Supreme Court Clinics Playing Larger Role
Students, practitioners, and law schools are benefiting from Supreme Court litigation clinics established at several high profile schools, the ABA Journal reported. In light of the increasing influence of experienced advocates before the Supreme Court and its diminished caseload, clinics offer practitioners the benefits of what are essentially “miniature pro bono law firms,” providing the resources necessary to carry cases through the appellate level along with additional opportunities to argue before the high court. Students gain valuable hands-on experience and perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in a Supreme Court case. Law schools gain bragging rights and a recruiting tool to attract talented students.
A number of experienced litigators have led the way in sharing their expertise and time with students. For example, Thomas Goldstein, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and author of SCOTUSblog, volunteers with Stanford Law School's clinic. Joseph Guerra, a partner with Sidley Austin, volunteers with Northwestern.
Pamela S. Karlan, who founded Stanford's clinic, explains that "for many firms, [volunteering with a clinic is] almost a loss leader. . . . [C]lients go to the firms with the understanding that, although hardly ever does a case go to the Supreme Court, this is a firm that's capable of taking it there if it does."
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