CHARTING A COURSE FOR SUCCESS : JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS

STEP 3 - THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Applying for a state or federal court clerkship requires planning and research. A complete application package may take a few months to prepare, and, because most judges conduct interviews on a rolling basis, you should always try to apply on the earliest date that a judge is accepting applications. Before sending your applications, spend time researching judges and courts that interest you, carefully considering the length of clerkships (1 or 2 years) and geographical locations.  Also, keep in mind that you will pay for your callback expenses. For additional information on clerkships, refer to JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS, Step 1 – General Clerkship Information; JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS, Step 2 – Building Your Resume for a Judicial Clerkship and Applying for a Judicial Clerkship - Timeline.

Students applying for judicial clerkships must complete the following steps.  More information about each step is included in this handout.

1. Identify Judges and Courts
2. Complete the Online Clerkship Registration Form on Symplicity
3. Compile Your Application Package
4. Request Recommendation Letters
5. Mail Your Applications or Submit Federal Applications Online Through OSCAR
6. Prepare for the Interview
7. Update Your Application Status on Symplicity

It is important to evaluate the strength of your candidacy and develop a strategy concerning to whom to apply and when. To do that, we encourage you to make an appointment with a member of the Career Development staff.

1.  Identify Judges and Courts

State Courts

The Career Development Office has information on the state courts that hire clerks. This information is available in the "State Judicial Clerkship" binder. Typically, the timeline for applying for all state-level clerkships is September of your last year of law school. In Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court, Family and Probate Court, and Land Court, usually have September deadlines. We strongly encourage students to apply to courts outside Massachusetts as well. Check the "State Judicial Clerkship" binder or the Guide to State Judicial Clerkships (ID and password available in the CDO) for information on other state court clerkship application procedures and deadlines.

The American Bench is an invaluable source of biographical information and addresses for judges on the state level. An additional publication, the Directory of State Court Clerks & County Courthouses, provides information on the structure of each state’s court system, including courthouse addresses.  A good resource for a listing of Massachusetts state judges is The Legal Pages – Massachusetts Edition, which is updated annually.

Federal Courts

Throughout the country, the federal district courts and courts of appeal provide approximately 1,000 clerkships per year. There are significant benefits to be derived from working in these courts. A federal clerkship greatly enhances your marketability everywhere and serves as an equalizer in your ability to compete with graduates of the most prestigious law schools. Obtaining a federal court clerkship is a very competitive process and typically requires at least a top 10% class standing.

We suggest applying to many judges on the federal level. Suffolk students who have succeeded in securing federal clerkships submitted numerous applications around the country. As a general proposition, your chances for serious consideration increase with courts away from Boston and the Northeast. This should not discourage you from applying to courts in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., but your federal clerkship search should include places in other parts of the country where you would enjoy living. Recent graduates have secured federal clerkships in Arizona, Florida, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

If you are interested in applying for a federal judicial clerkship, you must apply by early fall of your final year of law school. Please check with the CDO staff about specific deadlines because some federal judges may accept applications earlier.  For more information, you should also access the Federal Law Clerk Information System at https://lawclerks.ao.uscourts.gov, the Federal Judges Law Clerk Hiring Plan at www.cadc.uscourts.gov/lawclerk, and OSCAR (Online System for Clerkship Application and Review) at https://oscar.symplicity.com. While most judges post their openings on one of these websites, cross reference the listings with the Judicial Yellow Book. If a judge is listed only in the Judicial Yellow Book, you may call the judge’s chambers to confirm the hiring requirements, but mention that you checked the websites first. Again, in order not to miss any important deadlines, we highly recommend that you meet with a career counselor.

2.  Online Clerkship Registration Form

Each student who is interested in pursuing a judicial clerkship must complete the Clerkship Registration Form on Symplicity. Log on to Symplicity at https://law-suffolk-csm.symplicity.com/students with your username and password, and click on the ‘Clerkships’ tab.  You can then enter information about your preferred clerkship (court level, location, term, etc.), the professors who will be providing your recommendations, the origin of the writing sample you plan to use, and your journal membership, if any.

3.  The Application Package

Research the individual requirements of each court. Many federal judges accept online applications only through OSCAR: The Online System for Clerkship Application and Review. OSCAR will permit applicants to electronically file their federal clerkship application materials. Participating federal judges and staff will be able to review and manage applications online. A listing of federal judges participating in OSCAR is available in the clerkship database on Symplicity and on the OSCAR site at https://oscar.symplicity.com.

You should send out complete application packets to each judge or court to which you apply. The following items are generally asked for:

Resume: You should accentuate your academic qualifications and any scholarly activity when compiling a resume for judicial clerkship purposes. Be certain to emphasize your class rank, your membership on a journal (to include articles published or pending publication), and moot court. When writing your job descriptions, highlight research and writing experience. Please see CDO’s online handout, Effective Resumes.

