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As clerkship season gets underway, we'd like to highlight some under-appreciated, but fantastic,  clerkship opportunities. 

While a lot of attention is showered on federal district courts, potential litigators should also take a good look at state trial courts. Many county and city circuit courts hire one-year judicial clerks. State trial courts offer clerks a broad exposure to a wide range of cases - including criminal  law, contract disputes, and domestic relations - that they might not see in the federal courts.  They also offer a terrific chance to network with local attorneys, along with a year to brush up on legal research and writing skills.

The largest counties generally solicit applications in the summer and early fall and conduct interviews in September and October.  Positions will be cross-posted on Symplicity as they are identified, but candidates should regularly check websites for each area in which they are interested.  The hiring process for smaller cities and counties tend to be less standardized and less publicized.  Openings are sometimes posted on the county websites, and cross-posted on symplicity, but candidates are strongly encouraged to reach out directly to the Judges' Chambers to find out if applications will be fielded for that particular year.   Courts' websites and phone numbers can be found online. The Virginia state court website can be found here. 

We did a survey of Virginia's circuit courts and found the following will be hiring clerks for 2010:

   Alexandria

-          Arlington

-          Brunswick

-          Buchanan

-          Danville

            Fairfax

-          Hanover

-          Newport News

Pr       Prince William

-          Richmond (City)

-          Roanoke (City)

-          Rockingham/Harrisonburg

-          Salem (hired through Roanoke City)

-          Staunton

-          Virginia Beach

        Similar openings exist in state courts around the country.

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Clerking for Non-Litigators

With thanks to NALP's Judicial Clerkship section and the NALP Bulletin.

Want to do corporate work?  Think clerkships are not for you? Think again.  Clerkships are a valuable experience for every lawyer, not just litigators.  Here are a few reasons to think about clerking before you begin a transactional career:

(1)    Clerks learn to review and analyze complex facts and laws; the ability to spot issues effectively is the cornerstone to any good legal practice.

(2)    Clerks see all kinds of cases, including cases rising out of transactions gone bad.  A clerkship can help lawyers identify potential trouble spots in a deal and talk to future clients about ways to avoid future litigation.

(3)    Clerkships provide networking opportunities with other top-notch young attorneys that may form the foundation of future client-relations or lateral opportunities.

(4)   Some courts have a big hand in shaping corporate law, for example the Delaware Chancery Court and the U.S. Tax Court.  Lawyers training at these courts will have a working knowledge of these laws upon completion of their clerkships, and will be a step ahead of other junior attorneys.

Need help identifying good courts for a budding transactional attorney?  Email judicialclerkships@virginia.edu to set up an appointment.

2009 Appellate opportunities

Today, we wanted to highlight a few recently uncovered appellate opportunities for 2009.  These are both great clerkships with start dates this fall, so get your applications in the mail soon!

 

Vermont Supreme Court Justice Denise R. Johnson is considering applications for a one-year judicial clerkship from August 10, 2009 to August 6, 2010.  The deadline for applications is April 10, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.  For more details on how to apply, please see the listing on Symplicity.

 

Illinois Appellate Justice Michael P. Toomin (Chicago) is looking for a law clerk.  Assignments on the Illinois Courts of Appeal are made through the Chief Judge, so applications should be sent to  the following address:

Hon. Timothy C. Evans,

Chief Judge
Circuit Court of Cook County
50 W. Washington
2600 Richard J. Daley Center
Chicago, IL 60602

For assistance with applications, please contact judicialclerkships@virginia.edu

Clerking as an Alum

In the last couple of years, an increasing number of students and alumni have sought clerkships for a term not immediately after graduation.  The majority of these "alumni-clerks" are only a year or two removed from law school and have deferred clerking for a time to give themselves a competitive edge in the clerkship process.  This can be particularly helpful for graduates who need some time to shore up their legal skills or some time to establish ties in a particular area of the country.  A clerkship may also be a graceful way to transition to a new employer or a new practice area.  While a year or two of work will not suddenly make you competitive for a position that was far above your reach in law school, it may give you a leg up for a clerkship that was a little ambitious for you as a 3L. 

Happily, increased alumni interest interest in clerking has corresponded with increased interest in alumni-clerks on the part of judges.  In some circuits, as many as half of the new clerks hired for the 2009 term were alums.

If you think you might be interested in applying to clerk as an alum, here are some important points to keep in mind:

1.  Once you graduate, information on clerkships can be found through the alumni portal on the alumni clerkships web page.  Access is granted with your LAC username and password.  This same username and password can be used for CARS, our internal judicial clerkships database.  Instructions for how to use CARS can be found here.

2.  Judges often review alumni applications earlier than 3L applications.  It is best to apply in the spring a year ahead of your desired term.  For example, plan to apply in April or May 2009 for a September 2010 clerkship.

