Beyond Knox: James C. McReynolds' Other Law Clerks, 1914-1941
52 Pages Posted: 1 May 2015
Date Written: April 29, 2015
Abstract
The Forgotten Memoir of John Knox, edited by Dennis J. Hutchinson and David J. Garrow in 2002, revealed how badly Justice James C. McReynolds treated his clerk in the 1936 Term. Was Knox's negative clerkship experience typical? An examination of the numerous letters written home by Milton S. Musser, McReynolds' clerk from May 1938 to October 1940, provides a valuable comparison.
Musser's letters are also a window into the hiring process, duties and salary concerns of Supreme Court clerks in his era.
Keywords: Supreme Court clerks, James C. McReynolds, John Knox, Milton S. Musser
JEL Classification: J30, J44, K40, N42, N32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation