Two recent Law School graduates will clerk for the 2016-17 term of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Austin Raynor, a 2013 Law graduate and current associate at Sullivan and Cromwell in Washington, D.C., will clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas.
Nicole Frazer, a 2015 Law graduate, will clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia. Frazer is currently clerking for Judge Jeffrey Sutton on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Columbus, OH.
Raynor said he appreciates the Law School’s diverse curriculum.
“U.Va. does an outstanding job of teaching its students both the craft and substance of law,” Raynor said in an email statement. “The U.Va. course load is an ideal blend of hard law and theory.”
Frazer said her experiences with not only the curriculum but also the Law School’s community have shaped her legal knowledge.
“The classes I took [at the Law School] — along with my interactions with professors and students — were immensely helpful; they sharpened my thinking about legal issues,” Frazer said in an email statement.
Raynor was involved outside of the classroom during his time in Charlottesville, particularly as an articles editor for the Virginia Law Review and member of the Federalist Society. During his first year of Law School, he was an opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily.
Raynor also did a yearlong independent study with Law Prof. Caleb Nelson, who praised him for his intellect and character.
“I’m thrilled that Austin is getting this opportunity. He was a star student here, and he’ll represent U.Va. extremely well,” Nelson said in an email statement. “He’s intellectually curious, analytically rigorous, hard working and very smart. He’s also a great guy.”
Frazer was also involved in the University community and worked as a research assistant for Law Profs. A.E. Dick Howard and Saikrishna Prakash. She also authored an article under Nelson which was published in the Virginia Law Review in September 2015.
Howard said Frazer is “among the most talented graduates” he has seen while teaching at the Law School.
“Nicole worked with me on an article on the Supreme Court,” Howard said. “I benefited profoundly from her findings and insights.”
Prakash said Frazer will be an asset to Scalia.
"Nicole displayed all the hallmarks of a tremendous student and person. Friendly, brilliant, hard-working and inquisitive,” Prakash said in an email statement. “She's going to make a tremendous clerk for Justice Scalia.”
Raynor said he is excited for this opportunity and looks forward to working for Thomas.
“I love this country and the Supreme Court is the pinnacle of its legal system, so I imagine just walking in every morning will be an honor,” Raynor said. “I expect to learn a huge amount.”
Frazer said she looks forward to observing the process of the Supreme Court and getting to know the others who will serve alongside her.
“I'm excited about the opportunity to sharpen my legal writing and thinking under the tutelage of a justice who has … shaped the development of such a broad range of legal issues,” Frazer said. “I'm excited to actually see firsthand how the whole process works — from the granting cert to hearing oral arguments to writing opinions.”
The next term of the Supreme Court is set to begin Oct. 3rd.
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