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.
“Ms. López’s success in securing these prestigious clerkships is a testament to her exceptional abilities,” said St. Mary’s Law Dean Patricia Roberts, J.D. “We are immensely proud of Berenis and confident that her achievements will inspire future generations of St. Mary’s Law students. Her clerkships with Judge Briones and Judge Ramirez showcase the exceptional opportunities available to St. Mary’s Law students and highlight the value of our Judicial Clerkship Mentorship Program.”
López benefited from her participation in the St. Mary’s Law’s Judicial Clerkship Mentorship Program. In 2022, the Hon. Marina Garcia Marmolejo (M.A./J.D. ’96) approached Roberts about growing clerkship opportunities from her court. The program offers a select number of students the chance to work closely with the judge and her clerks to prepare for a post-grad judicial clerkship.
“I am proud to represent St. Mary’s Law in the federal law clerk community.”
— Berenis Ibarra López (J.D. ’24)
“In addition to receiving significant help with the clerkship application process, students in the program enroll in two advanced legal writing seminars in which they perform duties similar to those of actual judicial clerks,” Assistant Dean for Career Strategy Robin Thorner, J.D., said. “This unique hands-on exposure to the work of a judicial law clerk is a tremendous advantage for our students.”
With the help of Garcia Marmolejo, 20 St. Mary’s Law graduates and students have secured judicial clerkships. Several mentees in the St. Mary’s Judicial Clerkship Mentorship Program obtained subsequent clerkships following their initial terms.
Garcia Marmolejo, a Jurist in Residence at the School of Law, stressed the importance of the Judicial Clerkship Mentorship Program, especially for first-generation students who receive employment and experience after graduation, such as López. Garcia Marmolejo said she is “immensely proud of Berenis. This achievement is a testament to Berenis’ dedication, determination and intellect; it also underscores the value and impact of the Judicial Clerkship Mentorship Program.”
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.
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. Before graduating in May 2024, López was named a 2024 Presidential Award recipient by St. Mary’s University. The Presidential Award is presented to students who exemplify leadership, service and academic excellence.
“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.”
