Judicial Clerkships
Judicial clerkships offer new graduates unparalleled insight into the judicial decision-making process and broad exposure to various facets of the law. The work is exciting and intellectually stimulating. As a clerk, you will be exposed to the methods and customs of practitioners and the level of professional behavior expected of lawyers, as well as experience with the full range of legal styles and abilities presented in the court. Many former clerks regard their clerkships as the highlight of their professional careers.
In recent years, many Haub Law graduates have obtained post-graduate clerkships. In the graduating class of 2022, 28 Haub Law graduates obtained clerkships.
About Judicial Clerkships
Judicial clerks work within the court system, typically for a one to two-year term after graduation. Although the selection process is competitive, opportunities to clerk exist in the federal and state trial and appellate courts, in administrative courts, and in some international courts and tribunals.
Judicial clerkships are distinguishable from judicial internships and externships, which are full-time summer positions or part-time school year positions for law students. Incidentally, judicial internships and externships are a good way to gain exposure to the judicial world prior to graduation and potentially to lead to a clerkship following graduation either with the same judge or one who appreciates the recommendation from another judge and prior experience in a courtroom.
Benefits of a Clerkship
Judicial clerkships provide an excellent transition from law school to legal practice. A clerkship provides direct insight into the judicial process, a unique opportunity for those interested in litigation or teaching. In addition, clerkships often open doors for post-clerkship employment. Some large firms will hold an offer of employment open during the clerkship and will give class credit for the time spent in a clerkship. Thus, someone who has done a clerkship may be given a year’s credit toward partnership and start as a second year associate after the clerkship.
In addition, some large firms give signing bonuses to individuals who have clerked for a federal judge or a judge in a state’s highest court. Perhaps most importantly, graduates who do not have an offer of employment prior to graduation take a post-graduate clerkship position upon graduation, often find that the clerkship experience makes them a stronger candidate for post-graduate positions and opens doors in directly and indirectly (through networking opportunities) for post-clerkship employment.
Types of Judicial Clerkships
There are a variety of types of judicial clerkships. A post-graduate judicial clerk might serve as an "elbow clerk" — one of usually one to three law clerks assigned to work exclusively with an individual judge (such as a law clerk to a State of New Jersey Superior Court Family Law Division Judge, to a state court appellate judge such as the Chief Judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court, or to a federal magistrate or district judge in any United States District Court)—or as a "pool" clerk, as part of a group of clerks who handle the work of several judges sitting in a particular court (such as a law clerk for the Connecticut Superior Court Judicial Branch or with the New York State Appellate Division, 3rd Department Legal Research Staff).
Student Opportunities
Students interested in clerking can gain practical experience through Haub Law’s competitive year-long Federal Judicial Honors Program offered through John Jay Legal Services. Students may be selected for this program typically in their second year of law school. The State Judicial Externship program provides students with the opportunity to work in the courts as well as intern in various courts during the summer. Students can also apply for the State Judicial Externship program that is offered through John Jay Legal Services every spring semester. Applications are typically due in November.