Judicial Clerkships, for 3Ls

Dear Rising 3L's:

This is an email to remind you that for those of you interested in FEDERAL JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS for after graduation, now is the time for you to be acting. You should be working on getting together your resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample. In addition, if you have not done so yet, you must contact those professors and practitioners who will serve as your recommenders and work with Debby Warren on the production of letters. She handles the electronic uploading of letters for OSCAR judges and the printing of hard-copy letters for non-OSCAR judges. Of course, you also need to have figured out your target judges and geographic markets.

Under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan - http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/lawclerk.nsf/Home?OpenForm - the first date when applications for federal judicial clerkships may be received is Tuesday, September 8 (the day after Labor Day). This is also the date that OSCAR information is released. The first date and time when judges may contact applicants to schedule interviews is Friday, September 11, and the first date and time when interviews may be held and offers made is Thursday, September 17. Note that some judges may not adhere to this plan; law schools, however, discourage potential applicants from submitting applications prior to the date in the plan.

As for OREGON STATE JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS, note that the Oregon appellate courts (Supreme Court and Court of Appeals) are generally done with hiring for fall 2010. As for the Oregon trial courts, the Lane County Circuit Court will come to campus for a lunch-time presentation later in the fall semester. Generally their applications are due by November or December, and generally they interview in the early spring semester. Other circuit courts around the state have less formal systems; you should contact the clerks of the courts in which you may have an interest to find out more.

As for OTHER STATES, I invite you to use the 2010 Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures, which we (and most other law schools) purchase from Vermont Law School every year. Kay Bailey of my office sent out an email earlier this week with the password information. As a reminder, go to http://forms.vermontlaw.edu/career/guides/; contact us if you need to get the passwords again. Note that some courts begin to look at applications as early as the spring semester of 2L year or September of your 3L year for post-graduate clerkships, so you may need to act quickly on some applications.

If you have any questions about clerkships, please feel free to contact any of us in the CSO and any faculty members who you know or wish to approach.

Josh