Trent Siever, a third-year student in The University of Tulsa’s College of Law, has lived in the Northern District of Oklahoma his entire life.
Beginning this fall, he will be clerking for that district court. Siever was recently selected for a clerkship with U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell, who received his bachelor’s degree from UTulsa in 1981.
“This opportunity means a lot to me,” Siever said. “Being on the judicial side of the law is a perspective that few ever experience, especially at the federal level. Since 2020, federal courts in the eastern half of Oklahoma are busier than ever. This has made clerkships in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma even more transformative for young attorneys starting their careers.”
Siever said he became interested in pursuing a federal judicial clerkship after interning in Frizzell’s chambers following his first year of law school.
“During this internship, I observed daily court proceedings with various judges in the Northern District of Oklahoma and watched three full trials,” he said. “I also completed several writing assignments. My positive experience led me to extern in Magistrate Judge Jodi Jayne’s chambers during my 2L year.”
He then applied for a term clerk position with Frizzell. As a term clerk, Siever will perform various tasks, including legal research, preparing bench memos, drafting and proofreading orders and opinions, verifying citations, and assisting during courtroom proceedings.
He recently attended the Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference hosted by Columbus Law at The Catholic University of America. “During the conference, I listened to and interacted with appellate judges from the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 10th Circuits and many district judges from around the country,” he said.
Siever said at UTulsa Law he has gained invaluable preparation for his federal clerkship through classes that have emphasized critical analysis and precise legal writing. “My professors, some former clerks, have impacted my knowledge and understanding of the law since my first day on campus,” he said. “Additionally, the law school’s strong connections with the Northern District of Oklahoma facilitated internship opportunities that familiarized me with federal court procedures and practices long before I will begin my clerkship.”
Professor of Legal Writing Lori Twomey said she had the pleasure of teaching Siever in Legal Writing I and II, coaching him in the Military Law Moot Court Competition, and working with him as a teaching assistant.
“While he excels academically and can always be counted on to get the job done well and on time, his true gift is his ability to form and maintain meaningful relationships with others,” she said. “I couldn’t be more excited that Trent will begin his legal career as a clerk for Judge Frizzell.”