Should I do a clerkship after law school?
A judicial clerkship after law school is an invaluable professional experience that provides training and growth opportunities for all lawyers regardless of eventual practice area or specialty. You can intern for judges during law school as well and reap some of the benefits of a clerkship experience.
Is a federal clerkship worth it?
Most lawyers change jobs during their career, and having a clerkship shows that you are a highly capable lawyer, improving your value regardless of the type of work you do. And, you will be more competitive for postgraduate fellowships, scholarships, internships, and government honors programs.
What is a clerkship after law school?
A judicial clerkship is a one or two-year job with a judge following law school graduation. In some courts, law clerks may have more administrative responsibilities, such as infrequent support staff coverage, or may even assist the judge personally, like driving the judge to the airport.
How competitive are federal clerkships?
In general, federal clerkships are more competitive than state court clerkships and generally require a class rank in at least the top 25 percent. Each applicant is considered on his or her individual merit, and judges set their own hiring criteria, so it is impossible to give a definitive grade or experience cutoff.
Why is a clerkship important?
A clerkship allows you to experience a variety of cases with different substantive law and procedural issues that ultimately improves your general knowledge of law and its application. A clerkship will help you decide which practice area is right for you.
How do I prepare for a federal clerkship?
You accepted a clerkship; now what? A to-do list for before your first day
- Familiarize yourself with the court’s docket and local rules.
- Go to court and observe the docket.
- Read as much as you can before the clerkship.
- Work on your own writing.
- Reach out to former law clerks.
Is it hard to get a federal clerkship?
The application process for federal clerkships is handled through a website called “OSCAR”. It is an extremely competitive process and it can be very difficult to even land an interview with a federal judge. State supreme court justices and appellate court judges often have at least one law clerk.