Julia Penny Clark is an American attorney who has argued employee benefits law cases before the United States Supreme Court.

Julia Penny Clark
Born
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Texas (BA, JD)
OccupationAttorney
Known forExpert on employee benefits and pension law
SpouseWilliam Curtis Bryson
Children2

Biography

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Clark was born in Oak Grove, Louisiana, and raised in Waco, Texas, where she attended La Vega High School.[1] She studied at the University of Texas, and received a B.A. in 1969 with membership in Phi Beta Kappa. She continued her studies at the University of Texas School of Law, serving as an editor of the Texas Law Review, and graduating Order of the Coif and Chancellor honors with a J.D. in 1973.[2][3] After law school, she clerked for Judge James Braxton Craven Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and then for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Lewis F. Powell Jr. from 1974 to 1975.[4][5] She was among the first dozen women to clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court.[6]

Following her clerkships, she stayed in Washington, D.C. and since 1975 has practiced law at Bredhoff & Kaiser, PLLC, where she is a partner.[7] She has argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2006, she argued the employee benefits case of Beck v. PACE International Union, 551 U.S. 96 (2007).[8][9][10] In 2014, she argued M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett, 135 S. Ct. 926 (2015), concerning collective bargaining agreements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).[11] She represented Tackett and a group of retirees who sought to maintain healthcare benefits under a collective bargaining agreement.[12] She has also argued several cases before the United States Courts of Appeal, including recently in the Second Circuit, Osberg v. Foot Locker, Inc. 862 F.3d 198 (2d Cir. 2017).[13][14][15]

She was a member of the Advisory Committee on Admissions and Grievances for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1990–1996.[16]

Personal life

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Clark is married to William Curtis Bryson, a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.[17][18] They have two daughters. They met in law school, and both were law clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Shirley, Julia E. (November 2, 1963). "Women's News: People, Places and Things: Juniors Top Honors Roll at La Vega". Waco News Citizen. p. 3. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  2. ^ "1972–73 (Spring) Chancellors; Grand Chancellor, Julia Penny Clark, Waco Texas". University of Texas. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Contributors, Julia Penny Clark '73" (PDF). UTLaw, the magazine of the University of Texas Law School. Winter 2004. pp. 27, 50. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "Texas Judicial Clerks List" (PDF). University of Texas Law School. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Peppers, Todd C. (2006). Courtiers of the Marble Palace: The Rise and Influence of the Supreme Court Law Clerk. Stanford University Press. p. 228. ISBN 9780804753821. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Ward, Artemus; Weiden, David L. (2007). Sorcerers' Apprentices: 100 Years of Law Clerks at the United States Supreme Court. New York: NYU Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780814794203. Retrieved June 23, 2019. Table 2.1.1, First Female Law Clerks in the U.S. Supreme Court
  7. ^ "Attorneys Say Beck Ruling on Plan Mergers is Narrow, Has Fiduciary Implications". BNA Human Resources Report. 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Howe, Amy (April 23, 2007). "Oral Argument Tomorrow in Beck v. PACE International Union". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  9. ^ Howe, Amy (June 11, 2007). "More on Today's Opinion in Beck v. PACE International Union". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  10. ^ "Beck v. PACE International Union". Cornell LII. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  11. ^ "M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  12. ^ "M&G Polymers USA, LLC, et al. v. Tackett et al.". Docket of the United States Supreme Court. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  13. ^ Steyer, Robert (March 30, 2018). "Foot Locker to kick $128 million into U.S. pension plan this year". Pensions and Investments Online. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  14. ^ "Footlocker Pension Class Action Lawsuit website". Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  15. ^ "Osberg v. Foot Locker, Inc., No. 15-3602 (2d Cir. 2017)". Justia.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  16. ^ "Advisory Committee on Admissions and Grievances, 2019-2020" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  17. ^ "Judiciary" (PDF). Congressional Directory. 1999. p. 866. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  18. ^ Werner, Leslie Maitland (December 13, 1984). "Working Profile: William C. Bryson of the Justice Dept.; A Legal Eagle's Legal Eagle". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2019. Archive.

Selected publications

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  • Clark, Julia P. (1973). "Note: The Duty of Fair Representation: A Theoretical Structure". Texas Law Review. 51: 1119.
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