by Albert Flores, Jr. (L’16)
In the summer of 2014, I participated in a nine-week judicial internship in the chambers of the Honorable Allyson K. Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. It was a fantastic experience working for Judge Duncan, where I learned a tremendous amount about the appellate process and the federal courts system. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to make numerous professional contacts across a wide spectrum of entities that have already proved to be incredibly useful in my hunt for future employment opportunities.
In November of 2013, I reached out cold to several Judges of the U.S. Fourth Circuit with chambers in North Carolina. I reached out to the legal assistants for each judge and submitted a resume with cover letter and writing sample (1L dog bite assignment). I followed up in January with each judge and submitted a copy of my fall 1L grades. It was made clear to me that grades were relevant, but not most important. Judge Duncan and the other judges I corresponded with sought an intern with maturity, analytical capacity, and strong writing ability. Also, my ten years of military service prior to law school held significant weight in my application. I conducted an interview with Judge Duncan, and by January 2014 I had secured an internship.
Judge Duncan’s chambers are located in Raleigh, NC. Like most chambers for the Fourth Circuit, hers consists of one legal assistant (non-lawyer), four law clerks, and one intern. So, the intern is privileged with daily and extensive interaction with the judge, as much as the judge’s full time law clerks.
My responsibilities were similar to but not as extensive as those of a full time law clerk. The Fourth Circuit does not hold oral arguments in the summer, so Judge Duncan was focused on preparing bench memoranda for future oral arguments, drafting opinions for previous oral arguments, and writing opinions for decisions made without an oral argument session. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much deference Judge Duncan gave to the analysis, thoughts, and perspective of her law clerks, including myself.
When I arrived on my first day, there was a stack of documents six inches high on my desk, which was the primary case I was assigned to work for the summer. I needed to research some of the substantive law that I was unfamiliar with, but I felt confident to develop a bench memorandum with a decision recommendation for Judge Duncan based on the legal writing training I received at the University of Richmond. The law clerks were helpful with giving me general pointers and guidance, but drafting the memorandum and the opinion that followed was a responsibility assigned to me. It was undoubtedly, a sink or swim tenure for me. These documents, with the permission of Judge Duncan, now serve as my writing samples during my current employment search – and the documents have greatly impressed prospective employers.