For Love of the Law, He’ll Appear in Court Gladly

When Anthony Diaz was in high school, he would spend hours sitting in courtrooms in La Habra, Pasadena and Los Angeles, observing cases.

“I just love the law,” said Diaz, a junior at Chapman College in Orange. “For as long as I can remember.”

Now, the 20-year-old legal studies major can look forward to watching cases at the nation’s highest court.

In January, Diaz will begin an internship at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, where he will spend 5 months preparing a research paper for Chapman and performing general clerical duties for the court.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Diaz, who plans to attend law school. “I’ve been to the Supreme Court building (for a visit). It’s impressive.”

“I recommended his candidacy,” said Mike Weaver, director of the Washington Semester Program, an internship service managed by the State University of New York and affiliated with Chapman. “I liked the enthusiasm with which he approached the opportunity.”

“He’s one of our best,” said Fred Smoller, an assistant professor of political science at Chapman and one of Diaz’s teachers. “He’s intelligent and mature, and we have tremendous confidence in him.”

Diaz was chosen from a field of six students for the internship, one among several programs that place students at the Supreme Court.

He will work in the clerk’s office at the Supreme Court, but not for a particular justice. His duties will include helping attorneys file cases, working on the docket and accepting applications from attorneys for the Supreme Court Bar.

Diaz also will spend time researching cases before they are presented in court and preparing his own arguments for legal seminars with other students.

He must complete a major research paper to earn his 15 credit hours from Chapman next semester.

Joseph Diaz said his son has always been taken with the idea of practicing law. “Sometimes he would take me (to visit in court) during my vacations,” the father said. “He would bring paper and take notes. Since he was 6 or 7 years old, he’s always talked about being a lawyer.”

Anthony Diaz graduated from San Gabriel High School in 1986 and chose to enroll at Chapman because of its size (2,185 students) and his interest in the legal studies major.

His course work is similar to that of a political science major, but with more emphasis on legal matters, Anthony Diaz said.

He hasn’t decided what type of law he wants to practice, but he does have an interest in criminal law. “I’ll just have to see what happens in law school.”

Diaz said he wants to study law in the East because he believes there are more opportunities there. Besides, he said, “I like that cold weather. That would be a nice change of pace.”

But Joseph Diaz and his wife, Sonia, wish Anthony didn’t have to go so far away. “He’s the only kid I have,” his father said.

“At first, they were reluctant,” Anthony Diaz said. “But now they are really happy about it.”

“He’s a good kid,” said his father, a Cuban refugee who came to the United States in 1964. “He’s very diligent. And he said . . . (heading east would be) pretty good for his future.”

Anthony Diaz said he isn’t sure where he wants to go to law school because he has another year before applications are due. But his father thinks he knows.

“He wants to go to Harvard University,” said Joseph Diaz, 55, who worked as a clerk for First Interstate Bank for 20 years before retiring.

Anthony Diaz does plan to apply to the Ivy League school, but said he does not have a first choice yet. If he gets into Harvard, the problem may be paying tuition.

His mother works as an executive secretary for First Interstate Bank. Harvard’s law school tuition is almost $17,000 a year.

“Let’s see what happens,” Joseph Diaz said. “Maybe we can hit the lottery or something.”