Judicial Clerkships

Judicial clerkships are a great way to start your legal career - they can also be helpful if you are looking to get started in a new geographic area.  Opportunities will be available at all levels, from federal appeals and district courts as well as state and county courts.  The timelines to apply for state and county clerkships will parallel firms, while federal clerkships will be much earlier.  Many local postings can be found on Symplicity, but if you have a specific clerkship in mind you will want to be proactive to find that posting. Tip: most applications will require that you provide supporting materials such as writing samples and letters of support - take a look at these tips for Requesting Letters of Recommendation and References and Selecting a Writing Sample.

State Court Clerkships

The Iowa Judicial Branch posts the Iowa Judicial Branch hiring information (2021) guide on hiring for district courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. 

Drake also subscribes to a detailed guide on state clerkships across the country through a password-protected Guide to State Court Judicial Clerkship Procedures - you can access the password through our Online Resources, Subscriptions, and Passwords - contact CDO if you would have difficulty. You also have access to Bloomberg Law's Judicial Clerkship search tools.

For out of state clerkships, check out the National Center for State Courts, a national exchange to announce and market state court internships, externships, and law clerkship opportunities across the country.

Federal Court Clerkships

Many federal clerkships will be posted on the federal OSCAR hiring website, although opportunities can also be found on an individual court's judicial site for judges who may not use OSCAR, in which case students would apply directly to the court. 

Students generally cannot access OSCAR until second semester of their second year - students in the graduating class of 2024 can access OSCAR on January 9, 2023 at 8:00 am ET to register for an account, upload documents, search for clerkship positions, and build online applications.  The Class of 2025 will gain access on January 8, 2024 at 8:00 am ET.

For judges using the federal hiring plan (which not all do), OSCAR applications are not released to judges until June after your second year. OSCAR has many helpful online tools, including an Applicant Prep Kit and an Applicant Quick Reference Guide. 

The CDO staff can help with OSCAR and can also upload letters of recommendation for your application.  On March 26, 2020 OSCAR posted an applicant training webinar online to view at your convenience.  Tip: contact CDO if you would like help formulating a list of clerkships prior to your access date.

Finally, you also have access to the U.S. Courts Career website and  Bloomberg Law's Judicial Clerkship search tools.

Diversity Clerkship Opportunities and Resources

There are also diversity programs aimed at exposing students of color to judicial clerkships, including Just The Beginning: A Pipeline Organization and the ABA Judicial Clerkship Program.  Additional program and mentor resources include the Appellate Project and Law Clerks for Diversity. Come see us to discuss!

Judicial Clerkship Information

Current judicial clerkship workshops and CDO information can be found below, while previous workshops are available on the Symplicity Resource Library.

• Current Judicial Clerk Panel shares their experiences and the application process. Upcoming: February 19, 2024 from 12:45-1:45.
• Judges’ Panel shares how they work with law clerks and what they are looking for in an application. Upcoming: February 22 from 4:00-5:00.
• Judicial Clerkship Overview briefly goes over judicial clerkships and when or how to apply.
• OSCAR Video and slides with screenshots