List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Chief Justice)
Clerk Started Finished School ( year ) Previous clerkship
David G. Leitch 1986 1987 Virginia ( 1985 ) Wilkinson ( 4th Cir . )
William R. Lindsay 1986 1987 Berkeley ( 1985 ) McGowan ( D.C. Cir )
Laura E. Little 1986 1987 Temple ( 1985 ) Hunter ( 3d Cir . )
J. Anthony Downs 1987 1988 Chicago ( 1986 ) Oakes ( 2d Cir . )
R. Charles Miller 1987 1988 Penn ( 1985 ) S. Robinson ( D.C. Cir )
William L. Taylor 1987 1988 Yale ( 1986 ) Wisdom ( 5th Cir . )
Lindley J. Brenza 1988 1989 Chicago ( 1987 ) Easterbrook ( 7th Cir . )
Robert J. Giuffra , Jr 1988 1989 Yale ( 1987 ) R. Winter ( 2d Cir . )
Melissa L. Saunders 1988 1989 Virginia ( 1987 ) J. D. Phillips ( 4th Cir . )
Steven Colloton 1989 1990 Yale ( 1988 ) Silberman ( D.C . Cir . )
Barry P. McDonald 1989 1990 Northwestern ( 1988 ) Logan ( 10th Cir . )
James K. Vines 1989 1990 Washington & Lee ( 1988 ) Merhige ( E.D . Va . )
Jeffrey L. Bleich 1990 1991 Berkeley ( 1989 ) Mikva ( D.C . Cir . )
Bruce R. Braun 1990 1991 Virginia ( 1989 ) Flaum ( 7th Cir . )
Monica J. Wahl ( Shaffer ) 1990 1991 Chicago ( 1989 ) P. Higginbotham ( 5th Cir . )
Audrey J. Anderson 1991 1992 Michigan ( 1990 ) H. Greene ( D.D.C . )
Eric F. Scheuermann 1991 1992 Harvard ( 1990 ) J. C. Wallace ( 9th Cir . )
Ronald J. Tenpas 1991 1992 Virginia ( 1990 ) L. Pollak ( E.D . Pa . )
Gregory G. Garre 1992 1993 GW ( 1991 ) Scirica ( 3d Cir . )
Richard C. Pepperman , II 1992 1993 Penn ( 1990 ) Becker ( 3d Cir . )
Law clerks have assisted the justices of the United States Supreme Court in various capacities since the first one was hired by Justice Horace Gray in 1882. Each justice is permitted to have between three and four law clerks per Court term. Most persons serving in this capacity are recent law school graduates (and typically graduated at the top of their class). Among their many functions, clerks do legal research that assists justices in deciding what cases to accept and what questions to ask during oral arguments, prepare memoranda, and draft orders and opinions. After retiring from the Court, a justice may continue to employ a law clerk, who may be assigned to provide additional assistance to an active justice or may assist the retired justice when sitting by designation with a lower court.