Maria Savarese Clerks for the Supreme Court of Nevada

Savarese (’18) is close to completing the first of two judicial clerkships toward her ultimate goal of becoming a public defender.

As a first-generation lawyer, Maria Savarese (’18) can’t say that she knew that she wanted to be an attorney from a very young age. It wasn’t until she was running for a student government position at Florida State University that she met FSU law students and realized it might be the path for her.

While working toward a degree in political science and international affairs, Savarese took an internship with a solo-practitioner working on claims of police misconduct and prisoners’ life litigation. She says that the litigation work “swallowed her up” and put her on the trajectory to go to law school and one day become a public defender.

Savarese came across a BU Law admissions table at an event on her campus and picked up a brochure that mentioned the Criminal Law Clinical Program. The program appealed to her desire to practice public defense, and she says that getting to meet faculty members of the clinic while visiting for an admitted student day “sort of just sold it” for her.

Now a judicial clerk for the Supreme Court of Nevada, she works closely with Justice Lidia Stiglich, reading records and writing bench memos. Next year, she’ll clerk for United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Following her clerkships, Savarese’s goal is to work in the appellate division of a public defender’s office. BU Law spoke with her recently to learn about her experience in law school and how she feels it prepared her to practice.

The interview below has been edited for clarity and concision.

Q: How was your experience at BU Law?

A: I loved it. I think the experience that was most beneficial and exciting to me was the Criminal Law Clinical Program, and working in the public defender program, specifically. Getting the experience to have your own client is quite terrifying in a lot of ways, but I think it was really important. I worked closely with Karen Pita Loor and Wendy Kaplan, my faculty advisors in the clinic. They encouraged me and forced me to be confident in what I know. That was monumental in making me a more confident lawyer and advocate.

In addition, I worked closely with Professor Tracey Maclin. I learned that his classes were the ones to take if you are interested in pursuing a career in criminal law. I also took his Supreme Court seminar, which I always try to plug to as many BU Law students as I can. Especially now that I’m clerking, it was such an important class for me. Professor Maclin picks cases that are pending before the Supreme Court that generally have to do with criminal procedure and we had to present the cases and deliver opinions. It was a lot of reading and writing but I think it really prepared me for clerking.

You were a research assistant for Professor Maclin, correct?

Yes. Professor Maclin was working on his piece for the Boston University Law Review [when I served as an editor]. He would have me find cases or law review articles and read them, and then we would meet to discuss. We actually co-authored a piece in the Memphis Law Review that just came out a few months ago. I think coming together to talk about the piece in a very collaborative working environment was the most beneficial part.

How were your summer jobs at the Prisoner’s Legal Services of Massachusetts and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, what was that like?

The Prisoner’s Legal Services of Massachusetts is a general legal aid office and they advocate for better mental and medical health for prisoners as well as improving conditions of confinement and segregation. There were large class action lawsuits being filed on behalf of prisoners for things like sexual assault and staff brutality. I traveled to prisons in Massachusetts to have one-on-one visits with clients. It was a really helpful experience to work with clients who are incarcerated, knowing that I wanted to be a public defender. I think it is important to see what the end result could be for your clients: incarceration.

The Public Defender Service (PDS) for the District of Columbia is a bit of a different public defender office. They aren’t the only public defender in DC, so they only take the most serious felonies. I helped two trial attorneys with their cases. I reviewed discovery, wrote drafts of motions to suppress, and watched them do hearings and pretrial motions. It was just great to be a sponge and just soak up all the wisdom that they had.

How did secure your current clerkship?

I have two clerkships. I’m in one currently at the Nevada Supreme Court, and then I’m going to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in July.

I worked with Carolyn Goodwin and Elizabeth Cho [advisors with the Career Development & Public Service Office] to prepare my application packet and get everything together.

I secured my clerkship in Detroit for a year out from law school. So, I had a gap year to fill for the 2018–19 term. I was hoping to use that middle year to get some experience doing appellate work, so I looked for state supreme courts and I was fortunate enough to be connected with Justice Stiglich through one of the attorneys that I had worked for during my summer in DC.

I met with my CDO advisors a bunch to prepare for those interviews and I also worked closely with professors who were willing to write recommendations for me. Having someone who will advocate for you is really important in the clerkship application process.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a Nevada Supreme Court clerk?

It’s a lot of reading and writing. We’re in chambers every day, so I’m with my co-clerk and justice on a daily basis. Chambers functions kind of as a mini law firm because there are so few of us working together. That has been the most rewarding aspect, as it means I get to build a relationship with the justice and work closely with her. It’s an invaluable experience. Every day, I’m reading through thousands of pages of record and drafting bench memos.

There are oral arguments two or three times a month. They tend to rotate between Carson City, which is where I’m located, and Las Vegas. I’ll either attend oral argument in Carson City, or I’ll watch remotely on a video to see what’s happening in Las Vegas. It’s an insightful process for a clerk because you have an opportunity to suggest questions for the justices to ask the parties and to get a glimpse of the particular issues that the justices are interested in. It’s also a great opportunity to witness advocacy in action and see how appellate attorneys bring their briefs to life and respond to on-the-spot questions from the justices.

Do you feel these experiences prepared you for practice?

One hundred percent. I’m in the middle of a clerkship which, in a way, is like more school because you’re not quite in the field yet with your own clients. But, knowing that my end goal is public defense work, the experience I got from the Criminal Law Clinical Program will be instrumental. Being a research assistant for Professor Maclin and being in his court seminar was super helpful for my current clerkship because of all of the writing, research, and reading that I have to do here.

Just generally being at BU and creating that network with incredible lawyers in Boston has helped me because I would like to make my way back to Boston after my clerkship.