Law alumna continues to excel
by Catherine Deyarmond
Berenis Ibarra López (J.D. ’24) accepted a 2026-2027 clerkship with the Hon. Irma Carrillo Ramirez, J.D., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. López is currently a law clerk for the Hon. David Briones, Senior U.S. District Judge in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division. She will complete two years with Briones before starting her new clerkship in Fall 2026.
“A clerkship at the United States Court of Appeals can be a steppingstone to a similar position in Washington, D.C., with a justice at the United States Supreme Court,” said Vincent Johnson, J.D., Professor of Law and the Katherine A. Ryan Distinguished Chair for Global, Comparative and International Law. “St. Mary’s has a long history of sending many of its best graduates into positions with excellent state and federal judges.”
As a federal judicial law clerk, López will concentrate on legal research and writing. The duties of a clerk also may include conducting legal research, preparing bench memos, drafting orders and opinions, proofreading the judge’s orders and opinions, verifying citations, communicating with counsel regarding case management and procedural requirements, and assisting the judge during courtroom proceedings.
“I am proud to represent St. Mary’s Law in the federal law clerk community.”
— Berenis Ibarra López (J.D. ’24)
Ramirez is the first Latina woman to hold the position. She has appellate jurisdiction over district courts in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Ramirez has her chambers in Dallas, but the judge and her law clerks travel to New Orleans to the Fifth Circuit to hear cases set for oral argument.
“It is truly an honor to serve in this role for an esteemed jurist like Judge Ramirez,” López said. “I am eager to contribute to her chambers. I am proud to represent St. Mary’s Law in the federal law clerk community.”
A native of Center Point, López is the child of immigrants from Mexico. She is a first-generation college graduate. During her third year at St. Mary’s Law, she was a member of the nation’s top-ranked St. Mary’s National Moot Court Team.
