In 1970, Capozzi clerked for Judge Omer Poos of the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois. Living in Springfield, Illinois, Capozzi became an ardent admirer of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has remained a personal and professional icon to Capozzi. Though originally he was only hired to serve a one-year term, Judge Poos, impressed, kept Capozzi as his law clerk for three years.
