“Behind every great judge is his or her law clerk,” says Debra Strauss, Esq. Of Behind the Bench, The Guide to Judicial Clerkships.
A judicial clerkship is a post-graduate position and provides the opportunity both to observe the "law in action" in court and often to participate actively in the judicial decision-making process. Most judicial clerkships offer the opportunity to make valuable contacts with practicing lawyers, and will lead to broader employment opportunities upon their conclusion.
Consider a Clerkship - and the Points Below!
Federal and State Supreme Court Clerkships: A large bias exists toward Federal and State Supreme Courts due to the competitive nature of securing these positions. If you wish to apply for a federal or state supreme court clerkship, you must be prepared to hit the ground running in the late summer/early fall of your third year. Most federal judges have agreed to a special timeline and hiring process. It is important that you are aware of the guidelines prior to beginning the application process. However, you will also want to make sure that the geographic and court areas you want to target have not imposed their own (and often earlier) deadlines.
Other State and Local Courts: Offer a great opportunity to shape the law in a particular state while getting to know the legal community. If you have a specific state in which you'd like to practice, this experience can offer you connections with local attorneys and judges and an opportunity to hone in on areas of expertise. State Court application deadlines are often earlier than Federal Clerkship deadlines. (See State Clerkship Application Details)
Details and Resources for the Judicial Clerkship Application Process
Students intending to apply for post-graduate Federal Judicial Clerkships
Please review the important Fall 2011 deadlines and information. Please note that most successful judicial clerkship applicants have at least a 3.5 GPA and have participated in law review. The hiring of law clerks will be done no sooner than the Fall of the third year of law school
For those students who have an interest in applying and have the necessary credentials you must also do the following:
- Notify the Office of Professional Development of your intent to apply for judicial clerkships by Friday, July 29 by sending an e-mail to opd@utoledo.edu.
- Request permission from each recommender to use that individual as a reference.
- Once you notify our office of your intent to apply for judicial clerkships, you will be given a spreadsheet format which you must complete and send your recommender and their administrative assistant by e-mail (with a cc to opd@utoledo.edu) by Thursday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m.
Please continue to monitor your e-mail and this website for more information!
2011 Federal Clerkship Application Details - TBA
2011 State Clerkship Application Details
Related Websites
Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR): https://oscar.symplicity.com/
The Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR) is a single, centralized resource for notice of available federal clerkships, clerkship application information, and law clerk employment information.
Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/lawclerk.nsf
This site explains the federal law clerk hiring process from year to year and the guidelines that are put in place.
Judicial Clerkships.Com http://www.judicialclerkships.com/links.htm
This site provides MUST SEE information and KEY WEB LINKS for judicial clerkship applicants.
U.S. Courts http://www.uscourts.gov/
This site provides background information and helpful resource links for the U.S. Court System.
District Courts of Appeal https://www.sconet.state.oh.us/District_Courts/
This site provides information on the Ohio Courts of Appeal and the various jurisdictions.