In an astounding feat in the legal profession, Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Jay Mitchell will soon send three law clerks to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.
As noted by David Lat in the Original Jurisdiction newsletter, this is very rare for a state court judge. While it is seen as a great accomplishment to send one clerk to the nation’s high court, having three is extremely notable, especially given the fact that Mitchell has only sat on the bench since 2019. Typically, only those who sit on the federal judiciary serve as Supreme Court feeder judges for law clerks.
Will Courtney is the latest Mitchell clerk to have been awarded the same role with Thomas, joining Mitchell clerks Bijan Aboutorabi and Annie Wilson.
Courtney is currently an associate at Birmingham-based Maynard, Cooper & Gale, which is Mitchell’s former firm. Courtney is also the eldest grandson of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His bona fides do not end at bloodline, as Courtney is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and also clerked for Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, who is one of the nation’s most prominent federal court of appeals judges.
The Mitchell-Thomas clerk connection speaks to the conservative judicial philosophy of both jurists. Widely seen as a lion of the court among legal professionals who subscribe to an originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, Thomas has been a fan favorite justice among the American right for the more than three decades that he has served on the high court.
In a statement provided to Yellowhammer News, Mitchell expressed delight over his clerks having the opportunity to serve alongside Thomas, who he described as one of his “judicial heroes.”
“I’m proud of all my law clerks — and I’m thrilled that Will, Bijan, and Annie will have the opportunity to work closely with one of my judicial heroes,” stated Mitchell. “Justice Thomas is one of our nation’s greatest public servants and sets an amazing example of how judges should uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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