Interview with former Michigan Supreme Court Clerk Harold Hoag

Part 1: Harold Hoag shares stories of his time as Deputy Clerk and Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court between 1967 and 1982. Hoag talks about deciding to become a lawyer while in the Navy, his law school experience, the role of the law clerk in the judicial process,and the Supreme Court Justices he served under, and how they dealt with cases and how he interacted with each. He also discusses the effect the addition of female justices had on the Court, the law in general, and the history of law enforcement in the United States. Hoag ends by reminiscing about his parents and his childhood. Part 2: Harold Hoag, clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court talks about the duties of the clerk, his desire to conduct his office in as apolitical a manner as possible, the partisan nature of the court, shepherding cases through the system and assigning them to the justices by lottery, hiring his own assistant when the case load became to much to bear, and playing "gatekeeper" in the face of the appeals process. Hoag says that the justices have become more like "CEOs and less like judges" as the work load has increased and they have been forced to bring in more clerks and other staff to manage the extreme caseloads. Hoag concludes by recalling the women justices with whom he worked and his legal training at the University of Michigan, and explaining how he came to the Michigan Supreme Court.

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In Collections: Interviews with Michigan State Supreme Court Justices

Copyright Status: In Copyright

Date: 2006-03-27

Interviewees: Hoag, Harold

Interviewers: Ruggles, Glenn

Sponsors: Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society

Subjects: Hoag, Harold
Michigan. Supreme Court
Court administration
Employees
Interpersonal relations
Judges
Judicial process
Law clerks
Law enforcement
Women judges
Law
Law--Study and teaching
Michigan
Michigan--Lansing
Michigan--Ann Arbor
United States

Material Type: Sound recordings
Interviews

Language: English

Extent: 02:59:40

Note: Digital remastering of analog cassettes originally recorded for "Interviews with Michigan Supreme Court Justices," sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society.

Holding Institution: Vincent Voice Library

Permalink: https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m58s4nx38

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1 of 2: Interview with former Michigan Supreme Court Clerk Harold Hoag. Part 1

Harold Hoag shares stories of his time as Deputy Clerk and Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court between 1967 and 1982. Hoag talks about deciding to become a lawyer while in the Navy, his law school experience, the role of the law clerk in the judicial process,and the Supreme Court Justices he served under, and how they dealt with cases and how he interacted with each. He also discusses the effect the addition of female justices had on the Court, the law in general, and the history of law enforcement in the United States. Hoag ends by reminiscing about his parents and his childhood. First of of two interviews of Harold Hoag.

Read

Subjects: Hoag, Harold
Michigan. Supreme Court
Employees
Interpersonal relations
Judges
Judicial process
Law clerks
Law enforcement
Women judges
Michigan
Michigan--Lansing
United States

Extent: 01:26:46

Permalink: https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5qr4rz5m

2 of 2: Interview with former Michigan Supreme Court Clerk Harold Hoag. Part 2

Harold Hoag, clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court talks about the duties of the clerk, his desire to conduct his office in as apolitical a manner as possible, the partisan nature of the court, shepherding cases through the system and assigning them to the justices by lottery, hiring his own assistant when the case load became to much to bear, and playing "gatekeeper" in the face of the appeals process. Hoag says that the justices have become more like "CEOs and less like judges" as the work load has increased and they have been forced to bring in more clerks and other staff to manage the extreme caseloads. Hoag concludes by recalling the women justices with whom he worked and his legal training at the University of Michigan, and explaining how he came to the Michigan Supreme Court. Second of two interviews of Harold Hoag.

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Date: 2006-05-01

Subjects: Hoag, Harold
Michigan. Supreme Court
Court administration
Employees
Law
Law clerks
Law--Study and teaching
Women judges
Michigan
Michigan--Ann Arbor
Michigan--Lansing

Extent: 01:32:54

Permalink: https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5js9mg5c

Interview with former Michigan Supreme Court Clerk Harold Hoag. Part 1

Interview with former Michigan Supreme Court Clerk Harold Hoag. Part 2