Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #themoreyouknowaboutcourts
Most recents (3)
Who wants to talk about the history of law clerking? Everybody? Good. Let’s pull up a chair for a little judicial administration history….⚖️🧵 (1/x)
According to the late (Second Circuit (❤️) Judge) J. Daniel Mahoney, the "institution of clerking" (don’t you love that phrase?) began over a century ago. It is largely undisputed that the first jurist to utilize legal assistants was one Horace Gray. (2/x)
Who was Horace Gray and why did he feel the need to employ a law clerk? Well, in 1873 he became the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court of Errors (which could be the subject of its own twitter thread…) and found that his workload had increased considerably.
With the Court announcing new circuit allotments today, I know what you're thinking - huh, what is the story behind these allotments? Well have I got you covered! Here’s a little judicial administration history thread (with much of the underlying info c/o @FedJudicialHist).⚖️🧵1/
Let's cast our minds back to 1789...remember that the Justices initially had responsibilities on the circuit courts. Specifically, the First Judiciary Act created 3 geographical circuits (Eastern, Middle & Southern) to which the Justices were assigned for circuit riding. 2/
A few years later (in the Act of April 13, 1791) Congress mandated that the Court issue a written order at each session, indicating the circuits to which the Justices would be assigned. Seems totally fine, right? Well... 3/
Do you remember when Juliet asks aloud, "What's in a name?" Clearly she was talking about the DC Circuit's many stylings over the years... (mini ⚖️🧵, 1/x)
In 1801 we see the creation of the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia, thanks to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801. (Since we are talking about names, I have to confess that I love the name of that Act.) (2/x)
Now quick frolic – (I promise it will be fun) – the first three judges appointed to that court were Thomas Johnson (who refused to serve – the nerve!), James Marshall (brother of everyone’s favorite Chief Justice) and William Cranch (Supreme Court Reporter extraordinaire)! (3/x)
