Post Graduate Judicial Clerkships
We encourage every student to consider a judicial clerkship, either immediately after graduation or perhaps after a year or two of practice.
A clerkship is a terrific position in which to begin your legal career, regardless of your professional aspirations. Law clerks learn about the litigation process, of course, but also about substantive law, negotiation, professional demeanor and a range of other lawyering skills. In addition to sharpening the writing skills they developed at W&L Law, law clerks have ample opportunity to observe lawyers in action, enhancing their professional judgment before they begin practice.
The Process, In Brief
Students interested in a clerkship, federal or state, begin the application process by meeting with the Clerkship Committee.
Associate Director Melanie Starks and the faculty members of the Committee will provide counseling and assistance with crafting an application strategy. The Clerkship Committee serves as a continuing resource, conducting practice clerkship interviews and advocating for W&L Law applicants with members of the bench.
After meeting with a Committee member, students should carefully review the Clerkship Application Guides (federal and state) available in the Judicial Clerkship folder in the SCORE Resource Library
When these steps have been completed, students are able to request that faculty letters of recommendation support of clerkship applications be prepared here.
Resources
The Clerkship Committee for the 2026 - 2027 academic year:
- Brandon Hasbrouck, Chair
- Alex Klein (Spring Only)
- Heather Skeeles-Shiner
- Melanie Starks
- Alan Trammell
- Allison Weiss
Reimbursement for Judicial Clerkship Job Search
Students who have incurred expenses during initial and call-back interviews for a post-grad judicial clerkship may apply for reimbursement.
- Applications for reimbursement of judicial clerkship job search expenses must be submitted to OCS within 30 days of when the expenses incurred.
- Review The Public Sector Job Support Policy in the SCORE Resource Library for the required form.
Resources to assist students in developing a clerkship application strategy and submitting applications are collected in the Judicial Clerkship folder in the SCORE Resource Library