A New York Times op-ed argued this week that “the longstanding and well-established practice of having law clerks ghostwrite judges’ legal opinions” is a crisis plaguing the federal appellate judiciary. The commentary continues, noting that while using law clerks to draft opinions helps with work-flow, “Judge written opinions require greater intellectual rigor, exhibit more personal style and lend themselves to more honest and transparent conclusions.”

William Domnarski, Judges Should Write Their Own Opinions, New York Times, May 31, 2012.