Welcome to the Howard University School of Law Judicial Resources website. This is the location to find information about obtaining state and federal judicial clerkships.

Overview

The institution of law clerking began over one hundred years ago when Horace Gray, then the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, (later appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court), first employed a legal assistant. A judicial clerkship is typically a one or two-year position in the chambers of a judge and judges typically place an enormous amount of reliance on the counsel of their clerks. A judicial clerk — sometimes called law clerk, serves, in essence, as a judge’s attorney. Howard University School of Law has a long and proud tradition of involvement with the judiciary, both in providing clerks and judges.

Benefits of Clerking

There are several benefits of clerking, such as: a judicial clerkship allows a lawyer to view the system of justice from the perspective of the judiciary; a great responsibility and an unparalleled opportunity for learning; the opportunity to witness, and take part in, the judicial decision making process and it’s an enormously enjoyable way to spend a year or two at the beginning of your career.

Types of Clerkships

A judicial clerkship is an intensive period of post-graduate education. There are wide varieties of courts — state and federal, trial and appellate and specialty — and the work can vary widely as well.

The Judicial Clerkship Handbook

The Howard University State and Federal Judicial Clerkship Handbook is the School of Law’s guide to the judicial clerkship application process.

2011 - 2012 HUSL Judicial Clerkship Handbook (349 kb)

Online Links

Important links include:

• OSCAR (the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review)
  
  
• Vermont Law School’s Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Hiring Procedures. (For the password to the Vermont Guide, please contact Mrs. Conti in the Office of Career Services.)
  
  
• Law Clerk Addict a blog that provides information about which prestigious law schools send clerks to feeder or other federal circuit court of appeals judges.
  
  
• Above the Law a legal tabloid that posts many articles about judicial clerkships.

Information about Judges

In-depth research will help you make a more informed decision on which judges to apply to for clerkships. Resources are plentiful and you need to consult a variety of them to attain the necessary information. The following resources are quite useful. (See the Office of Career Services for a more complete directory):

• Howard University School of Law Alumni in the Judiciary
  2011-Howard University School of Law Alumni in the Judiciary (198 kb)
  
  
  
• www.uscourts.gov (links to court websites and general information)
  
  
• http://www.uscourts.gov/judicialvac.cfm (federal judicial vacancies)
  
  
• www.uscourts.gov/employment/vacancies.html (federal judiciary home page with information on salary, job description, length of term, etc.)
  
  
• https://oscar.symplicity.com (online application system)
  
  
• http://www.ncsconline.org/D_KIS/info_court_web_sites.html (national center for state courts)
  
  
• Just the Beginning Foundation which provides information on minority judges, including biographies and information on clerkship and internship opportunities for minorities
  
  
• Clerkship Notification Blog offers real time information on federal judges hiring decisions based on information provided by applicants
  
  
• Directory of Minority Judges (provides geographical listings of African-American, Asian/Pacific Island, Hispanic, Native American, and Tribal Court Judges) — located in the Law Library at Ref. KF8700.A19 B53

Judicial Clerkship Research Resources

Library Guide compiled by Ms. Santos, Howard University School of Law Library, Assistant Director for Public Services. This Guide recommends resources to support your research when applying for a judicial clerkship. It includes print directories and their locations in the Law Library, as well as useful internet sites with information about courts, judges, procedures and tips from judicial clerks.

Library Guide - Judicial Clerkships - February 2012 (70 kb)

Judicial Clerkship Application Process

The application process begins the summer prior to your third year of law school. For state clerkships, application deadlines vary widely. Please refer to the Vermont Law School’s Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures for specific information. (For the password to the Vermont Guide, please see Mrs. Conti in the Office of Career Services.)

For federal clerkships, most judges follow the Federal Clerkship Hiring Plan. For the 2009-2010 hiring season, federal judges will begin accepting applications received on September 8, 2009. Mrs. Bruner in the Law School Services Department is an integral part of the judicial clerkship application process. The Law School Services Department merges your cover letter with your database, prints the recommendation letters and after faculty members sign the letters, stuffs the letters in the envelopes.

Faculty Advisors

The 2010 Faculty Judicial Clerkship Committee is comprised of Professor Patricia Worthy (Chair), Professor Rhea Ballard-Thrower, Professor christi cunningham, Professor Marsha Echols, Professor Aderson Francois and Professor Andrew Taslitz. They are here to help and can offer guidance and advice. Professor Ballard-Thrower serves as the liaison between the students, faculty and the Career Services and Law School Services Departments. She can be reached in Law Library Room 130 or at rballard@law.howard.edu and 202-806-8011.

updated: February 7, 2012