Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkship Information

Judicial clerkships are one of the most desirable positions. Law clerks work closely with a judge and help write court orders and opinions, provide background research, and otherwise assist the judge in managing the court's docket. 

The length of the clerkship can vary, from a one-year term position to a career postion.  The type of experience also varies, depending on the type of court where the clerkship is situated.

It is true that more and more judges have been hiring clerks with previous work experience, but clerkships have always been considered  the province of law graduates, and students are encouraged to apply.  While all judges at the state and federal level employ law clerks to assist them in chambers, state judges rarely hire term clerks.  Therefore, the majority post-graduate judicial clerkship opportuntities are with federal judges.

Due to hiring limitations, the clerkship hiring season takes place during Summer of the third year of law school.  Students are encouraged to begin compiling their materials during the Spring Semester of their second year.  Below are materials for the upcoming  hiring season. 

Even if you are not a 2L, it is never too early to begin preparing for clerkship hiring season.  Students are encouraged to start building strong relationships with professors who can act as recommenders in the future and cultivate their analytical writing skills by participating in law journals and seminar classes with a paper requirement.

Judicial Clerkship Manual
Application Timeline Checklist

Student Clerkship Registration Form

Letter of Recommendation Directions

Letter of Recommendation Spreadsheet

Useful Resources for Researching Judicial Clerkships

• Judicial Clerkships Held by Santa Clara Law Faculty
• Read Behind the Bench - The Guide to Judicial Clerkships by Debra M. Strauss (available for students to check out from the LCS office)
• Judicial Clerkships.com
• Rat Race - Insider Advice to Judicial Clerkships
• OSCAR
• US Courts
• US Federal Judicial Branch Overview
• California Courts
• Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships. Go to ClaraNet, Law Career Services, and open the folder titled "Judicial Clerkship Information - State".
• California Courts
• Former Federal Law Clerks Society
• National Tribal Court Law Clerk Program

SCU Law Career Services Contact For Post-Grad Judicial Clerkship Information

• Vicki Huebner - Assistant Dean for Law Career Services / (408) 554-4350 / vhuebner@scu.edu
• Jennifer Babcock – Assistant Director for Law Graduate Employment / (408) 554-4162 / jbabcock@scu.edu
• Schedule an appointment with Vicki or Jennifer to discuss post-graduate judicial clerkships by clicking here.