3.  Off-cycle clerking opportunities may be available to alumni when a judge loses a clerk unexpectedly.  If you are able to start a position in the spring or on short notice, you may be more competitive.  To keep track of these opportunities, make sure you have created an OSCAR account and sign up to be notified as openings occur. Also consider applying to newly appointed judges, who often hire off-cycle and prefer experienced clerks for their first term.

4.  Notify judicialclerkships@virginia.edu if you plan to apply - we sometimes hear of clerkship opportunities through the grapevine and can pass these along to you.  We are also happy to review resumes and cover letters for alumni applications.

Clerkship Opportunity Updates

The following Federal Judges are reporting new openings for 2009 clerkships:

Judge Kimberly Mueller
United States District Court
Sacramento, CA
Applications accepted: Feb 18, 2009 - Mar 16, 2009
Term Start: Mar 16, 2009

Judge Lawrence Margolis
United States Court of Federal Claims
Washington, DC
Applications accepted: Feb 17, 2009 - Aug 17, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Martha Vazquez
United States District Court
Santa Fe, NM
Applications accepted: Feb 18, 2009 - Feb 27, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Helene White
United States Court of Appeals
Detroit, MI
Applications accepted: Feb 25, 2009 - Mar 19, 2009
Term Start: Aug 26, 2009

 

Judge Lois Goodman
United States District Court
Trenton, NJ
Applications accepted: Feb 24, 2009 - Apr 30, 2009
Term Start: Mar 16, 2009

Judge Margaret Rodgers
United States District Court
Pensacola, FL
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Mar 4, 2009 - Sep 1, 2009
Term Start: Jun 8, 2009

 
Judge Neil Olack
United States Bankruptcy Court
Jackson, MS
Applications accepted: Mar 4, 2009 - Mar 30, 2009
Term Start: May 1, 2009

Judge Gregory Wormuth
United States District Court
Las Cruces , NM
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Mar 5, 2009 - Apr 17, 2009
Term Start: Jun 15, 2009

 

Judge James Robart
United States District Court
Seattle, WA
Applications accepted: Mar 4, 2009 - May 29, 2009
Term Start: Jun 1, 2009

Applications to these judges should be made through OSCAR.

 

State Supreme Court Clerkships, part III - more deadlines

While it is important to check with each court you apply to for deadlines and procedures, when it comes to the State Supreme Courts, applying earlier is generally the way to go.  In addition to the courts that hire in the 2L spring, here is a list of State Supreme Courts that hire in the summer between 2L and 3L years:

Colorado
Connecticut
Guam
Kansas
Maine
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
North Dakota
South Dakota
Tennessee
Vermont

Even though these courts hire in July or August, you might consider sending your materials now and then updating them with your spring semester grades if you are still interested this summer.  If you wait for summer transcripts, you may fail to get your application in before the judges make interviewing decisions. 

If you do plan to apply for any of these clerkships, please email judicialclerkships@virginia.edu for assistance with the process.

State Supreme Court Clerkships, part II - Apply now!

While most clerkship attention is focused on your 3L fall, when students may apply for clerkships under the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, it is important to realize that state and local courts are not bound by the hiring plan.  If you are interested in a state supreme court clerkship, the time to start looking is now, as many courts begin their hiring during the 2L spring.  Students who wait to see what federal hiring looks like before turning towards the highest state courts are often out of luck.  The following state supreme courts will hire this spring for clerkships starting in 2010:

Alabama
Arkansas
Hawaii
Florida
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
New Mexico
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin

For more information on how to apply to these courts, please see the 2009 Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures or come to the clerkship office.

So, why apply to these courts?

Students clerking for state supreme courts get a terrific background in civil and criminal law issues and both state and federal law.  Additionally, most state supreme courts are courts of discretion, meaning the cases that come before them generally raise significant legal issues.  It is rare for a supreme court to take "routine" cases that offer little or no novelty.  Moreover, state supreme court justices have usually risen through the ranks of various other state courts, and have done so because of excellence in legal reasoning and writing.  Therefore, they make excellent mentors and teachers to their clerks.

From a practical perspective, the number of federal clerkships is limited, and the clerkship field is becoming increasingly crowded as more alumni enter the competition.  In 2008, more than a third of all federal clerkships were filled by alumni.  Many of these alums were hired out of prior clerkships.  A state court clerkship, then, is not only a great training ground, but also a great stepping stone for individuals who would like to go on to a federal clerkship but are not as competitive as they would like to be.  While judicial hiring varies a lot from area to area and even year to year, keep in mind that the average GPA of a UVA student going to a federal district court generally falls around 3.45.  The average GPA of students headed to a state supreme courts is 3.35, much closer to the GPA of an average student.

