Judicial clerkships are an excellent way to gain valuable experience and are often highly regarded by prospective employers. Judicial clerkships may be one- or two-year appointments.
Judicial Clerkship Application Period
Graduating law students and alumni of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law may submit applications for federal judicial clerkships no sooner than the fall of each year. They must be postmarked no earlier than the Tuesday after Labor Day.
The Career Services staff annually surveys all state courts to determine their staffing needs and application deadlines. For both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals in Arkansas, students should apply in the early spring of their second year for an appointment after graduation. For clerkship openings and internship information, contact us in Room 116.
Bowen School of Law Public Service Externship
Our externship program includes law student assignments with judges on the Arkansas Supreme Court, the United States District Court, and the United States Bankruptcy Court.
Helpful Internet Resources
Administrative Office of the United States Courts:
This web site contains helpful information about the federal court system, along with links to each court’s web site. The Federal Law Clerk Information System contains a national database of federal law clerk vacancies. You may search by location, type of position (i.e., trial or appellate), start date, or other criteria. The search generates a list of available positions. By clicking a particular judge’s name, you may review that judge’s hiring criteria and application procedure. You also may obtain information about salaries and benefits for federal law clerks, as well as a general description of law clerk duties.
OSCAR:
The is the Online System for Clerkship Application & Review. All documents submitted to OSCAR must be in .pdf format. Applicants choosing to use OSCAR should NOT submit applications by U.S. Mail.
Judicial Clerkships:
This web site is a for-profit site with information about applying for clerkships. It is run by the former Director of Judicial Clerkship and Counseling at Yale Law School. The Career Resources Library has a copy of the book Behind the Bench: the Guide to Judicial Clerkships, which is advertised on this site.
Greedy Clerks:
Greedy Clerks, part of the FindLaw Career Center, is a web bulletin board where you can post questions (anonymously) about applying for clerkships, how to prepare for clerkships, specific judges, etc. Try the search function to see past postings on popular topics.
Federal Judicial Center:
This site allows you to search the Federal Judges Biographical Database, which contains the service record and biographical information for federal judges dating back to 1789.
National Center for State Courts:
This site provides access to web sites maintained by state courts nationwide. Listings cover trial level and appellate courts.
Vermont Law School Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures is a subscription-based service which provides some information on all state and trial courts. If you wish to access this service, come to the Career Services Office for username and password.
Revised: 11/14/2006