Robert McCaw - On Clerking for Justice Hugo L. Black

The transcript discusses the speaker's experience clerking for Justice Black, highlighting two main stories. The first story revolves around the Pentagon Papers case, where Justice Black upheld the First Amendment rights of the New York Times and the Washington Post. Initially, Justice Black considered limiting the First Amendment to political speech, but the case reinforced his belief in its broader application. The second story describes the Chief Justice's decision to appoint an additional clerk for Justice Black, which was initially met with resistance but eventually accepted. These stories illustrate Justice Black's evolving views on free speech and his personal approach to selecting clerks.

What was the Chief Justice's reason for wanting to hire additional clerks?

Describe the relationship between Justice Black and his clerks.