The View From My Chair –
What I expect from a Law Clerk or Associate

S.J. Quinney College of Law Moot Courtroom
This event is open to students and recent graduates

“Prepare to Practice was one of the most useful events for me personally that the law school has offered.  We were given a valuable opportunity for an open and candid discussion with attorneys and a Judge about how to be successful in either a summer clerkship, or as a new associate.

– Maureen Minson, `14

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Agenda:

12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Room 6623
“The View from My Chair: What I expect from a Clerk or an Associate.”
What makes a successful associate or law clerk? Find out from partners, attorneys and judges who have worked with associates on a regular basis. Learn how to improve your chances of success as an associate or clerk in today’s competitive professional market. Here’s your opportunity to ask questions, learn what is expected and get professional tips on success.

Lunch provided.

This panel discussion includes: Chief Judge David Nuffer, United States District Court, Associate Presiding Judge Ryan M. Harris, Alexandra Mareschal

Moderator: Ross E. McPhail, Assistant Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Law

Judge David Nuffer was appointed as a United States District Judge in the District of Utah in March 2012 after serving since 1995 as a United States Magistrate Judge. He serves on the Federal Judicial Center Judges IT Training Advisory Committee. He also teaches alternative dispute resolution at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. He practiced law 25 years in St. George Utah after graduating from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. During his years as a lawyer, he was a member and Chair of the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission and a commissioner and president of the Utah State Bar. He is a frequent lecturer on technology and legal issues. He has presented to judges, lawyers and law students in Brazil and Czech Republic and Rule of Law work in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Sharjah, Egypt, and Ukraine, as well as regularly hosting judge visits from many countries. He taught lawyers from Iran in Antalya, and Istanbul, Turkey. He has taught with the Leavitt Institute to law professors and law students in Ukraine and is co-editor of the Leavitt Institute curriculum Foundations of a Free Society, a course emphasizing ethics, citizenship and the practice of democracy.

Judge Ryan M. Harris was appointed to the Third District Court in August 2011 by Governor Gary Herbert. He serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. Judge Harris graduated magna cum laude and with University honors from Brigham Young University in 1995, and graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School in 1998. Upon graduating from law school, Judge Harris served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Stephen H. Anderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Following his clerkship, Judge Harris practiced law in Salt Lake City at the firm of Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, where in addition to maintaining a civil trial practice he also served on the firm’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Judge Harris also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law. Prior to his appointment to the Third District Court, Judge Harris served as a small claims judge for eight years. Judge Harris is a past chairperson of the Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar.

Alexandra Mareschal
Before joining Zimmerman Jones Booher in 2015, Alexa’s career had already been centered on appellate work and oral advocacy. While at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, she excelled on the National Moot Court team and won several writing awards. Alexa also studied comparative legal theory and international human rights at Cornell Law School in Paris. Her internship with the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney in Utah allowed her to hone her skills in the appeals court. She also worked for Judge Peterson of the Third District Court of Utah, gaining experience at the trial level and insight into strategies that affect a client’s chances on appeal. At both the trial and appellate level, Alexa has worked on a diverse range of cases from family law to contract disputes to criminal law.