Study on diversity in law clerk hiring

A new paper published this week, “Law Clerk Selection and Diversity: Insights from Fifty Sitting Judges of the Federal Courts of Appeals,” delves into law clerk hiring and what value judges place on diversity in filling their chambers. The paper, authored by retired U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Fogel, CLP Senior Research Fellow Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court, and law professor Mary S. Hoopes was covered in The Washington Post in an article by Ann E. Marimow titled, “Here’s how federal judges think about diversity in hiring law clerks.”

The paper relies in-depth interviews with judges to understand their motivations and considerations in their hiring practices. As Liu said to the Post, “I’m not sure judges are going to be heavily influenced by external calls for diversity. What will influence them is conversations with each other, and that’s not happening right now … This is a tool to help us understand who is making decisions and who is holding important positions of responsibility.”