first
day of a new trial and a day when an application for a temporary
restraining order is filed.
What is the biggest challenge for clerks when they first
begin their clerkship?
The biggest challenge is the level of responsibility the clerks will
have from the start. Unlike in law school, or even at a firm, you
cannot avoid areas of law you don't know or don't like. Cases and
motions are not filed with the law clerks — or the judges — in mind,
and a law clerk has to hit the ground running from the beginning,
regardless of what the cases bring.
Do you have any particularly fond memories of
working with your clerks?
I particularly enjoy discussing each matter with the clerks in order
to come to the best possible decision that I can make after full consideration
of their input. On substantial or difficult matters, we spend
many hours (sometimes over a period of days) trying to think through
the issues. This process is not only intellectually challenging, but
also gives me the satisfaction of seeing young lawyers develop
sophisticated legal thinking without losing sight of our ultimate
goal of being fair and impartial in every case.
21
– Gilien Silsby