Federal Judicial Clerkships
A judicial law clerk serves as an assistant to a judge and performs many functions. Clerkships are available in both federal and state courts and at both the trial and appellate levels. The clerk is a member of the judge's staff and may perform any of the tasks assigned to the judge's staff, which could include proofreading, editing, legal researching, drafting, and verifying citations.
Clerking for a federal judge for a one or two year term following graduation is a prestigious position, and the application process is very competitive. Most federal judges hire 3L/4L students in the fall of the final year in law school for clerk positions that begin the following summer/fall. These positions provide a recent graduate great experience, good contacts and, in most cases, a strong recommendation letter from the judge for future positions. For information about applying for federal judicial clerkship positions, please visit Applying for Federal Judicial Clerkships.