Does he even have a legal background?
Somewhat. He has a JD from Stanford and clerked in the 11th Circuit court of appeals for one year.
But one of the biggest turning points in Thiel's early career was actually a rejection, as Above the Law noted on Friday.
Specifically, Thiel was turned down for clerkship positions under US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Thiel discusses the missed opportunity — and the opportunity that it created — in his book, "Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future," as highlighted by Above the Law:
After clerking on a federal appeals court for a year, I was invited to interview for clerkships with Justices Kennedy and Scalia. My meetings with the Justices went well. I was so close to winning this last competition. If only I got the clerkship, I thought, I would be set for life. But I didn’t. At the time, I was devastated.
“Does he even have a legal background?”
No. This story is pure BS.
SCOTUS appointees need a law degree first, and to know the Constitution and be prepared to follow it to the letter.
Anyone in this forum who believes this story, or worse, thinks Thiel is a good idea for SCOTUS, needs a sound spanking.
Oops. My bad. Others say he does have a law degree, but was turned down for clerk positions. So he has no law **experience**.
I’m ready for my spanking now. :-)