judicial clerkships; transactional career
Tips for counseling students about obtaining good letters of recommendation for judicial clerkships.
What's coming next for OSCAR?
Summary of issues related to the 2004 judicial clerkship hiring plan.
What can we as career services professionals do to help boost the number of students applying for judicial clerkships?
The ABA has developed two programs designed to help increase the opportunities for diverse law students to land judicial clerkships.
Partnering with faculty and CSOs to improve the clerkship advising process.
Interviews with judges can be intimidating. Here are some suggestions to share with students interviewing for judicial clerkships.
A new Presidential administration means a new start to federal judicial confirmations. When should law students and alumni begin applying?
Here are a few of the programs that have emerged since the late 1990s to help law students forge pathways into judicial clerkships.
NALP Research: A Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks 1992-2007, June 2008
The Northwest Consortium of Law Schools model can help other consortia of law schools or individual schools create their own database of state clerkship opportunities.
This article provides help in sorting out the web-based resources for students interested in judicial clerkships.
The value of judicial clerkships to students, judges, and firms is a frequent topic of discussion in the legal recruiting field.
When most law students think of courthouse jobs, they think of judicial clerkships, but many attorneys find deeply satisfying non-traditional legal careers in and around the courts.
When minority students miss the opportunity to clerk, they are at a disadvantage that may impact the future composition of the power structures in the legal profession and in our nation. This article suggests ways that career services professionals can help to address the racial disparity in federal clerkships.
The path to a clerkship can be quite varied, with some Federal Courts participating through OSCAR, but not all. Every state handles State Court clerkships differently, and a handful of specialty courts are thrown into the mix.
One handout from the session “Winning Strategies for Supporting Diverse Clerkship Applicants” at the April 2018 NALP Annual Education Conference was a directory of diversity judicial internship and clerkship programs. Armed with this list, how do you get students to apply? This article will address some common barriers.
For public interest job seekers, finding “the right clerkship” is not always easy, and there are numerous ways career advisors can help.
The content of recommendation letters is in a judge's mind before a candidate even walks in the door.
As the legal profession looks to enhance DEI practices, students from diverse backgrounds should be apprised of the opportunities that exist within judicial clerking, understand what is required for them to be competitive candidates, and have access to mentorship and sponsorship from schools, faculty, and community stakeholders.
Melissa MacDougall outlines challenges and benefits of rural clerkships and encourages advisors to engage students in full discussions and explorations of clerkships in all areas.
NALP Research, A Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks — Patterns of Disproportionality, 2010
Help Along the Way: A New Approach to Workplace Conduct in Federal Courts Webinar, May 17, 2021
The Judicial Clerkship Section is for members who interested in preparing law students for judicial clerkships or managing the departure and return from employer organizations of associates who pursue judicial clerkships.
Even as the percentage of racial/ethnic minority graduates has increased over the last 15 years, minority representation among court clerks has continued to lag behind minority representation among all graduates by about 5 percentage points
The OSCAR Program Manager offers insights into the Judiciary's decision-making process for the Oscar Program, and, more recently, the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan.
Federal judges have a good deal of latitude regarding background checks for judicial clerkship applicants. Here is a guide to what applicants should expect.
Research on judicial clerkships, legal fellowships, honors programs, and the Recent Graduate Program for entry-level attorneys seeking employment with federal agencies.
More and more law students are accepting judicial clerkships that begin a year after their start with a firm. What does this mean for law firms and for law school career counselors?
Judicial externships can open students' eyes to the reasons to consider judicial clerkships while providing an invaluable learning experience.
Information on employment trends from the Class of 2016, in particular demographic profiles of judicial clerkships.
There is no shortage of talent for state court clerkships, externships, or internships. State chief justices and administrators are working to make these opportunities more accessible through the new online portal for state court opportunities, CORA.
NALP Director of Research Danielle A. Taylor analyses data from the Class of 2021 that show disparities continue to persist for new law graduates of color in obtaining judicial clerkship positions, particularly at the federal level.
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's Jazzma Pryor outlines the roadblocks for students of color who pursue a judicial clerkship opportunity.
This article discusses how to advise judicial clerks on their search, from self-reflection through offer acceptance.
NALP Research, Racial/Ethnic Representation of Class of 2019 Judicial Clerks, February 2021
Federal clerkships are thought to be among the most prestigious and competitive positions for new law school graduates. They help serve as a “bridge” between law school and practice of law, primarily designed as a one-to-two-year commitment. Receiving unparalleled access to members of the judiciary, honing sharp analytical skills, developing top-notch legal writing, and the opportunity to work in a closely connected environment, provides some of the strongest rationale for why these jobs are in demand.
Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks, NALP Bulletin, July 2003
As an alumni advisor, I encounter two common questions from law clerks: “When should I start looking?” and “How do I conduct a job search now that I am a graduate without the hiring timelines previously provided by my law school?” Here is what you need to know to field these frequently-asked questions and launch your graduates on a post-clerkship job search.
Duquesne University School of Law’s Maria Comas and Jan Levine is Professor address the confusion around platforms for legal citation systems.
These tips for judicial clerkship candidates, who may increasingly encounter behavioral interviewing questions, also offer pointers for other job candidates and for career counselors.
The dearth of minority judicial law clerks is admittedly a complex issue, but there are ways for law school career services professionals to make a difference.
George Washington University Law School Julie McLaughlin and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Janet Siegel Brown explore the advantages of the federal magistrate judge clerkship.
University of Chicago Law School’s Amy Nixon summarizes recent research and trends to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among law school candidates interested in judicial clerkships.
Aliza Shatzman, President and Co-Founder of the Legal Accountability Project, explains how a new database will help law students identify judges with a record of misconduct when applying for clerkship positions.
Even as the percentage of minority graduates has increased substantially over the last 15 years, minority representation among court clerks has not shown similar growth.
The Supreme Court clerkship process may be the most enigmatic of all — and the least likely to change.
Developing an intelligently tailored search can help a student find a judicial clerkship - and, more important, find one that's a good "fit."
The consolidation of patent cases among fewer judges in a given district means great opportunities for students, as this article explains.
As with JD Advantage jobs within the corporate world, alternative opportunities are also available in the courthouse.
Judicial clerkship interviews are unique. Help your students prepare by zeroing in on the important details about the judge, the opportunity, and themselves.
The University of Kansas School of Law’s Meredith Wiggins explains why law students and recent graduates interested in judicial clerkships should consider starting out in rural and smaller-market areas to gain advantages toward landing a clerkship in a major city.
NALP Research, Increasing Diversity of Law School Graduates Not Reflected Among Judicial Clerks, 2014
Judicial Clerks Remain Less Diverse than Law Graduates Overall, NALP Research, October 2022. judicial clerks, judicial clerkships, diversity
While federal clerkship options for international students are limited, state courts may still offer some options.
When a faculty member asks a student to do an initial draft of a recommendation letter, how can a student best take advantage of the opportunity?
Many judges are seeking experienced lawyers to fill clerkship positions, but law firms will not always be in a position to guarantee departing associates a position upon completion of a clerkship.
University of Chicago Law School’s Amy Nixon and Columbia Law School’s Andrea C. Saavedra interview Citadel Chief Legal Officer Shawn Fagan about the importance of judicial clerkships to corporate law careers.
Court clerks should ask themselves why they wouldn’t want to work for a senior judge instead of why they would.
While mentorship remains integral to legal professional development, its effectiveness depends significantly on mentee preparedness. Moving upstream and embedding coaching and coaching-informed conversations into your mentorship models will enhance mentorship outcomes by cultivating identity formation, goal clarity, and developmental ownership.
How does a federal clerkship affect where clerks obtain jobs following their clerkship?
This article suggests steps law schools and legal employers can take now to help the fall season go more smoothly.
Here are some tips to help career advisors navigate what can seem an intimidating judicial clerkship application process.
Identifying, assisting, and tracking alumni judicial clerks can seem a bit like trying to herd cats, but there are benefits both for the alumni and for the school. Here are some suggested strategies.
Both the Federal appropriations law and the Trump administration’s recent measures to overhaul immigration laws present significant challenges to foreign students’ ability to obtain judicial clerkships.
Abigail L. Perdue’s comprehensive and thoroughly readable soft-covered treatise, The All-Inclusive Guide to Judicial Clerking (West Academic Publishing, 2017), is a window into the meticulous and methodical work ethic needed to succeed as a federal judicial law clerk.
Confusion and lack of direction can delay students from applying for clerkships. Here are some tips for managing and streamlining the process.
Some career clerks are hired after applying to a job posting, but many use their professional networks.
NALP research staff will be conducting a survey in mid-October to gather information about what, if anything, law schools are currently doing to increase the pool of minority candidates for clerkships.
