Balkinization  

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Career Advice for Aspiring Federal Judges

Mark Tushnet

This evening I attended a networking event at which the featured speakers were two federal judges. The crowd was not surprisingly weighted toward the young side. And, almost inevitably, someone in the audience asked for advice about how to become a federal judge. (I get similar questions from at least two students a year.)

The speakers stressed serendipity, but did not quote what I believe are the two best pieces of advice. They are (in substance):

A bit of positive advice from Griffin Bell: Make sure that your roommate becomes Attorney General.
A bit of (more helpful) advice from Henry Friendly: Never take one job expecting that it's going to lead to another one.

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