Transcript: It is always necessary to send a transcript with an application. When you apply before second-year (or third-year evening) grades are available, you will have to supplement your applications in July after those grades are available. Make certain that the registrar has listed, if appropriate, Law Review, Transnational Law Journal, or Moot Court Board under "honors" on your transcript. If you will receive honors next year, such as an editorial position, be sure you list that position as well. The registrar will list on your transcript any scholarships (not ordinary financial aid awards) or scholastic awards you have received. Applications submitted through OSCAR will require uploading your transcript electronically. You should always take copies of your official transcript with you to interviews.

Cover letter: Your cover letter can significantly effect your chances of obtaining an interview. Not only does it function as your first writing sample, it also gives you an opportunity to convince the judge that you are a strong candidate. You can highlight your resume and factors not apparent from your resume into a coherent argument in support of your candidacy. Letters that indicate a specific knowledge about the court to which you are applying are best; explain why you want to work for a particular judge or court. The cover letters should be individually addressed. Please see CDO’s online handout, Effective Cover Letters.

Addressee	Form of Address	Salutation
U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice	The Chief Justice (full name)	Dear Chief Justice (last name)
Associate Justice	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Justice (last name)
Federal Court
Chief Judge	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Chief Judge (last name)
Judge	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Judge (last name)
Magistrate	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Magistrate (last name)
State Supreme Court
Chief Justice	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Chief Justice (last name)
Justice	The Honorable (full name)	Dear Justice (last name)

Writing sample: Check the particular judge's application requirements to determine whether or not a writing sample is required. In most instances, a writing sample will be required. Submit your best work. It should be yours alone, not something jointly written or edited by another party. A legal memorandum or brief demonstrating your advocacy skills is most appropriate; however, if you want to use an article you wrote for a journal you may do so. Your writing sample should not exceed 8 to 10 pages. Please see CDO’s online handout, Writing Samples.

4.  Recommendation Letters

Letters of recommendation should come from at least one law professor. Any other letters may come from past or present employers who are familiar with your legal work.  Approach faculty members early to see whether they will write a letter of recommendation for you. Students are encouraged to make their requests and submit a judge list to faculty members by the middle of August. Late requests will be accepted, but may not be completed in a timely manner.

When requesting letters of recommendation from faculty, you will need to create Excel spreadsheets as the data source for a mail merge. You will need to create separate spreadsheets for state judges, federal judges accepting applications by mail, and federal judges accepting applications through OSCAR. You may need to create as many as three spreadsheets if you are applying to judges in each category. You will need to email the spreadsheets to (1) the faculty member doing your recommendation letter; (2) the faculty member’s assistant; and (3) the Coordinator of Support Services, Janine Lafauci, jlafauci@suffolk.edu.  Be sure to indicate whether the judges are state judges, federal judges accepting applications by mail, or federal judges accepting applications through OSCAR.  A list of all faculty members and their assistants is attached to this handout.

Excel spreadsheets can be compiled very easily using the ‘Clerkships’ tab in Symplicity.  Once you complete the online clerkship registration form on Symplicity, you will be able to access the judge database, which contains information on all federal judges, as well as state judges in New England and New York. You can use the information in the database to determine to which judges you will submit applications. The default ‘Clerkship’ tab shows the start of an alphabetical list.  You can narrow the list down by filtering by Circuit, District, City, or keywords and clicking ‘Search.’ The ‘Detailed Search’ tab allows a more narrowed search by adding Judge Type, State, and City to the search terms. Results from both the clerkship page and the detailed search page can be sorted by judge’s last name, judge type, and city. 

After you have conducted your search and narrowed down the judge list, you can identify to which individual judges you would like to apply by checking the box before each judge’s name, or you can choose to select all the judges on your list by clicking the ‘+’ sign at the top of the first column.  Once your selections have been made, you can click on the ‘Export to Excel’ button to generate the Excel spreadsheet. You can also save the list you created in ‘Favorites.’ Be sure to create a separate spreadsheet for state judges, federal judges accepting applications by mail, and federal judges accepting applications through OSCAR. A note will be included by each judges name in the Symplicity database to indicate whether or not the judge is accepting applications through OSCAR.

Since the Symplicity clerkship database does not contain information on all state judges, you will have to enter some information in the Excel spreadsheet yourself. First create a spreadsheet for any state judges in the database in whom you are interested and then manually add information to the spreadsheet for other state judges to whom you would like to apply. The following information or fields are needed for each judge: Title (The Honorable), Full Name, General Court Name, Specific Court Name, Street Address 1, Street Address 2, Street Address 3, City, State, Salutation (Judge), Last Name, Phone, Fax, Email, Judge Type, OSCAR (yes or no).

