SCOTUS Law Clerks Mostly White Males

Research conducted by The National Law Journal found that since 2005, 85% of all Supreme Court law clerks have been white. Only 20 of the 487 clerks hired by the justices were Black, and eight were Hispanic. A year as a SCOTUS law clerk creates an exclusive pathway to the upper echelons of the legal profession. Former clerks have their pick of top-tier job offers and can command $350,000 hiring bonuses at law firms. Four current justices were clerks at the Court and three Senators are former clerks. Clerks also play a crucial role in helping justices pick which cases to hear and in writing opinions. Hence, a lack of diversity among clerks means the court’s decisions on race and immigration, for instance, continue to be shaped by players who have little personal experience to inform the discussion. Justice Sonia Sotomayor leads the pack on diversity; 31% of her clerks have been non-white. By contrast, only 12% of clerks for Justice Clarence Thomas has been minorities and just 8% for Chief Justice John Roberts. More here.