Judicial Clerkships

Introduction to Judicial Clerkships

Each year we field questions from students about judicial clerkships. Most state appellate and federal courts and judges have openings each year for one or more judicial clerks. Some state trial court judges, particularly in larger communities, also may hire law clerks.

With few exceptions, there are no paid judicial clerkships for law students while they are in law school. Students interested in clerking with a judge, however, may want to explore judicial externships (also called judicial internships). For more information on these opportunities, see Clinics & Externships on the Law School's website.

Our goal here is to outline the types of clerkships available and to provide information on the application processes and timelines as well as resources available to help with your job search. If you don't see here the answers you are looking for, check with a member of our Judicial Clerkship Advisory Committee. Each year the Dean appoints this Committee to work with students interested in judicial clerkships. If we can help, don't hesitate to check with us.

For additional resources and information on the application process, review the Judicial Clerkships documents in the Academic section of MyLaw