The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America welcomes applications to its Fifth Annual Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference, to be held February 20-22, 2025. The conference is open to individuals who have accepted a 2025-2026 federal clerkship (Article III District Court or U.S. Court of Appeals) or a 2025-2026 state appellate court clerkship. The 2025 conference will take place in person on our campus. Conference details may be found here: Conference Details

CSL will provide funding towards travel and accommodations. Information can be found here: Travel and Accommodations

Over the course of the conference, conferees will receive opinion writing instruction from some of our nation'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. Finally, each attendee will be eligible for the CSL Prize in Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing.

The currently scheduled faculty for the event (subject to addition and change) includes the following:

Judge Robert Bacharach, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Katherine A. Crytzer, U.S. District Court for the E.D. Tennessee
Judge Kathryn Davis, United States Court of Federal Claims
Judge Kyle Duncan, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Diane Kiesel, Supreme Court of New York
Judge Paul B. Matey, Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Edward Meyers, United States Court of Federal Claims
Judge Chad Readler, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Eleni M. Roumel, United States Court of Federal Claims
Judge Lee Rudofsky, U.S. District Court for the E.D. District of Arkansas
Judge Victor J. Wolski, United States Court of Federal Claims
Keynote Speaker: Chris Michel, Esq., Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Their biographies can be found here: Faculty.

Conferees will be limited to no more than thirty-five. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance until the limit of conferees is reached. Applications must be received no later than November 30, 2024. 

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ON A ROLLING BASIS; AFTER CAPACITY IS REACHED, ALL OTHER APPLICATIONS WILL GO ON A WAITLIST. ATTENDANCE AT ALL SCHEDULED EVENTS IS MANDATORY AND IS AN EXPRESS CONDITION TO ACCEPTANCE.

Direct all questions about the conference to Professor A.G. Harmon, Associate Dean of Bench and Bar Programs, at harmon@law.edu.