SCOTUS Clerk Hiring Watch: Justice Thomas Into OT 2009
While we were in Portland, Oregon, for the law clerk reunion in celebration of Ninth Circuit Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain’s 20th anniversary on the bench, we took oodles and oodles of pictures. We shared two of them with you yesterday.
We’ll be publishing more photographs from the reunion in the near future. Unfortunately, it’s taking us hours — literally — to review, resize, and upload dozens and dozens of pics (another reason why we’d love some help around here).
For the time being, here’s a (slightly fuzzy) photo, along with some Supreme Court clerk hiring news:
The hottie on the left, with the beautifully toned arms (even more buff in person), is current O’Scannlain clerk Marah Stith. The motorcycle-riding Marah has just been hired by Justice Clarence Thomas for an October Term 2009 clerkship. Congratulations, Marah!
The boyishly cute gentleman on her right: Notre Dame Law School professor AJ Bellia, also one of the Elect. Professor Bellia clerked at all three levels of the Article III judiciary, for Judge William Skretny (W.D.N.Y.), Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain (9th Circuit), and Justice Antonin Scalia (OT 1997).
Professor Bellia is married to another legal academic superstar: fellow Notre Dame law prof (and member of the Elect) Patricia Bellia (nee Patricia Small). After graduating from Yale Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, she clerked for Judge José Cabranes of the Second Circuit, followed by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (OT 1996).
Here is their NYT wedding announcement (of course). The Bellias, in addition to being brilliant and well-loved by the ND student body, have two adorable daughters: Katherine and Molly.
Katherine is only three years old (almost four), and Molly is not even a year old. But given the impressive pedigrees of their parents — A.J. and Tricia Bellia, the Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf of the legal academy — we expect Katherine and Molly to go on to greatness.
Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Alito: Do either of you have clerkship openings for OT 2026 and OT 2029?
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I believe Miss Stith is related to YLS prof / Elect member Kate Stith.
Hmm...UTR was a deliciously labial-pink thing of a blog, unfortunately ATL seems to be more of a bland scrotal-sac beige enterprise.
Roberts and Alito should act fast before these two judicial-hotties in the making are appointed to the bench themselves.
Also, agree with Mme. Anonymous on the color scheme.
Actually, she's the daughter of Richard Stith [http://www.valpo.edu/law/faculty/rstith/]
Also, she was hired for 2009? Justice Thomas is hiring 3 years ahead now?
Harvard/Yale and Canisius/Notre Dame?
Might be the most lopsided NYT wedding announcement ever.
I'm as much of a credentials snob as the next guy. But a SCOTUS clerkship is the great equalizer. Professor Bellia beat out numerous Harvard and Yale types to land that job with Nino.
Richard is Marah's dad, and Kate is her aunt. And Judge Cabranes (CA2) is married to Kate. AND, another of Marah's aunts is on the Missouri Supreme Court or something.
if you are the world's biggest whale and you live in Sea World, you are still the world's biggest whale.
a good cure for "lopsided" vision can be found at 110 Yale L. J. 947 (2001). See also 94 Geo. L. J. 949 (2006).
Too bad they don't include citations in the wedding announcements.
PSA: Question AJ's pedigree at your peril.
Given the family pedigree might one wonder just how meritocratic the process of becoming a member of the "elect" (or garnering other judicial clerkships) really is.
I'm sure she's well qualified, can do the job, etc., but clearly so are many others who don't get the positions. Do we really believe the family connections didn't play a role?
12:28: or.......... maybe a select few people at non H/Y schools are as bright as the brightest at H/Y?
just sayin