About
Carroll alumna, Tori Nickol ’16, recently completed a fellowship at the Supreme Court of the United States, where she worked in the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice. Here, she reflects on the experience.
It is hard to fathom that nearly a decade has passed since I was a student at Carroll College. Since then, I have graduated from the University of Montana School of Law, worked at every level of the federal judiciary, and started a legal career in public service. I do not doubt that my time at Carroll was crucial to accomplishing each step.
In August, I completed a year-long fellowship at the Supreme Court of the United States, where I was assigned to the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice. The Counselor assists the Chief Justice with the statutory responsibilities associated with the head of the judicial branch, serves as the Court’s chief of staff, researches and supports the Court’s public addresses and statements, monitors developments in the fields of judicial administration and court reform, and represents the Chief Justice in the Court’s relationships with other branches of government and with foreign courts. While working in the Counselor’s Office, I was assigned four categories of work: (1) briefing international visitors on the history, procedures, and operation of the federal court system; (2) overseeing and teaching interns in the Supreme Court Internship Program; (3) researching and writing on topics of interest to the federal judiciary; and (4) carrying out other duties as assigned.
On the first point, I welcomed foreign jurists, court administrators, and judges to the Supreme Court. I met with these individuals and groups to provide interactive briefings during which they had the opportunity to learn about the federal courts and ask me questions, and I had the opportunity to learn about their respective legal systems. Each of these meetings required significant preparation and research; I ultimately met with delegations from over three dozen countries and learned something from each one.
My time helping with the Supreme Court Internship Program was one of the highlights of my year. I directly oversaw interns working in the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice and worked with them daily to develop foundational writing, editing, and research skills. My co-Fellows and I also developed semesters-long curricula and co-taught weekly classes to the full group of interns. Encouraging an interest in the law and bearing witness to the enthusiasm of the students was a delight.
I also produced a paper of publishable quality on court administration during my fellowship. I had the great good fortune of working with brilliant researchers and lawyers at the Federal Judicial Center, the Administrative Offices for the U.S. Courts, and the Federal Sentencing Commission throughout my project. I presented my work to a committee of federal judges this past spring. Throughout the researching and editing process, I learned more about the administration, management, and organization of the federal court system than I ever thought possible.
Some of the most interesting parts of the fellowship came with the completion of “other duties as assigned.” One of those duties involved assisting with the lying in repose and funeral of the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. It was an honor to play a small part in coordinating the events at the Court that paid homage to Justice O’Connor’s work and at the National Cathedral that celebrated her legacy. At other times, I found myself speaking to high school classes about the importance of understanding the role of our democratic institutions or found myself assisting with the review of the Court’s new public exhibits. Each day promised something a bit different, and I never tired of that excitement.
In addition to these duties, the fellowship year also provided me with other unbelievable opportunities. I attended over twenty Supreme Court oral arguments and had a front-row seat to remarkable appellate advocacy. I toured the Libraries of Congress, the Pentagon, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Capitol, and the White House. I met people from all over the country and the globe. I got to live in and explore a city in which I had never imagined being a resident.
I can honestly say I never lost the feeling of awe when walking into the Supreme Court every day. There were moments of magic: I was verklempt when seeing the Court’s library for the first time and when being sworn in to the Supreme Court Bar. There were moments of magnitude: it was surreal to sit in the courtroom on non-argument days as the Court announced its decisions from the bench. And there were moments of missing Montana: I savored every minute of my time in D.C. and at the Court, and I contemplated staying in D.C., at least for awhile. But ultimately, being away from Montana only made me more certain that I wanted my next step to be towards home.
So, this fall I began working as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. I am assigned to the Indian Country Unit of the Criminal Division, and I prosecute violent crime in Indian Country. I also prosecute crimes of general applicability throughout the District. I manage criminal cases as they proceed through the investigative and adjudicative phases. In other words, I review evidence; submit indictments and present them to the grand jury; and represent the United States in pretrial litigation, plea negotiations, trial, sentencing, and appeal. The work is challenging and important, and it is only possible because of the dedication, integrity, and ability of the people with whom I work.
My most recent experiences have reinforced a core value that one of my mentors instilled in me: the rule of law is something we all do together. I hope that my fellowship and work as a federal prosecutor serve as my contribution to the rule of law and contribution to something greater than myself—the sort of purposes for which Carroll taught me to strive.
In addition to her B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science from Carroll College, Ms. Nickol holds a J.D., with high honors, from the University of Montana School of Law, where she served as the Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Montana Law Review.
