Ode to D.C. Superior courtroom clerks

Jada Aristilde, one of my favorite courtroom clerks, has left the building.

Ms. Aristilde leaned over to me in courtroom 314 earlier this week after my case was called to tell me that that was her last day.  She will be devoting herself full time to her practice as a realtor.

I have told this story before but I will say it again:  When Mani Golzari and I transitioned to D.C. from the Philadelphia public defender’s office many years ago around the same time, we both thought we had died and gone to heaven. 

There was an enormous difference between the Philly and D.C. court systems.  And this difference applied to the courtroom clerks.

In Philadelphia, we had to deal with the likes of “Fat Danny” who used to make us wait to check in until after he finished his game of solitaire on the computer. 

There was the petty and vindictive pair of April and Effi who ruled the domestic violence courtroom with an iron hand.  Woe to the private counsel who took too long conferring with a client or who otherwise crossed either one of them.  Of course, their threat to call the offending lawyer’s case last on the docket held no sway with the public defenders.  We were there until the last case was called anyway.

This was in marked contrast to the courtroom clerks at D.C. Superior Court. Without exception, the clerks in the District treat us and our clients with the utmost courtesy and respect. 

I cannot imagine the courtroom clerks have an easy job. 

For one thing, they are dealing with many things at the same time: They are manning the phones.  They are calling the cases.  They are checking for next available court dates.  And they are inputting data in to the docket to make sure that the record is accurate and complete. 

More importantly, they are dealing with a group of very pushy and vocal lawyers who are eager to get their cases called so that they can go on to their next courtroom. 

I always position myself so that I am directly in the clerk’s line of vision.  We lawyers do not like to wait.  We get aggravated when one of our colleagues takes up too much of the court’s time. 

My favorite clerks are the ones who keep us informed of the status of the docket.  Stay in the room, they will tell us.  We are about to call your case.  Or:  This will be a while.  You might want to handle matters in other courtrooms first.

Although there are typically two clerks in the courtroom, I have noticed that Jada Aristilde always worked the room alone.  This must have been a testament, an acknowledgment by her supervisors, as to her professionalism and efficiency. 

We will miss Ms. Aristilde.  We can only wish her well.