Floor Statement on H.R. 6475

Statement

Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to join me in supporting HR 6475, the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act.

Many top law school graduates begin their legal careers as law clerks. Many of these individuals go on to become leaders in their chosen profession.

The Executive and Judicial branches make extensive use of legal clerkships, but to date Congress has no analogous program.

We therefore miss out on the contribution that outstanding young lawyers could make to this institution.

We also miss the opportunity to impress upon these lawyers the importance of Congress in the process of creating and administering federal law.

As the Dean of Stanford Law School, Larry Kramer, has stated, "This bill will serve an important role by educating young lawyers and future leaders of the profession about the legislative process. . . . It will be enormously beneficial for both the profession and the public if some of the nation's brightest young lawyers begin their careers in the legislature and so develop and can convey to the public an appreciation of Congress and the legislative process equal to that lawyers have shown for courts and the judicial process."

That is precisely what this legislation will accomplish.

Under the program created by the bill, clerks will be chosen from a pool of exceptional law school graduates who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and a strong interest in public policy.

No fewer than six clerks will be chosen for each chamber and clerks will be divided equally between the parties.

Clerks will receive the same pay and equivalent benefits as a first year law clerk serving in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

I would like to thank my colleague, fellow attorney, and former Attorney General for California Dan Lungren for introducing this bill in the 109th Congress and working with me to get this bill to the floor in the 110th.

Finally, I would like to mention that while we were not able to include the Congressional Research Service in the legislation at this time, I am supportive of efforts to ultimately extend the program to CRS.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I yield back.

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