Josh Hanley ’21 To Clerk at U.S. Supreme Court

Josh Hanley, a 2021 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, will clerk for Justice Samuel Alito at the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2025 term.

Hanley previously clerked for Judges Thomas M. Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Amul R. Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. (Thapar is a Law School lecturer.) He most recently worked in Washington, D.C., as a lawyer in the executive branch and as an associate at Williams & Connolly.

“So many of my mentors have talked about a Supreme Court clerkship as both an incredible opportunity to serve the country and as a special learning experience,” Hanley said. “So I’m excited to tackle both aspects of the job.”

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. Three UVA Law graduates clerked during the 2024 term — Erin Brown ’21 with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Rachel Daley ’21 with Justice Neil Gorsuch and Katharine Janes J.D.-M.A. ’21 with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the third-most of any law school in the nation after Harvard and Yale.

Three UVA Law graduates are also set to clerk during the 2026 Supreme Court term: Chris Baldacci ’22, Julia Grant ’23 and Jack Tucker ’22.

In law school, Hanley, a recipient of the John D. “Jack” Cole III ’63 Scholarship, was a William Minor Lile Moot Court competition semifinalist, vice president for professional development and founding chair of the reading group for the Federalist Society, and a participant in the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.

He served as a research assistant to Professors A. E. Dick Howard ’61, Douglas Laycock and Ann Woolhandler, and also credits Professors Aditya Bamzai, George Cohen and Caleb Nelson for contributing to his success.

“What sets Josh apart is that he excels in all areas judges typically value in their clerks: academic excellence, breadth of interest and experience, admirable character and winning personality,” Cohen said. “If anyone can navigate our challenging times, bring reinvigorated honor to our profession, and renew our sense of community through shared values and respect, it is Josh.”

Hanley said he appreciated the “special value” placed on open dialogue at the Law School, spurred by a breadth of perspectives among the faculty. He added that courses such as Federal Courts with Nelson, Administrative Law with Woolhandler and Remedies with Laycock taught him not only doctrine but also how to critically analyze legal issues.

“UVA gave me a great foundation in the law and, perhaps even more importantly, a strong support network — from the professors who bolstered me, to the alumni who gave me a helping hand, to my friends who were always by my side,” he said.

Hanley said he’s eager to observe how Alito and the other justices tackle the most significant cases in the country. “After seeing it from the bottom-up while practicing and clerking, I’m excited to see the decision-making process up close.”

“I’ve long admired Justice Alito, and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity,” he said.

Hanley earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Pittsburgh.