Mark McCormick-Goodhart '10 chosen by Federal Courts for clerkship
Grinnell in the News 2013-03-19
Summary:
1st Lt. Mark McCormick-Goodhart
As editor-in-chief of the Penn State Law Review and a U.S. Marine Corps officer, McCormick-Goodhart is accustomed to deadlines and a demanding schedule. He is one of about 150 commissioned Marine Corps officers enrolled in law school nationwide. "I had a choice: flight school or law school. And I didn't trust myself with planes," he said. After graduation, McCormick-Goodhart will serve as a law clerk to Judge Kim R. Gibson, '75, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Judge Gibson was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 23, 2003.
After his first year of law school, McCormick-Goodhart clerked for Judge Kevin A. Hess, '72, of the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas in Carlisle, Pa. He then interned at the U.S. Army War College Office of the Post Judge Advocate under the supervision of Captain Jessica Guise, '04. McCormick-Goodhart also took advantage of the federal judicial externship program during his second and third years of law school, serving as an extern for Judge Christopher C. Conner, '82, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
"I think the federal judicial externship program is the best-kept secret here," he said. "There's almost nothing better than having a federal judge as a mentor during law school." McCormick-Goodhart was pleased to discover that Judge Gibson offers one-year clerkships — the longest clerkship deferment permitted by the Marine Corps — because federal clerkships are often two-year commitments. "I am very excited to work for Judge Gibson. He's a retired U.S. Army Colonel, a former state trial court judge, and an active community volunteer. I have a lot to learn from him." Graduating from West Point in 1970, Judge Gibson, '75, commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and later served as an active-duty judge advocate until 1978.
After concluding his one-year clerkship, McCormick-Goodhart will attend Naval Justice School in Newport, R.I., and will eventually serve as an active-duty judge advocate on a detail determined by the U.S. Marine Corps.
Education: Bachelor of arts, economics, with honors, Grinnell College Volunteer Work: Volunteer work: Wills for Heroes, Carlisle, Pa. Recent Publication: "Leaving No Veteran Behind: Policies and Perspectives on Combat Trauma, Veterans Courts, and the Rehabilitative Approach to Criminal Behavior," Penn State Law Review