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When Christine Socha ’02took an assignment as a law clerk in Bergen County, N.J., she shared a strong connection with her mentor. She clerked for Peter Doyne ’73, a Bergen County chancery judge, whose colleagues include judges Gerald Escala ’57 and Robert C. Wilson ’76.
“I have found most Lafayette alums attribute their own success, however that may be measured, to their years at Lafayette,” says Socha, a government and law graduate who earned her law degree at Seton Hall University. “As a result, Lafayette graduates are, by and large, receptive to working with other alums or assisting current students.”
“Christine came highly recommended by [Federal Judge] Joel Pisano [’71], another distinguished Lafayette alumnus,” says Doyne. “Although Christine had an outstanding academic record, it was her affiliation with Lafayette that secured her position. It was edifying to see how much Christine had enjoyed Lafayette and her college experience, and how that feeling has continued after her graduation. She is a vibrant and capable representative of our school.”
Within the first month, says Doyne, Socha was confronted with an exciting, interesting election matter that required the pair to work throughout multiple weekends.
“Working together, we were able to author three separate opinions within a one-month period in a matter that went to the Appellate Division and the Supreme Court on more than one occasion,” he explains. “Christine was able to experience first-hand the exhilaration of addressing an intellectually challenging and important election matter.”
“I had a wonderful experience and a truly exceptional year,” says Socha. “A clerkship in the Chancery Division is generally considered a coveted position because of the nature of the cases.”
The chancery division deals with cases involving anything except monetary damages, such as specific performance of a contract to purchase real estate, those seeking permanent injunctions, partnership and/or corporate dissolution, enforcement of restrictive covenants, and contested foreclosure actions.
“These cases tend to be more complex, challenging, and very interesting,” Socha says. “Accordingly, the lawyers who appear before the court are often the best in their field and/or experienced, impressive litigators.”
As a law clerk, Socha served as Doyne’s legal assistant. Judges have different expectations for their clerks, so the job varies from judge to judge.
“For Judge Doyne, my focus was on the motions; that is, pre-trial and post-judgment applications for various relief,” she says. “I primarily drafted decisions, in the form of written opinions, on these applications. I also performed legal research for the judge, dealt with attorneys and pro se litigants [those who represent themselves] daily, handled all aspects of the motion calendar (specifically, scheduling oral arguments and fielding requests for adjournments), and occasionally drafted memoranda on various legal issues.”
A certified mediator, Socha also mediated numerous special civil and small-claims cases.
She found Doyne to be an “incredibly hard worker” who diligently considers everything that comes before him, from routine letters by attorneys to complex legal memoranda.
“Although at first I found it difficult to keep up with his pace, I quickly fell into step and found myself working longer and harder than I ever have before,” she says. “Judge Doyne challenged me, which only made me continue to strive to do my best. One of the best things about clerking for Judge Doyne was that he always kept me involved with the decision-making process. We would often discuss, and sometimes debate, how he was inclined to rule on a particular motion or in a specific case. In fact, towards the end of my tenure as his law clerk I was actually able to predict how he would decide certain issues.”
Doyne came to admire her abilities.
“Christine is meticulously organized, exuberant in spirit, and anxious to learn. Her industry was readily apparent and continuous,” he says.
On Sept. 11, Socha became an associate in the litigation department of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, the Bridgewater, N.J., firm where she was a summer associate in 2004. The firm offered her the position at the end of that summer and held it until she completed her clerkship.
Socha serves as correspondent for the Class of 2002 and plans on becoming more active with her alma mater because her Lafayette experience taught her so much.
“It has taken me until now to figure out my long-term goals and what I believe will make me happy,” she notes. “I can say, however, that my years at Lafayette played a significant role in preparing me for this life I am about to begin. My experiences at Lafayette taught me to aim high, work hard, and put forth nothing but my best. Most importantly, however, these experiences taught me to always be true to myself.”