Resources
Judicial Clerkships
Types of Clerkships
State Court Clerkships
Many states offer clerkships at both appellate and trial court levels. The opportunities in state court permit clerks to gain experience and inside knowledge about the state court system, as well as substantial networking connections. Many clerks decide to practice in the states where they gain clerkship experiences.
Types of Courts
- State Appellate Court
- State Trial Court
- Delaware Chancery Court
- State Administrative Law Judges
Timelines for Applications
- Applications: Judges will post information on when they are accepting applications and the time frame for the clerkship. Typically, applications are accepted in August, September, or January, but it is critical to check individual states and judges for their timeline to apply.
- Typical Application Materials
- Interview Timing: Relatively soon after application submitted to judge.
- Clerkship Offers: Typically, soon after the interview is completed. Occasionally offers are made on the spot at the conclusion of an interview.
- Accepting Offers: Within twenty-four hours after the offer is made. The norm is to accept the first offer received from a judge and not to leverage an offer from one judge to obtain an offer from another judge. Consult with members of the Judicial Clerkships Committee and/or your Career Advisor about any uncertainty in navigating the clerkship offer process.
Sources for Job Listings
- US Courts (www.uscourts.gov): Provides general information about US Courts, including publications, directories, news, and information. Students can search all Courts by selecting “Careers” and then selecting “Search Judiciary Jobs” and then inserting “Law Clerk” in the search by job title or keyword box. The postings in US Courts can be browsed by state, circuit, district, etc.
- The National Center for State Courts (https://www.ncsc.org): The National Center for State Courts website provides links to certain state court websites. Employment opportunities are in the Court Community Jobs under the Jobs tab. Some courts list law clerks under employment opportunities.
- Vermont Law School Guide to State Court Judicial Clerkships
(https://secure.vermontlaw.edu/career/guides/): The Vermont Law School Guide provides procedural information for all fifty states and for trial level through appellate level courts. BYU Law students may use the password contained here to access the Guide.
Other Sources of Information
- Judicial Clerkships Committee: Members of the BYU Law School Judicial Clerkships committee are ready, willing, and able to help all students seeking clerkships.
- Professors, Alumni, and Law Students: Professors and alumni who have clerked for a judge and law students who have accepted offers to clerk for a judge can provide a well of information for students seeking clerkships.
- BYU Law School Judicial Law Clerks (BYU Law Judicial Clerk List): This list on the Judicial Clerkships Committee page contains a list of BYU law school graduates who have served as judicial clerks from 2010 until today.