Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkships

Approximately 20% of W&L Law graduates, on average, accept a post-graduate judicial clerkship in federal or state court, or with an Administrative Law Judge at an administrative agency.  A clerkship, at any level, is a rewarding experience, and a wonderful way to begin your practice.  This webpage contains many helpful resources about clerkships, in general, and the application process, in particular.

General Information

The Clerkship Guide -- an overview of clerkships and the application process
The 2009 Law Clerk Hiring Plan
W&L Law Policy Regarding Applications for Federal Clerkships
Pointers for 1Ls and 2Ls Considering a Clerkship

Researching Vacancies, Courts and Judges

OSCAR (for searching and applying to federal court vacancies)
Federal Court Websites (contains links to federal court websites)
Descriptions of Federal Courts
Federal Judicial Center Database (biographical information on federal judges)
Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures  NEW PASSWORD! (requires password from OCP)
Resources for Researching Judges (summary of available resources)
New Jersey Judiciary Judges' Listing (network login required for access)
New Jersey Minority Judges Directory 
ALJ Contact Information and Hiring Practices Survey (contains ALJ hiring info - provided by GWU)
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Court Listing (complete listing of immigration judges) 

The Application Process

Application Mechanics --a summary and reference chart
Timeline for the 2009 Application Process 
Federal court applications to judges following hiring plan:
   - OSCAR (on-line applications)
          Preparing a "grade sheet" in OSCAR
          OSCAR Grade sheet (data for your Grade Description box, must be in .txt format)
Excel Spreadsheet Template (for address lists to "early" federal judges and state judges)
Mail Merge Instructions (for preparing your cover letters)
Application Assembly and Mailing Instructions
Online PDF Creator

Letters of Recommendation

General Information 
Faculty Recommendations:
   - Federal Clerkships 
   - State and ALJ Clerkships
Recommendations from Non-Faculty
Guide to Proper Forms of Address for Clerkship Letters

Writing Samples

Guidelines on Selecting a Writing Sample  

Making Contacts

W&L Alumni on the Bench
Judges Who Have Hired W&L Law Clerks (updated May 2007)
Alumni Mentoring Database (Network login required, searchable for former clerks)
Faculty and Administrators Who Have Clerked
Class of 2005 Judicial Clerks
Class of 2006 Judicial Clerks
Class of 2007 Judicial Clerks
Class of 2008 Judicial Clerks 
Class of 2009 Judicial Clerks
W&L Law Clerkship Committee

Reporting to OCP

Clerkship Application Report
Clerkship Interview Feedback Form

Nominations and Confirmations

US Courts Judicial Confirmations & Vacancies
Federal Judicial Nominations and Confirmations (searchable database courtesy of Yale Law School)
Judicial Staff Directory

Articles and Blogs

Judicial Clerkships for Everyone (Student Lawyer, October 2006)
Rat Race: Insider Advice on Landing Judicial Clerkships (Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert, Third Circuit)
The Clerkship Notification Blog (updates for and from students who have applied, as well as current clerks)
Law Clerk Addict Blog (application process, job announcements, OSCAR notices, information about which prestigious law schools send clerks to feeder or other federal circuit court of appeals judges)
Tips for Balancing the Clerkship and Fellowship Application Process (NALP)
Preparing for Judicial Clerkships: Tips for Spending Your Summer in the Private Sector (NALP)

Other

JudicialClerkships.com
Circuit Map and Links
GS Salary Table
  
 

Career Question?