Correspondence from Lani Guinier to Judge Gerard L. Goettel Re: Steve L. Lapidus Recommendation for Clerkship

Correspondence
September 14, 1983

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Correspondence from Lani Guinier to Judge Gerard L. Goettel Re: Steve L. Lapidus Recommendation for Clerkship preview

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  • Legal Department General, Lani Guinier Correspondence. Correspondence from Lani Guinier to Judge Gerard L. Goettel Re: Steve L. Lapidus Recommendation for Clerkship, 1983. f2cdf816-e592-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/3533209d-54d1-4554-af23-de3a67cb611c/correspondence-from-lani-guinier-to-judge-gerard-l-goettel-re-steve-l-lapidus-recommendation-for-clerkship. Accessed October 08, 2025.

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    Lesa,U&renseH"

September 14, 1983

The Honorable Gerard L. Goettel
Unlted States Courthouse
40 Foley Square
New York, New York 10007

RE: Steven L. Lapldus

Dear Judge Goettel:

I wrlte to recommend Steven L. Lapldus for a clerkshlp
posltlon. I undertake this task wlth great pleasure.

Mr. Lapldus worked wlth me thls summer on several matters
lnvolvlng novel legaI theorles. His research skllIs and
conceptual ab1l1ties were superb. On h1s own lnltlatlve
he dlscovered numerous prlmary source materlals that
proved 1nva1uable. He then worked wlth the lnformatlon
he uncovered to present lt 1n ways that were most helpful
to the reader. He drafted a lengthy memorandum at my
request whleh ls as clear a statement of exlstlng 1aw and
as careful an analysls of posslble new approaches as I
would expect from an experlenced lltigator. Unl1ke many
law students wlth whom I have worked 1n the ten years
slnce my 1aw school graduatlon, Mr. Lapldus 1s able to
comblne a flne lnteIlectual grasp of complex lssues wlth a
pragmatlsm and sense of prlorltles that usually come only
after years of experlence. He 1s d111gent about detalls.
H1s wrltlng ls excellent. I would state wlthout hesltatlon
that he 1s easl1y one of the most able and, certalnly, the
most thorough 1aw student wlth whom I have worked.

Havlng myself served as a Judicial law clerk 1n federal
court for two years, I am confldent that Mr. Lapldus w111
be one of the best 1aw clerks you could ever have. Whether
the asslgnment 1s mundane and tlme consumlng or dlfflcult
and problematic, Mr. Lapldus w111 provlde you a thoughtful,

Contributions are deductiblefor U.S. incomc tar purposes

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The Honorable Gerard L. Goettel
September 14, 1983

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comprehenslve and pollshed work product.
h1m to you wlth the utmost enthuslasm.

I recommend

Slncerely,

&*lr,)d:. Gulnler

LG/r

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