 | The Cavalier daily Wednesday, February 9, 1972 |  |
Former Law Student Clerks
For New Supreme Court Justice
By SANDRA DIVINE
J. Harvey Wilkinson, former law
student and member of the Board of
Visitors, began work this week clerking
for Supreme Court Justice Lewis F.
Powell, Jr. of Richmond, Virginia. His
term will last until the summer of 1973.
He applied first to Justices Stewart,
Burger, White, Harlan and Black. Shortly
after Powell's confirmation in December,
he applied there.
Mr. Wilkinson said that he chose
Powell because he greatly respected his
intellect and found himself to be in tune
with Powell's philosophy. He feels that
Powell is a "wonderful man to work for."
Campaigning for a Congressional seat
in Richmond in 1970, Mr. Wilkinson
found it necessary to take a semester
leave and thus graduated this February.
Broad Overview
Mr. Wilkinson feels that clerking is one
of the most interesting things to do,
especially right upon graduation from law
school. Being in the legal world for a
year, he says, throughly and objectively
looking at both sides of a legal question,
gives one a broad overview of the law
rather than the narrow view acquired by
immediately specializing.
"One of the pitfalls is joining a firm
and becoming specialized too early," he
stated.
Since he hasn't settled on any definite
plan for the future, by clerking, Mr.
Wilkinson can keep his options open in
many areas, including the practice of law,
teaching, journalism, and politics.
The duties of a Supreme Court Clerk
primarily deal with preparing short
summaries of appeals from the lower
courts and assisting in the preparing of
drafts of the Justices' opinions by doing
research and looking up authorities.
Popular Job
"Clerking according to Professor A. E.
Dick Howard," is one of the most sought
after jobs competed for by the best law
school graduates." "And", he said, "it is a
great honor for Mr. Wilkinson."
Working along with Mr. Wilkinson are
two other clerks, hold overs from the
office of Justice Hugo Black. They are
Pete Parnell from Alabama, and Larry
Hammond from Texas.
| The Cavalier daily Wednesday, February 9, 1972 | |