Law Students Serving 10-week Judicial Clerkships Through New Mexico Program
(Names of the Law Students Pictured Above at End of this Story.)
State Agency Press Release – From the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts
SANTA FE – A dozen students will gain experience this summer interning as law clerks for New Mexico appellate and federal court judges.
The Opportunity Judicial Clerkship Program provides law students with training and the mentorship of a judge to help prepare them for possible clerkships after they graduate. As summer law clerks, the interns perform legal research and writing to assist judges with cases. They also will attend workshops on legal issues and receive guidance on how to pursue a judicial clerkship in the future.
“The program helps open the door to a potential career in the judiciary for young professionals traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas.
The New Mexico Supreme Court and the State Bar of New Mexico jointly manage the 10-week program, which is in its sixth year. The clerkships start this week and run through the end of July. The students are assigned to Supreme Court justices, state Court of Appeals judges and U.S. District Court judges.
Participating law students are: Aarya Barthel, Karyn Bloxham, Jackie Davis, Victoria Gasca, Lucas Heimgartner, Nick Kennedy, Mariam Rawwas, Nathan Rukovena, Sarah Sanchez, Emily Selch, Joseph Sullivan, and Geovanny Zarceno.
“The program offers an opportunity for law students to sharpen their research and writing skills, learn whether they want to pursue a judicial clerkship after graduation, and build lasting relationships for a legal career,” said Chief Justice Vargas.
In the New Mexico Judiciary, law clerks typically work for one or two years for a justice after graduating from law school.
This summer’s clerkship interns are from the University of New Mexico School of Law, the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, and the University of Washington School of Law. The students will receive a stipend for their internships.
Law students serving 10-week judicial clerkships gather with justices, mentors and staff at the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Bottom row: Allison Block-Chavez, Maddie Clabough, Victoria Lovato, Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas, Amy Fagans, Nick Kennedy, Judge Gerald Baca.
Second row: Liz Garcia, Samantha Pizcz, Sarah Berton, Claudia Joanna Velasquez, Lily Hofstra, Judge Jane Yohalem, Senior Justice Michael E. Vigil, Lucas Heimgartner, Rebecca Myers, Karyn Bloxham, Victoria Gasca, Olivia Rack, Jackie Davis, Geovanny Zarceno, Judge Katherine Wray.
Third row: Kateri Eisenberg, Alyssa Segura, Soha Turfler, Judge Kristopher N. Houghton, Stephanie Wilson, Yanhire Lavelle, Danielle Lopez, Deanna Warren, Justice C. Shannon Bacon, Mariam Rawwas, Anaika Miller, Judge Matthew Garcia, Dr. Amanda Parker, Alexandria Iraheta Sousa.
Fourth row: Marcus Miller-Moore, Kristen Edwards, David Schleiffers, Nathan Rukovena, Joseph Sullivan, Alexis Jones, Jordan Velasquez, Lana Elledge, Parker Wagner, Lionel Betsch, Ezra Baldwin.
Fifth row: Ricardo Guadarama, Justice David K. Thomson, Audrey Tobyas, Adam Turner, Jonah Chadwick-Griego, Dante Gurule.