Alumni Clerking Streak Continues
Over 100 Graduates Working as Clerks for Sixth Year in a Row
This story was updated Oct. 1 to reflect additional clerkships.
More than 100 University of Virginia School of Law alumni are clerking across the country for the sixth straight year.
In the 2024 term, 40 alumni are clerking in federal appellate courts, 52 are clerking at federal District Courts and other federal courts, three are clerking at the U.S. Supreme Court, and eight are clerking for state appellate courts and other local courts — for a total of 103.
“The clerkship market has really changed over the last few years, and we are so pleased that our students and alumni have been willing to stick with the process,” said Ruth Payne ’02, assistant dean for judicial clerkships.
A large portion of the clerks are members of the Class of 2024. Out of 294 J.D. graduates in the class, 47 are clerking, including 13 in federal appellate courts. Across all classes, alumni are represented in each federal appellate court.
When clerkships for future terms are included, 61 members of the Class of 2024 have accepted a total of 78 clerkships. Thirty-two graduates have accepted clerkships for a later term, and 17 have already accepted a second clerkship for 2025, 2026 or 2027.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, Erin Brown ’21 is clerking for Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Rachel Daley ’21 is clerking for Justice Neil Gorsuch and Katharine Janes J.D.-MA ’21 is clerking for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The Law School is No. 5 after Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Chicago in placing clerks on the U.S. Supreme Court from the 2007 through 2024 terms.
The Law School is No. 4 in the percentage of graduates from the classes of 2019-23 going directly to federal clerkships after law school, according to American Bar Association data.
Alumni Clerkships for the 2024 Term
U.S. Supreme Court (3)
Federal Appellate Courts
1st Circuit (2)
2nd Circuit (2)
3rd Circuit (5)
4th Circuit (6)
5th Circuit (3)
6th Circuit (4)
7th Circuit
8th Circuit (2)
9th Circuit (6)
10th Circuit
11th Circuit (4)
D.C. Circuit (2)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Federal District Courts and Other Federal Courts
Middle District of Alabama (2)
Northern District of Alabama
Northern District of California
Central District of California (2)
Eastern District of California
District of Columbia (6)
District of Connecticut (3)
District of Delaware
Southern District of Florida
Eastern District of Kentucky
Eastern District of Louisiana
District of Maryland (2)
Eastern District of Michigan
Eastern District of Missouri
District of Montana
District of Nevada
District of New Jersey
Eastern District of New York (2)
Southern District of New York
Middle District of North Carolina
Western District of Oklahoma
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Western District of Pennsylvania
District of Rhode Island
Eastern District of Tennessee
Eastern District of Texas
Northern District of Texas
Southern District of Texas
Eastern District of Virginia (5)
Western District of Virginia (7)
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
State Appellate Courts and Other Local Courts
Supreme Court of Alabama
Supreme Court of Delaware
Supreme Court of Maryland
Supreme Court of Texas
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Appellate Court of Maryland
Delaware Court of Chancery
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
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.
