Alumni Make Clerkship Record a Streak
109 Alumni Serving in Courts Nationwide
This story was updated Oct. 21 to include additional clerkship information.
A record 109 alumni of the University of Virginia School of Law are clerking during the 2020 court term, building upon last term’s milestone of 104.
Twenty percent of the Class of 2020 are currently serving in judicial clerkships nationwide, tying last year’s high point for a single class. Out of 313 J.D. graduates in the class, 63 are clerking, including 19 in federal appellate circuit courts.
Overall, 40 alumni are clerking in federal appellate circuit courts, also a record.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, Maria Monaghan ’17 is clerking for Justice Samuel Alito, and Daniel Richardson ’18 is clerking for Justice Stephen Breyer. The Law School is fourth after Yale, Harvard and Stanford in the number of graduates clerking on the U.S. Supreme Court since 2005.
“UVA Law students have continued their strong interest in clerkships and have been dedicated in pursuing these opportunities, both while at UVA and after they have graduated,” said Ruth Payne ’02, senior director of judicial clerkships.
When clerkships for future terms are included, 72 members of the Class of 2020 have accepted a total of 88 clerkships. Nine of these graduates have accepted clerkships for a later term, and 16 have already accepted a second clerkship in 2021 or 2022.
In The Princeton Review’s 2020 rankings, the Law School is No. 4 in Best for Federal Clerkships.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
