Alumni Spotlight
April 2015
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Brandon HarperEditor-in-Chief, Vol. 16; Associate Editor, Vol. 15
Academic Background:
Juris Doctor, , 2014 Certificate in Management and Finance, Wharton School, 2013 Bachelor of Arts, Washington University in St. Louis, 2009 Publications: The Effectiveness of State-Filed Amicus Briefs at the United States Supreme Court, 16 U. Pa. J. Const. L. 1503 (2014) Honors: James J. Mandarino Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy Best Oralist, Edwin R. Keedy Cup Moot Court Competition Current Career Placement/Highlights: I am currently a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. I enjoy every aspect of the job and it has been a truly rewarding experience. From going to court on an almost-daily basis to conducting legal research, the entire clerkship has been a wonderful learning opportunity. Judge Jackson is a great boss and a terrific teacher; I am looking forward to the rest of my term. I will continue my clerkship with Judge Jackson through the fall of 2016, after which I will clerk for the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. What Do You Miss Most About Serving on the Journal of Constitutional Law: The two things I miss most about JCL are the great people of the Journal and the interaction I had on a daily basis with scholars who were at the top of their field and on the cutting edge of constitutional law. The Volume 16 Board was incredibly close, and we were all motivated around a common goal: Produce the best, most relevant scholarship possible while improving the associate editor experience. I really think we accomplished this goal, and it's been incredible to see the subsequent growth and expansion of the Journal as a result. Favorite Experience While on the Journal of Constitutional Law: The Volume 16 Board accomplished a lot, including putting on a terrific symposium about the intersection of education policy and constitutional law, opening the associate editor class to LLM students for the first time, and adding the Production Editor and Development Editor positions to the Board. Our long-term plan for JCL was to grow the size of the Journal, and increase the Journal's presence both within the law school and in the larger legal community. To that end, we continued our online presence by transitioning Heightened Scrutiny to JCL Online, maintained the quality of pieces we published while retaining our strong page count, worked with the Volume 17 Board to put into place a process for adding a sixth issue, and worked to warm up (both literally and figuratively) our office space to encourage more board members and associate editors to work collaboratively. The Volume 16 JCL community was terrific - and that will always be our greatest accomplishment in my mind. Reflection on Penn Law Experience: The best thing about Penn Law was that I always felt as though I was able to do everything I wanted. The school never told me "no" and always worked with me to ensure that I was able to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. I was a member of our Supreme Court Clinic, served as President of the Trial Advocacy Association, was named Best Oralist in the Edwin R. Keedy Cup Moot Court Competition, earned the James J. Mandarino Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy from the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, and won two regional championships and one national championship in law school mock trial. Though I have to say, my best experience in law school, and the one I'll always remember the most fondly, is my service as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Constitutional Law. |