Am I Too Late?

If you think you've missed every deadline for a judicial clerkship, you're probably wrong.

There are still many options for students looking for judicial clerkships.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

New judges are appointed routinely and every newly appointed judge needs clerks immediately, not just two years in the future. Newly appointed federal judges can be found in U.S. Law Week and in The Federal Court Appointment Report . New appointments and vacancies within the federal courts can also be found on web sites such as: www.uscourts.gov/cfapps/webnovada/CF_FB_301/index.cfm?fuseaction=Reports.ListReports www.courts.com, the University of Michigan 's - www.law.umich.edu/careers/nomdb.htm, Yale's federal judicial nominations page - www.yale.eud/law/library/judgenom/nom-main and the Senate nominations page - www.senate.gove/legislative/legis_act_nominations .You can also search newspapers on LEXIS and WESTLAW for court appointments. However, you will have to customize your online search to this particular use [e.g., federal and nomin! and (district w/3 court)].

KEEP APPLYING

You can still apply to federal circuit, federal district and state supreme courts. There may be a few judges who have not hired all their law clerks. Also, consider working for a year before clerking, as discussed previously.

IDENTIFY LATE-HIRING COURTS

Many state and federal courts hire less than one year in advance. But don't delay. There are also staff attorney and pro se attorney positions available. Refer to the clerkship hiring section of this book, watch the job postings on the CSO Home Page and bulletin boards, and write or call courts where you'd like to work to become aware of opportunities.

STAFF ATTORNEYS

Staff attorney positions are available in each U.S. Court of Appeals. Staff attorneys analyze and evaluate cases before they are assigned to a specific judge. These attorneys work for the court as a whole and become well acquainted with all court personnel. Some courts hire staff attorneys for one-year terms and others hire staff attorneys for an indefinite period of time.

PRO SE STAFF ATTORNEYS

Some federal circuit courts and all of the federal district courts hire attorneys to review actions brought by litigants who do not have representation. These pro se staff attorneys review the merits of pro se claims, recommend a disposition, and assist the litigants with civil and criminal procedures.