Description: The Journal of Things We Like (Lots)
Jun 2, 2023 Marin K. Levy Courts Law
Marin K. Levy
Have you ever wondered how Supreme Court Justices came to have law clerks? (Are you wondering it now?) That story begins in 1882, when Justice Horace Gray joined the Court from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and brought with him a “legal secretary” to serve for one year. While Justice Gray originally paid out of pocket for his assistance, Congress began funding the position in 1886 (with a salary of $1,600 per year!). By the 1970s, Congress had increased the complement of clerks to four—a number t