Learning at the Desk of Legal Giants: Columbia Law Launches Weil, Gotshal & Manges Judicial Clerkship Training Institute
Judges, faculty, and former clerks shared advice on the clerkship experience at the inaugural event.
More than 60 Columbia Law alumni and students learned the ins and outs of judicial clerkships from distinguished judges, seasoned clerks, and faculty experts at the inaugural Weil, Gotshal & Manges Judicial Clerkship Training Institute, held in Low Library on the Morningside campus on August 22.
Organized by Columbia Law’s Office of Judicial Careers and supported by Weil, the daylong event covered the full clerkship lifecycle—from a clerk’s first day in chambers to the post-clerkship transition to legal practice. Through lively discussions and workshops, panelists and presenters delved into such topics as what judges look for in their clerks and how to leverage the clerkship experience as a practitioner.
Daniel Abebe, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law, welcomed participants at the start of the day. “A clerkship is the ultimate apprenticeship, literally learning to fly alongside a master of the craft in service of the rule of law,” the Dean said. Clerks “learn at the desk of a legal giant. … It's through the clerkship, I believe, that young lawyers gain valuable experience in really understanding how the gears of judicial administration actually turn.”
“We are delighted to partner with Columbia Law School to launch this innovative program aimed at training students and alumni for the distinctive experience of judicial clerkships,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf. “By supporting Columbia’s Judicial Clerkship Training Institute, we are helping to give students a front-row seat to chambers work and preparing them for the real-world challenges they will face in court.”
“When seeking a partner for Columbia Law School’s Judicial Clerkship Training Institute, we knew we wanted a firm with which we had a long-standing and strong relationship. We also wanted to make sure that our partner shared our enthusiasm and ambition for this program,” said Dean Abebe. “For both of these reasons, Weil was our first choice. And I am very grateful for their generous support.”
The Office of Judicial Careers works with both current students and alumni who are interested in clerking; this year, 121 Columbia Law alumni began clerkships at the federal and state level. “The Judicial Clerkship Training Institute is designed to leverage our close and long-established ties to the bench—including several faculty and alumni jurists—our New York City location, and the large number of our faculty who have clerked,” said Petal N. Modeste, associate dean for professional affairs administration. “We are so grateful for Weil’s generous support of the program, which we know will help prepare our alumni for fulfilling clerkships.”
In his remarks at the event, Dean Abebe outlined how clerkships also help prepare lawyers for successful careers. “Clerks have the opportunity to sharpen their lawyering skills, become better writers, better logicians, and better crafters of argument,” he said. And he cited another important benefit: the close relationships that clerks develop with their judges and their fellow clerks. “Judges are sources of wisdom, and they serve as mentors, recommenders, connectors, and many other things,” he said. “And the group of clerks who serve alongside the judge, they form a powerful and personal and professional network that can be tapped into for years to come. Clerks often become lifelong friends and colleagues.”
Future plans include expanding the training institute to two days in 2026 and launching the Weil, Gotshal & Manges Distinguished Jurist Speaker Series—which will bring judges to the Law School for daylong programming with students, faculty, and staff—in the 2026–2027 academic year.
About the Panels
“Perspectives From the Bench”
Moderated by Dean Abebe. Panelists: Denise L. Cote ’75, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Rachel P. Kovner, U.S. District Judge the Eastern District of New York; Myrna Pérez ’03, U.S. Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit; and Jenny Rivera ’93 LL.M., Associate Judge for the New York State Court of Appeals.
“The Insider’s Guide to Acing Your Clerkship”
A workshop with Dianisbeth Acquie, director of the Office of Judicial Careers, and Anne E. Green, senior judicial careers advisor in the Office of Judicial Careers.
“Ethical Rules”
Moderated by John P. Mastando III ’96, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York. Panelists: Margaret M. Garnett ’00, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Gerard E. Lynch ’75, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for the 2nd Circuit; and Joseph A. Zayas ’88, Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System.
“The Post-Clerkship Transition”
Moderated by Associate Dean Modeste. Panelists: Christine Calabrese, counsel at Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Rebecca Curwin Kerr ’16, pro bono lawyer at Freshfields; Marielle Paloma Greenblatt ’21, associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan; Freya Jamison ’21, constitutional law fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety; and Robert B. Niles-Weed, co-head of the appeals and strategic counseling practice and a member of the complex commercial litigation practice at Weil, Gotshal & Manges.
“The Road to SCOTUS Clerkships”
Kerrel Murray, associate professor of law and Milton Handler Fellow at Columbia Law School, in conversation with Acquie.
