Michael H. Reed
On July 9, 2025, at the office of Yankwitt LLP, the Westchester Committee hosted U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke for a wide-ranging discussion before a standing room only crowd. In October, Judge Clarke will relocate her chambers from Manhattan to White Plains, where she will join four other district judges and three magistrate judges.
Judge Clarke recalled with fondness her clerkship for District Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., of the Northern District of Ohio. Judge Clarke is the fifth of Judge Oliver’s clerks to take the bench.
After clerking for Judge Oliver, Judge Clarke worked as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After several years at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, Judge Clarke served as chief of the Civil Rights Bureau at the Office of the New York Attorney General. Judge Clarke received her federal judicial commission on April 20, 2023.
Judge Clarke discussed her personal likes (prepared attorneys) and dislikes (attorneys who fail to timely respond to orders). She emphasized the importance of knowing the court’s individual rules, which can differ from judge to judge. For example, borrowing from Judge Schofield, Judge Clarke’s rules provide that jurors will receive preliminary instructions on the law before opening statements.
Judge Clarke said that she generally does not hold oral argument unless there is a question that is not resolved by the briefs or the issue is obvious and oral argument can help the parties work out the issues themselves. Judge Clarke stated that oral argument has, at times, changed her mind.
Judge Clarke generally takes her own guilty pleas. She explained that she does not want sentencing to be the first time a defendant is introduced to her. At sentencing, Judge Clarke’s practice is to deliver the sentence first and then explain her reasoning.
Finally, Judge Clarke said that when it comes to clerks, she looks for people who not only have excellent grades but also have an interest in helping people.
The Westchester Committee thanks Judge Clarke for her visit and wishes her a long and fulfilling tenure in the Westchester courthouse.