Sorcerers' Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court

A behind-the-scenes look at the role of law clerks and their history at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Based on Supreme Court archives, the personal papers of justices and other figures at the Supreme Court, and interviews and written surveys with 150 former clerks, Sorcerers’ Apprentices is a be-hind-the-scenes look at the life of a law clerk, and how it has evolved since its nineteenth-century beginnings. Artemus Ward and David L. Weiden reveal that throughout history, clerks have not only written briefs, but also made significant decisions about cases that are often unseen by those outside of justices’ chambers. Should clerks have this power, they ask, and, equally important, what does this tell us about the relationship between the Supreme Court’s accountability to and re-lationship with the American public?

Sorcerers’ Apprentices not only sheds light on the little-known role of the clerk but also offers provocative suggestions for reforming the institution of the Supreme Court clerk. Anyone that has worked as a law clerk, is considering clerking, or is interested in learning about what happens in the chambers of Supreme Court justices will want to read this engaging and comprehensive exami-nation of how the role of the law clerk has evolved over its long history.

Praise for Sorcerers’ Apprentices

“A rare book that is both a meticulous piece of scholarship and a good read.” —Law and Politics Book Review

“Helps illuminate the inner workings of an institution that is still largely shrouded in mys-tery.” —The Wall Street Journal Online

“Provides excellent insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court, how it selects cases for review, what pressures are brought to bear on the justices, and how the final opinions are produced.” —Library Journal

© 2023 NYU Press (E-bog): 9780814794746

Release date

E-bog: 21. november 2023