Feeder judge

In the United States, feeder judges are prominent judges in the American federal judiciary whose law clerks are frequently selected to become law clerks for the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.[1] Feeder judges are able to place comparatively many of their clerks on the Supreme Court for a variety of reasons, including personal or ideological relationships with particular justices, prestigious and respected positions in the judiciary, and reputations for attracting and training high-quality clerks.[2] Supreme Court clerkships are highly prized and the most difficult to secure in the American clerking landscape—they have been called the "brass ring of law clerk fame"[3] and the "ultimate achievement."[4] Feeder clerkships are, consequently, similarly prized as stepping stones to a potential clerkship with the Supreme Court.

  1. ^ Baum, Lawrence; Ditslear, Cory (March 2010). "Supreme Court Clerkships and "Feeder" Judges". Justice System Journal. 31 (1). National Center for State Courts: 26. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  2. ^ Ward, Artemus; Weidan, David (2006). "A Great Ordeal". Sorcerer's Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court. NYU Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780814794043.
  3. ^ Peppers, Todd C. (2006). Courtiers of the Marble Palace: The Rise and Influence of the Supreme Court Law Clerk. Stanford University Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780804753821.
  4. ^ Morse, Robert (April 11, 2013). "Which Law Schools' Grads Get the Most Judicial Clerkships?". U.S News & World Report. Retrieved 12 June 2014.