Most lawyers change jobs during their career, and having a clerkship shows that you are a highly capable lawyer, improving your value regardless of the type of work you do. And, you will be more competitive for postgraduate fellowships, scholarships, internships, and government honors programs.
Why are clerkships important?
A clerkship allows you to experience a variety of cases with different substantive law and procedural issues that ultimately improves your general knowledge of law and its application. A clerkship will help you decide which practice area is right for you.
What do judges look for in clerkships?
It varies. Some judges place great emphasis on grades, and grades are important, but they are not the most important factor for all judges. "I always make a Final decision after a personal interview, and, on balance, I prefer applicants who are well-rounded and have the ability to get along with other people.
What is the benefit of a clerkship?
A judicial clerkship provides the opportunity to hone research and writing skills while being exposed to a wide variety of legal issues. Furthermore, a clerkship offers insight into the judicial process and provides practical familiarity with the litigation process.
What is the value of a clerkship?
The benefits of judicial clerkships are well recog- nized. Clerkships offer an opportunity to rigor- ously improve legal research and writing skills, as well as to learn the elements of effective advo- cacy. They provide a privileged view into the de- cision-making process of the judiciary.
Are clerkships hard to get?
It is an extremely competitive process and it can be very difficult to even land an interview with a federal judge. The process is extremely formal, with specific start and end dates for the application process that are uniform for all judges.
Are clerkships competitive?
All federal clerkships are competitive. That said, some are more competitive than others. Generally speaking, the Supreme Court and most Courts of Appeals clerkships are extremely competitive. The most competitive Court of Appeals circuits are the Second, the Ninth and the D.C. circuits.
How prestigious is a clerkship?
Successful candidates tend to be very high in their class, with most being members of their law school's law review or other journal or moot court team. Such clerkships are generally seen as more prestigious than those with state judges. Almost all federal judges have at least one law clerk; many have two or more.
What is clerkship law?
Judicial clerkships are postgraduate, full-time jobs which typically last one or two years. Clerks work for judges at all levels of the state and federal court systems, from trial courts to the courts of last resort.
How important is a law clerkship?
One of the most rewarding aspects of a judicial clerkship is that you will gain a valuable mentor. As judges are usually the best of the profession, you will learn at the hands of a master. Most judges take their mentoring role seriously; more seriously than many practicing lawyers.
Is a federal clerkship prestigious?
Generally speaking, clerking with a federal judge will be considered more prestigious than clerking with a state court judge. As such, students at the top law schools are competing more aggressively for federal clerkships than for state judicial clerkships.
How do clerkships work?
A judicial clerkship is typically a one- or two-year position in the chambers of a judge. A judicial clerk serves, in essence, as a judge's personal attorney, and judges typically place an enormous amount of reliance on the counsel of their clerks.
What is the difference between clerkship and internship?
An internship provides valuable work experience and an opportunity to line up a job before graduation. A legal clerk assists the judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions.Jul 26, 2017
The Benefits of a Judicial Clerkship
Judicial clerkship can be a great way to begin your legal career. To start, there are different types of judicial clerkships to choose from.
Types of judicial clerkships
Federal clerkships are considered the most prestigious clerkships available, especially those that are at the appellate level. However, they are very limited in the availability, and are known to be the most competitive clerkship available.
What do you do as a judicial clerk?
The job duties of a judicial clerk can vary based on the judge, state, and court. In general, judicial clerkships involve doing research on legal issues, writing memorandums and court documents, observing trials, oral arguments, and judiciary proceedings.
What are the benefits of a judicial clerkship?
Judicial clerkships give you the experience to improve skills that are useful to you as an attorney. Having good research and writing skills are essential to practicing law. You also gain a better understanding of trial and appellate procedure that are helpful in certain areas of practice.
The Pros and Cons of a Judicial Clerkship
You may be wondering what exactly a judicial clerkship is and whether it would be a good position for you. In this post, we explain what a judicial clerkship is and the pros and cons of taking such a position!
The Pros and Cons of a Judicial Clerkship
Most judges have at least one attorney on their staff who helps the judge conduct legal research, prepare for hearings and trials and draft written opinions. A law clerk is often a recent graduate.
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OSCAR
Understanding when individual judges wish you to apply is a challenge. Judges do not articulate their preferences at the same time, so this information is not available all at once. The best tool available for ascertaining when and where to apply is the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR).
Using OSCAR
The OSCAR site is very user friendly. Your first step is to create a profile in OSCAR by clicking on the “Register” button on the home page. Once on your home page, you should use the Training Resources to familiarize yourself with how to use the site.
Applying Electronically via OSCAR
If a judge requires you to apply electronically via OSCAR, you should, of course. Applying electronically involves uploading all of your application materials and selecting your recommenders so that their recommendation letters will be uploaded. Detailed instructions are available in the OSCAR tip sheets and video tutorials.
Applying with Hard Copy Materials
Some judges prefer that you submit hard copy materials. You will know that a federal judge wants hard copy materials because (a) they have expressed that preference via an icon that looks like a large manila envelope next to their name, or (b) the judge has no information on record in OSCAR.
Application Timing for First and Second-Year Students
The Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, a hiring timeline and agreement which some federal judges follow, governs the hiring of first and second-year students.
Your Next Steps
As you select your courses, try to enroll in more than one class with your favorite professors, especially those in whose classes you’ve earned high grades in the past. The more opportunity a professor has to observe your performance and get to know you, the better your recommendation letter will be.
Application Timing for the Third-Year Students and Alumni
3L and alumni candidates are not directly affected by the hiring plan; they may apply for any clerkship at any time. But, the plan can cause both federal and state judges to rethink their hiring timelines for all candidates.
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