The APPLICATION PERIOD is now closed. The conference has reached capacity due to an overwhelming number of applications.

Thank you for your interest.

The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America welcomes applications to its fourth annual Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference, to be held February 22-24, 2024. The conference is open to individuals who have accepted a 2024-2025 federal clerkship (district court or court of appeals only) or a 2024-2025 state appellate court clerkship. The 2024 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 Kyle Duncan, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Paul B. Matey, Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Chad Readler, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Lawrence VanDyke, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Katherine A. Crytzer, U.S. District Court for the E.D. Tennessee
Judge Kathryn Davis, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Judge Joseph Leeson, U.S. District Court for the E.D. Pennsylvania
Judge Edward Meyers, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
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
Erin E. Murphy, Esq., Clement and Murphy LLP

Their biographies can be found here: Faculty.

Conferees will be limited to no more than thirty-five in number. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance until the limit of conferees is reached. Applications must be received no later than January 1, 2024. Application information is located here: Application Information

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