Supreme Court Fellowship Program Resumes with 4 New Fellows

Four new U.S. Supreme Court Fellows are set to begin their 2022-2023 fellowships in September. They are the first to experience the program in-person in nearly two years; the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020-2021 class to work virtually and led to a decision to pause the program the following year.

Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, who serves as chair of the Supreme Court Fellows Commission, welcomed the incoming Fellows. “The Commission was very pleased to appoint these talented individuals to serve in this 50th anniversary class. They bring outstanding early-career records of public service to the Fellows Program, and they will gain a close-up, hands-on look at how federal courts depend on effective judicial administration.”

John L. Rockenbach joins the program from the Office of the Solicitor General of Ohio. He previously clerked for Chief Judge Sutton as well as for Judge David R. Stras, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is assigned to the Supreme Court’s Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice.

Samuel J. Merchant, who served as a law clerk for Judge Jodi W. Dishman, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, is assigned to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the agency responsible for the establishment of sentencing policies and practices for the courts.

Anya Ku, a former law clerk for Judge Nathanael M. Cousins, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was selected to work with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the central support organization for the Judiciary.

Brad Baranowski, who clerked for Judge Karen Nelson Moore, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and for Justice David A. Lowy, of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, is assigned to the Federal Judicial Center, the education and research arm of the Judicial Branch.

The Supreme Court Fellows Program, established by the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in 1973, provides participants the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the federal Judiciary. Fellows work alongside top officials in the judicial branch on projects that further the goals of the Judiciary.

In the words of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., the program offers “a unique opportunity for exceptional individuals to contribute to the administration of justice at the national level.”

The fellows are selected by a commission composed of nine members selected by the Chief Justice. Additional background information on each of the 2022-2023 Supreme Court Fellows and the program’s history is available online.