The Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference has now reached capacity. Applications received will be placed on the waiting list and notified if a spot opens up. Thank you for your interest.

The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America welcomes applications to its first annual Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference, to be held February 26-27, 2021. The conference is open to individuals who have accepted a 2021-2022 federal or state appellate court clerkship. In our initial year, all scheduled events will take place virtually. Conference details may be found here: Conference Details.

Over the course of the conference, attendees will receive opinion writing instruction from some of our country's most distinguished members of the judiciary. They will also be guided through writing an appellate court opinion and will receive individual review and commentary on their work by our faculty, all judges or former judicial clerks themselves. Finally, each attendee will be eligible for the CSL Prize in Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing.

The faculty for the event includes the following: 

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Kyle Duncan, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Paul Matey, Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Chad Readler, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Lawrence VanDyke, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court and Court of Federal Claims
Judge James Boasberg, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Judge Dabney Friedrich, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Judge John Gallagher, U.S. District Court for the E.D. Pennsylvania
Judge Joseph Leeson, U.S. District Court for the E.D. Pennsylvania
Judge Steven C. Seeger, U.S. District Court for the N.D. of Illinois
Judge Edward Meyers, U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Their biographies can be found here: Faculty.

Attendees will be limited to twenty-five. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance until the limit of attendees is reached. Applications must be received no later than January 31, 2021. Application information is located here: Application Information
 

Direct all questions about the conference to Professor A.G. Harmon, Faculty Director of Bench and Bar Relations, at harmon@law.edu.