Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced in the Senate today the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2008, which will create clerkships in Congress for law school graduates. The bipartisan bill, which passed in the House on September 9, 2008, would create 12 one-year clerkships six in the House and six in the Senate apportioned equally among majority and minority parties.
Richard Revesz, dean of New York University School of Law issues the following statement in support of the bill:
Both the executive and judicial branches have long-established programs that give highly talented law school graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience. It is time for Congress now to take the necessary step to create a comparable program in the legislative branch for the brightest legal minds to gain a greater awareness of how our government works.
This program will foster a group of lawyers who will have firsthand knowledge of the legislative process and who can play a key role in educating the public about government as they go on to leadership positions in the legal profession or elsewhere. I commend the House for passing this legislation and applaud Sen. Schumers visionary leadership in introducing it in the Senate.