5.  Submitting Applications

OSCAR

Many federal judges accept online applications only through OSCAR: The Online System for Clerkship Application and Review. OSCAR will permit applicants to electronically file their federal clerkship application materials. Participating federal judges and staff will be able to review and manage applications online.

To begin your OSCAR application, you should go to the OSCAR site at https://oscar.symplicity.com and complete an initial short profile where you will be able to select your username and password.  You will need to complete your academic information, select your recommenders, and upload your application materials (resume, cover letter, transcript, writing sample) on OSCAR.  Please note that your resume, cover letter, transcript and writing sample must be converted to PDF files before they can be uploaded. Information on converting documents to pdf is available on the OSCAR site, as well as a user guide and FAQs. 

You should complete your online applications before Labor Day. Online applications are available for judges to review on OSCAR shortly after this date. Interviews are typically scheduled beginning the second or third week of September. Check the handout Applying for a Judicial Clerkship – Timeline in the CDO for exact dates.

MAIL

Applications to state courts and some federal judges will be mailed. Check the application deadlines and requirements for each court and provide all requested materials. You will most likely be mailing a cover letter, resume, writing sample(s), transcript, and several letters of recommendation. We suggest you send out the required number of letters of recommendation with your initial application. Any letters sent separately should be in envelopes that are clearly marked: Clerkship Recommendation for [Applicant Name]. 

6.  The Interview

The most important action you can take to prepare for an interview for a judicial clerkship is to familiarize yourself with the judge. Review her or his professional biography from one of the judicial directories. Follow up with a Lexis, Westlaw, or Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly search for the judge's recent cases and decisions and for articles written by the judge that may have been published in a journal. The Career Development Office keeps a binder that contains a list of SULS alumni who are judges, as well as graduates who have clerked at the federal and state levels. In addition to the binder, ask a member of the Career Development Office staff to identify faculty members who may know the judge or for the names of graduates clerking for or who have clerked for the judge. It is imperative that you do your homework before the interview.

Judges want to hire motivated, intelligent students who possess a deep interest in the law and have specific skills to offer. Because the two of you will be working together closely, the judge will most likely be seeking someone with whom a comfortable rapport can be established.

During the interview, the judge will probably ask you about the experiences outlined on your resume and about grades/classes reflected on your transcript. If you are on a journal it is likely your note or article will be discussed.

Frequently, judges invite their current clerks to sit in on the interview or you may have to meet with them before or after the judge meets with you. Clerks may have a significant effect on the judge's hiring decision, so keep in mind they will also be evaluating you.

Typical Questions a Judge Might Ask

Why do you want a judicial clerkship?

Why do you want to work with me/in this court?

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

What skills do you possess that make you an outstanding candidate for this job?

Describe the work you've done for your journal.

Tell me about your grades/courses/professors.

What are your strengths? weaknesses?

Have you applied to other judges/courts?

What are your career goals and how does this job fit in?

How would you approach a particular problem/case?

What is your political philosophy [on certain issues]?

Some Questions You Might Ask the Judge

What will be the scope of my responsibilities?

What will a typical day be like?

What is your legal philosophy?

What is the nature of my docket?

Do your clerks have frequent contact with attorneys?

What criteria do you use to select your clerks?

What do you see as the primary role of this court?

Familiarizing yourself with the judge's opinions through a computerized search will provide you with the opportunity to discuss legal issues involved and may enable you to communicate your interest and resourcefulness. Do your homework!

Follow-UP

Always send a thank you letter after meeting with a judge. You should also send thank you letters to the judge's clerks if you met with them. In your letters, reiterate your qualifications and interest or mention recent developments that may strengthen your candidacy (e.g., winning a moot court competition, securing a summer position with a particular law firm or government agency). Please see the CDO’s online handout, Thank You Notes.

The Offer

While some judges may give you time to consider an offer, others will put pressure on you to immediately respond. The Career Development staff is available to meet with you to discuss any offers you receive. Once you accept an offer, please notify all other courts that have open applications from you, as well as our office.

7.  Update Application Status

Once interviewing season has started, students are required to update their application status on Symplicity. You must create an Application Status record for each judge to whom you applied by clicking on the ‘+ Add’ button (you can also access these pages by clicking the ‘Application Status Info’ tab). When you receive information about your application (i.e. if/when you receive an interview, whether your interview was over the phone, the date of your interview, offers) you can record that information in the Application Status record. This is also a good place to record feedback about your interview experience, such as who you met with and the types of questions the judge asked.

Faculty Contact Information (pdf)