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Aug 24, 2017

Today's guest is one of my childhood friends thanks to New Mexico 4-H and FFA, Erin Hawley.  Erin grew up the 6th generation on her family's beef cattle operation in northeastern New Mexico.  She obtained her animal science degree from Texas A&M University and went on to graduate from Yale Law School.  She was hired by then-Judge John Roberts on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

When Judge Roberts was appointed to the United States Supreme Court during the time Erin's clerkship was set to begin, she worked at a law firm for year, then clerked for a judge on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and was eventually hired to be Chief Justice Roberts' clerk at the United States Supreme Court.

Erin talks about the responsibilities of the clerks, what their work entails, what the hours are like, and more about what happens inside the Supreme Court from a law clerk perspective.  She shares what it is like to review cert petitions, how terrifying it was to help Chief Justice Roberts prepare for oral argument, and describes the dreaded 10 day rule.  

She also offers great advice to anyone interested in potentially clerking at the Supreme Court, including focusing on grades and studies, participating on law review, and developing good relationships with professors who will write recommendation letters.

Erin is now a professor at the University of Missouri School of Law. She lives in Columbia with her husband (who was her fellow Supreme Court clerk!) and two children.

When asked for a law she would like to see changed, Erin chose the definition of "Waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act.  Her restaurant recommendation headed back home when she chose green chile at Sadie's in Albuquerque.

Contact info for Erin Hawley:

(Email) hawleye@missouri.edu