On Residency at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit with Ivey Schofield L’25

Before Ivey Schofield L’25 found herself on the path to a legal career, she found her voice as a journalist. The same drive to advocate for those in need and amplify truth led her to Elon Law.

“I want to make a difference in my community,” Schofield said. “I enjoy taking complex concepts and breaking them down in ways that people can understand — just like in journalism. The law is a whole different world, and people often need help navigating it. I want to be the person who helps them through it.”

A native of Eastover, South Carolina, Schofield left home for Middlebury College in Vermont, where she studied Spanish and Arabic. After graduation, she began a reporting career in Washington, D.C., before relocating to North Carolina to be closer to family. There, she spent several years covering court cases and legal proceedings — and began to imagine herself not just writing about the law but practicing it.

Now a third-year student at Elon Law, Schofield is pursuing a career in appellate law. After graduation, she will serve as a judicial clerk for Judge Jeffery K. Carpenter at the North Carolina Court of Appeals through July and has secured a federal clerkship following that. Last spring, she completed a residency-in-practice with Chief Judge Albert Diaz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, gaining first-hand knowledge of how appeals cases are managed and heard at the highest levels of the justice system.

Elon Law’s Residency-in-Practice Program is the cornerstone of an innovative curriculum that emphasizes legal skills through hands-on learning. Every second-year law student spends the winter or spring in a full-time, 10-week placement under the supervision of jurists and lawyers inspired to mentor future legal leaders.

This is the first in a series of conversations with Elon Law students in the Class of 2025 reflecting on their recent residencies-in-practice.

How were you inspired to pursue a career in the law?

As a reporter, I was covering court cases and reading a lot of legal filings, and I found them interesting. Then, I wrote an article about the Guardian ad litem program and the need for more volunteers. I spent a day in court watching the Guardian ad litem attorney advocate for the needs of children, and I thought: I could do this.

At the time, I was working two jobs, so I studied for the LSAT at 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eventually I got into Elon on a full scholarship, which made it all possible.

How did you identify your residency as an option?

I knew I wanted to do a judicial residency because I love writing, and working for judges is the best way to get that experience. Elon sent out a list of judges accepting applications. The law school encouraged me to apply to Judge Diaz’s chambers — it’s one of the most prestigious judicial residencies the school offers. I was fortunate to get an interview and the offer soon after.

Describe your daily responsibilities at the office.

I had two main projects: drafting a bench memo and an opinion. I read all the briefs, went through the trial record, identified the key issues and evaluated each party’s arguments. Then for the bench memo, which was about 25 pages, I summarized all of that, including my recommendations to the judge and questions he may want to ask at oral argument. For the opinion, I played with what analysis was needed and what wasn’t because the goal is to write something that’s as short and clear as possible.

Overall, it was a lot of research. I did more research in the first few weeks than in my entire law school career. I spent hours searching for relevant case law, sometimes changing just one word in my search string and getting a completely new set of cases. It could be overwhelming at times, but it was incredibly satisfying when things began to click.

Which of your personal traits helped prepare you for the responsibilities and professional opportunities you’ve discovered in this area of law?

Definitely my writing background and work ethic. I’ve always loved writing — as a journalist, and now as a law student. Appellate law is writing-intensive, and that’s where I’m strongest. I’ve also prioritized internships and writing-intensive roles because that’s where I grow the most. I learn best by doing.

During my 1L summer, I interned for Judge Jeffery K. Carpenter at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and loved it. Since then, I’ve continued pursuing appellate work with N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Julee Flood, and at the N.C. Supreme Court with Justice Trey Allen, and now with Judge Diaz. I enjoy analyzing briefs and learning from attorneys’ writing — what’s persuasive, what isn’t — and figuring out how to apply that to my own work.

You’ll be clerking for a N.C. Court of Appeals judge and preparing for a federal clerkship position following graduation. How did your residency support your career plans and job search?

My residency confirmed that appellate work is what I want to do. It’s writing and thinking — using the law in real scenarios. Writing helps me understand the law better than classroom lessons ever could.

It also showed me how judges think, what clerks look for, and how decisions get made behind the scenes. That’s invaluable experience, since I’ll be clerking at the federal level after graduation.

When I was applying for post-graduation clerkships, having this experience on my resume was a boost.

Share a quick tip for current and prospective students as they prepare for their own Elon Law residencies or law school in general.

For residency, seek feedback and give yourself time to reflect on your work before moving on. I’ve learned to slow down, revisit my writing with fresh eyes, and catch things I wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s been incredibly valuable.

For law school, take a breath. 1L fall is incredibly stressful, and I was overworking before I got injured and hospitalized. After that, I realized the stress wasn’t worth it. Prepare ahead of time, stay organized and don’t try to control everything. Law school never slows down. You have to learn to juggle class, networking, job applications and more. If you can manage that, you’ll be fine.

I decided before my 2L year that I would prioritize experiential opportunities over taking more classes. I strongly believe in the benefit of experience. It’s how I created my journalism career, even though I didn’t study journalism in college. I chose Elon Law for experiential learning like the residency, but I didn’t want residency to be the only legal experience I had on my resume. I worked at the N.C. Court of Appeals in the fall and both the N.C. Court of Appeals and the N.C. Supreme Court in the winter. It was a lot of work to intern for two judges at the same time during the winter trimester, but I firmly believe it was worth it.