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The important parallels that I have seen are that consistent effort and a team-based focus lead to quality results. I played with an exemplary group of teammates throughout my baseball career. During my clerkship [with Judge Sandra Ikuta of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit], our chambers developed a similar atmosphere. I have no doubt that a similar dynamic will be present in Justice Thomas’ chambers.
— J. Matthew “Matt” Rice, commenting on what he imagines his experience will be like when he serves as a law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas during the October 2019 Supreme Court term. Rice is a 2016 graduate of Berkeley Law who clerked at the Ninth Circuit before working as an associate at Williams & Connolly. Prior to his law school career, Rice was drafted by New York Yankees as the last pick of the 2010 draft. Instead of skipping out on the last year of college, he finished his senior year and entered the draft after graduation, when he was chosen as the #300 pick by the Tampa Bay Rays. He played in the minors for two years, but never made to the majors. That’s when he chose to go to law school.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.