NALP will cease publication of the federal portion of its print directory, endorsing instead the Federal Law Clerk Information System.
judicial clerkships; staff attorneys
Over the last ten years, the overall number of judicial clerkships obtained by law school graduates has decreased significantly, and over this same time, minority representation in general has increased slightly but the representation of African-American/Black men has eroded significantly.
Judicial clerkships are just as beneficial for students interested in public service careers as for those who want to pursue private practice, but public service-minded students are often much less likely to consider clerkships.
If you work with law students, you are probably aware that we are operating under a new federal law clerk hiring plan — and that we are quickly approaching the time for judges to begin looking at applications from current 2Ls. The plan, which is a two-year pilot program, provides that for the Class of 2020, federal judges “will not seek or accept formal or informal clerkship applications, seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers before June 17, 2019.” Practically speaking, this means that law students will be applying for, and potentially interviewing for, fede...
Contrary to popular perception, bankruptcy clerkships offer broad exposure to litigation and transactional practice and can open the door to a multitude of legal careers.
Gap year clerkships, which are slated to begin one year out from a student's date of graduation, are increasingly common but can be particularly challenging for public interest law students.
Whether or not your firm's lawyer ranks are filled with many former judicial clerks or none at all, there is no question that it is to your advantage to understand the issues involved in the judicial clerkship hiring process.
Many law school students and graduates who are not U.S. citizens assume they are ineligible to apply for state and federal judicial clerkships or are detered by the maze of rules and regulations. This article provides a summary of the relevant information for non-U.S. citizens considering a post-graduate clerkship.
If you are new to judicial clerkship advising or struggling to master judicial clerkship advising while also having a full range of other counseling duties, here are some tips for you.
Political activism has been on the rise since the 2016 election on both sides of the political spectrum. And with the “Trump bump” in law school applications, we can expect there may be an increase in the number of law students engaged in social activism. As career counselors, we should be prepared for how this activism may impact a student’s job search — specifically, in working for the judiciary.
Despite the obvious benefits and shorter time commitments, convincing the students most qualified for judicial clerkships to seek them is challenging. Fortunately, there are many ways to engage students on the topic of judicial clerkships, and the earlier the better. Developing a comprehensive plan to put information before students from the beginning of law school is key.
A preview of conference programming related to judicial clerkships.
Tips for preparing for judicial clerkship application season.
The overall representation of minorities among judicial clerks has increased only marginally since the mid-1990s and has essentially flat-lined over the past ten years.
If you are a recruiter, you are probably accustomed to seeing students who have already secured post-graduate clerkships interview at your firm during the recruiting season. Did you notice a drop in that trend last summer? The reason is the new federal law clerk hiring plan. This article outlines the plan, its potential impact on law firms, and suggestions for moving forward.
Boston University’s Blair Edwards and Georgetown University Law Center’s Michele Hoff outline a brief history and look forward for the federal court hiring plan for law clerks.
For students interested in pursuing an Indigenous Law career, performing an externship or judicial clerkship with a Tribal Court may be the perfect opportunity. In addition to the traditional benefits of performing a clerkship, Tribal Court clerkships can help students gain valuable insights into cultural issues that will prove helpful throughout their career. There is a tremendous need for legally-trained advocates in all levels of tribal government. As with local, state, and federal courts, there are many types of Tribal Court systems that may provide clerkship opportunities.
As a law school career professional, you play an important role in supporting federal law clerks with workplace challenges. Judicial Integrity Officer Michael Henry and Yale Law School’s Elizabeth K. Peck explain what you need to know.
This article provides tips and resources for those counseling students on state judicial clerkship opportunities.
With guidance from its Judicial Clerkship Section, NALP conducted a brief online survey to learn what law schools are doing to encourage their minority students to apply for judicial clerkships.
Drake University Law School’s Kathryn “Katie” Overberg offers tools and tips for how Small and Solo career development professionals can best support students interested in judicial clerkships.
NALP Webinar: Minnesota Courts Law Clerk Information Session
With federal judicial application deadlines just past, now is the time to look at ways to encourage state judicial clerkship applications in the coming year.
NALP Director of Research Danielle A. Taylor examines racial/ethnic representation among judicial law clerks from the recently released Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Graduates, Class of 2019.
University of South Carolina School of Law’s Elizabeth Crane explains how networking, geography, developing a diverse skill set and post-clerkship opportunities are all reasons for law students to consider a state court clerkship.
Preparing your candidates early, coordinating with your clerkship committee, maintaining communication and exploring mentorship programs are various methods to help applicants seeking judicial clerkship positions.