If you are thinking of applying for a state clerkship, please contact judicialclerkships@virginia.edu for more information on how to get started.

Virginia Supreme Court Justice Panel - Lessons from Richmond

Last week, three justices from the Virginia Supreme Court spoke to students in Caplin Pavilion for over an hour about what it is like to work on the Commonwealth's highest court.  The justices shared inside stories on favorite cases and gave students a glimpse of how these great minds work together to decide the cases before them.  Underlining all of their addresses was an exhortation to Virginia students to consider the Court in their career plans.  While not doing justice to the elequence with which Justices Lemons, Keenan, and Goodwin spoke, here are some reasons to consider clerking for the Virginia Supreme Court:

1.  The breadth of cases seen by the court means that no two days are the same

2.  The justices have a real interest in their clerks and take time to mentor them

3.  Virginia Supreme Court clerks have a chance to see oral argument from attorneys from all over the state and country

4.  The generalist nature of the court means that clerks get a good grounding in all areas of state law, as well as conflict of law issues

5.  The Virginia Supreme Court justices have a wealth of experience at all levels of the state judiciary to share with their clerks

Please note that the Virginia Supreme Court is not bound by the federal law clerk hiring plan.  Each of the justices hire on their own time line, and some begin hiring as early as 2L spring.  For more information about the individual justice's hiring needs, please contact their chambers.  For information on clerkship applications more generally, please contact judicialclerkhips@virginia.edu.

2009 Clerkships: What's Still Around - State and Local Opportunities

      

While Federal judges more consistently hire in a pack, State and local court hiring falls all over the map.  The good news is there is still a lot out there if you are late in thinking about a clerkship for next year.  The bad news is you need to do a little more legwork to find the opportunities.

 A good place to start is with The 2009 Guide to State Judicial Procedure.  This yearly guide provides some great information on how to contact the various courts in each state.  However, the hiring dates listed are unreliable - you should always call the court to find out whether the judges are still hiring.  Realize that every judge may be hiring on a different schedule, and you may therefore have to call each chambers separately.  This is well worth the effort.  Many students will not go this extra step and a lot of clerkship opportunities are missed in this way.  

A call to the D.C. Superior Court last week yielded the news that 24 of the approximately 60 judges are still looking for clerks for next year.  A call to the Circuit Courts around Virginia turned up a clerkship opportunity in Buchanan County, which has not yet hired its next class of clerks. 

These clerkships will provide a great opportunity for a new graduate to hone his or her legal skills, make important contacts in the community and, perhaps most importantly in the current economic client, gain a year of experience that will make him or her an attractive candidate for employment at the end of the clerkship term.  We urge anyone still considering their options for next year to think strongly about a state or local clerkship.  If you need help tracking down clerkship opportunities, please get in touch with the clerkships office at judicialclerkships@virginia.edu

2009 Clerkships: What's Still Around - Federal Opportunities

Still Interested in clerking this fall? There are still opportunities available in the federal judiciary.

The following judges have posted new 2009 openings on OSCAR.  Apply electronically though OSCAR if interested.  If you need more information on how to use OSCAR, please contact judicialclerkships@virginia.edu:

Judge Linda Reade
United States District Court
Cedar Rapids, IA
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Feb 3, 2009 - Aug 1, 2009
Term Start: Aug 1, 2009

Judge Christine Miller
United States Court of Federal Claims
Washington, DC
Applications accepted: Jan 13, 2009 - Mar 1, 2009
Term Start: Aug 3, 2009

Judge Eric Melgren
United States District Court
Wichita, KS
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Nov 17, 2008 - May 17, 2009
Term Start: Aug 15, 2009

Judge Ann Williams
United States Court of Appeals
Chicago, IL
Applications accepted: Feb 12, 2009 - Aug 25, 2009
Term Start: Aug 25, 2009

Judge Robert Chatigny
United States District Court
Hartford, CT
Applications accepted: Feb 10, 2009 - Apr 30, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Martha Vazquez
United States District Court
Santa Fe, NM
Applications accepted: Feb 9, 2009 - Mar 6, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge S. Teel
United States Bankruptcy Court
Washington, DC
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Jan 12, 2009 - May 25, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Timothy Stanceu
United States Court of International Trade New York, NY
Term: 2 Years
Applications accepted: Jan 15, 2009 - Mar 31, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Kathy Surratt-States
United States Bankruptcy Court
St. Louis, MO
Applications accepted: Nov 10, 2008 - Mar 30, 2009
Term Start: Sep 1, 2009

Judge Richard Seeborg
United States District Court
San Jose, CA
Applications accepted: Dec 1, 2008 - Feb 27, 2009
Term Start: Sep 28, 2009

Check the blog tomorrow for more opportunities at other levels of the judiciary.