Actor Michael Welch and his mom Jill Welch attend the Gay Men's... News Photo - Getty Imag

Note: This story was updated on April 29, 2021, to reflect a new total of eight alumni clerkg on the Supreme Court the 2021 term and then aga on June 2, 2021 to reflect a total of ne. Ne Universy of Chigo Law School alumni will clerk for ne jtic on the US Supreme Court the October 2021 term—a banner year that marks the first time ne alumni have clerked on the Court simultaneoly and that more than seven jtic have employed Law School alumni at once. In the 2020 term, seven Law School alumni clerked on Supreme Court. Christa GayIn the 2021 term, Christa Gay, ’20, will clerk for Chief Jtice John Roberts; Elizabeth Nielson, '19, will clerk for retired Jtice Anthony Kennedy; Manuel Valle, ’17, will clerk for Jtice Clarence Thomas; Joel Wacks, ’18, will clerk for Jtice Stephen Breyer; Ellt Gaiser, ’16, will clerk for Jtice Samuel Alo; Andrew Waks, ’19, will clerk for Jtice Elena Kagan; John Henry Thompson, ’18, will clerk for Jtice Neil Gorsuch; Sarah Welch, ’19, will clerk for Jtice Brett Kavangh; and Michael Heckmann, ’16, will clerk for Jtice Amy Coney Barrett. “I had the honor of teachg eight of the alumni when they were stunts at Chigo. They’re a remarkable group of people, jt as kd and rilient as they are brilliant and eloquent,” said Lr Strahilevz, the Sidley At Profsor of Law, who -chairs the faculty clerkship mtee wh Jonathan Masur, the John P. Wilson Profsor of Law. “This is a fabulo group of stunts, all of whom I remember well for both their excellence class and their warmth and generosy outsi of .”” Elizabeth NielsonThe Law School has had at least one graduate clerkg on the Supreme Court for at least part of every term sce 1972, and 39 of the past 49 years, two or more clerks on the Supreme Court have been alumni of the Law School. In 17 of those years, four or more Supreme Court clerks have been Chigo alumni—cludg 1993, when there were eight, and 1994, when there were seven alumni clerkg for seven different jtic. Durg the 2020 term, seven alumni clerked for four jtic. Male Lansky, ’16, and Nick Harper, ’15, clerked for Barrett; Patrick Fter, ’18, clerked for Roberts; Krista Perry, ’16, and Jam Burnham, ’09, clerked for Gorsuch; and Amy Upshaw, ’16, and Philip Cooper, ’17, clerked for Thomas. Manuel ValleThere were four alumni clerks the October 2019 term, when Mi Moore, ’17, clerked for Kagan; Kelly Holt, ’17, and Stephen Yelrman, ’10, clerked for Gorsuch; and Carole Cook, ’16, clerked for Thomas. “We’re thrilled that such a broad and diverse group of superb stunts have been hired to clerk on the Supreme Court, and we’re thrilled as well that they’ve been hired by such a broad range of jtic,” Masur said. “This reflects the fact that there is not one mol for succs here. This school n be a sprgboard to great thgs for any of our stunts.” Strahilevz shared his light at the prospect of so many Maroons gettg to work together for the Court. Joel Wacks“Seeg 20 different Chigo alumni clerkg at the Supreme Court the span of three years is a ttament to all the great work that’s happeng our classrooms and clics, and to our admissns team’s eye for talent,” Strahilevz said. “It’s tremendoly satisfyg to watch beloved former stunts servg the untry and the legal profsn this way.” In 2020-2021, Gay clerked for Judge Brt Grant on the Eleventh Circu. Durg her time at the Law School, she was a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, a member of the Orr of the Coif, a member of the Universy of Chigo Law Review, and volved Lawyers the Classroom. Nielson clerked for Judge Jefey Sutton of the Sixth Circu 2020-2021. She also has clerked for Jtice Thomas Lee of the Utah Supreme Court. Durg her time at the Law School, she was the book review and symposium edor for The Universy of Chigo Law Review. Her dad, Howard Nielson, ’97, a judge on the US District Court for the District of Utah, clerked for Kennedy 1998. Andrew WaksValle, most recently a ligatn associate the Washgton, DC, office of Sidley At LLP, has clerked for Judge Joan Larsen of the Sixth Circu and Edh Jon of the Fifth Circu. Durg his time at the Law School, he was a Rubenste Scholar and served as the book review and symposium edor for The Universy of Chigo Law Review. Wacks, most recently an associate at Keker, Van Nt & Peters LLP San Francis, prevly clerked for Judge Charl Breyer of the US District Court for the Northern District of California and Judge Margaret McKeown of the US Court of Appeals for the Nth Circu. Durg his time at the Law School, he was a Rubenste Scholar, a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, a member of the Orr of the Coif, and the executive topics & ments edor for The Universy of Chigo Law Review. Ellt GaiserGaiser, most recently an associate at Boyn Gray & Associat Washgton, DC, prevly clerked for Judge Edh Jon of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circu and Judge Neomi Rao, ’99, of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circu. Durg his time at the Law School, Gaiser earned the Llewellyn Cup for excellence brief wrg and oral argument the Hton Moot Court Competn, received a Bradley Fellowship, served as vice print and chair of the Otis Award for the Feralist Society, and was a member of the Edmund Burke Society. Waks, who clerked for Judge David Tatel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circu 2020-2021, prevly clerked for Judge Gary Feerman of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illois. Durg Law School, Waks was a Rubenste Scholar, a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, a member of the Orr of the Coif, and a ments edor for The Universy of Chigo Law Review. John Henry ThompsonThompson, who will plete a one-year term as a Bristow Fellow the US Solicor General’s Office summer 2021, has clerked for Judge Thomas Griffh of the DC Circu and Judge Diane Syk of the Seventh Circu. Durg his time at the Law School, he was a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar and a member of the Orr of the Coif, the Feralist Society, and the Universy of Chigo Law Review. He also won the Sidley At Prize for Excellence Brief Wrg the Bigelow Moot Court Competn. Welch, who clerked 2020-2021 for Chief Judge William Pryor on the Eleventh Circu, prevly clerked for Judge Jefey Sutton on the Sixth Circu. She has also been a Phillips Fellow the US Solicor General’s Office. Durg her time at the Law School, she was a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar, a member of Orr of the Coif, and an articl edor on the Universy of Chigo Law Review, the external vice print of the Feralist Society, and a recipient of the Mulroy Prize for Excellence Appellate Advocy the Hton Moot Court petn. Michael Heckmann Sarah WelchHeckmann, most recently an associate the Washgton, DC, office of Latham & Watks, has clerked for Judge Stanley Marc of the Eleventh Circu and prevly clerked for Barrett when she was a judge on the Seventh Circu. He has also worked at Cleary Gottlieb Washgton, DC. Durg his time at the Law School, he was the managg onle edor for The Universy of Chigo Law Review and a member of the Law Stunts Associatn. Read more about the Law School’s clerkship hirg rerd “The Bt Postdoc You Could Ever Have: Behd the Law School’s Risg Clerkship Numbers.”