A nonprofit group that advocates for law clerks is alleging a judge, Sarah Merriam, bullies and mistreats clerks.
Filing a formal complaint is very rare. Only a few of them are filed every year even though there are hundreds of federal judges. Law clerks are wary because they fear retaliation. They really can't report bullying or abusive conduct without that getting back to the judge, and that could destroy their legal careers. Federal judges have so much power, especially over clerks. And people who work in the federal courts don't have the same employment protections other Americans do.
And that's worth emphasizing. The federal courts are exempt from Title VII antidiscrimination laws. So people who work there generally cannot sue over mistreatment on the job. They have to use the court's internal process to complain and try to seek justice. And our NPR investigation this year found problems with that process.
Without controls, without transparency, abuse and corruption will flourish. It is that simple.
If this judge abuses clerks in such a manner imagine what she does to litigants.
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