Three Hillsdale College Graduates to Clerk for Supreme Court Justices This Fall
Hillsdale, Mich. — Three Hillsdale College graduates will clerk for the Supreme Court of the United States this fall during its 2021-2022 term: E. Garrett West Jr., ’15; T. Elliot Gaiser, ’12; and J. Manuel Valle, ’11. These three join six other Hillsdale alumni who have clerked for the court in the last 25 years.
Garrett West graduated from Yale Law School in 2018. He will clerk for Associate Justice Samuel Alito. He was one of three salutatorians of his graduating class at Hillsdale College, where he belonged to the accounting and philosophy honoraries, the Classical Liberal Organization, and the accounting club. He also took part in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program, an IRS program that supports free tax preparation service for the underserved through various partner organizations.
T. Elliot Gaiser attended the University of Chicago Law School, where he graduated in 2016. He will clerk for Associate Justice Samuel Alito. He majored in political economy at Hillsdale College, where he was a member of many honoraries and clubs and played in the orchestra. While at Hillsdale, he won first place in the Edward Everett Oratory Contest and the Butler University Debate Tournament.
J. Manuel Valle, who graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 2019, will clerk for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Valle will be the second Hillsdale College graduate to clerk for Justice Thomas. He studied English and Latin and was a member of the history and classical studies honoraries. He also worked as a student director for Academic Services.
Each Supreme Court Justice works with four clerks during the fall term which begins in October.
Find photos of the alumni here.