UDSL Job Search Manual - University of Dayton

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Judicial Clerkships Benefits of a Judicial Clerkship Following Graduation It is a tremendous honor to receive an offer for a judicial clerkship upon graduation from law school. Outstanding students from across the country compete vigorously for these limited positions because judicial clerkships provide extraordinary training and often lead to a number of future career opportunities. Many employers aggressively recruit former judicial clerks because they realize the value of that training. Law firms often grant former clerks credit for the years spent in the clerkship when making salary and partnership determinations. Moreover, law schools tend to favor professor candidates who’ve held judicial clerkships. In short, clerking for a judge tends to open many doors within the legal community. Clerking for a judge following graduation provides a unique perspective into the judicial process. A clerk gains hands-on experience while attending judicial proceedings, performing legal research, preparing bench memoranda, and drafting orders and opinions. These skills are invaluable to anyone planning to practice law or teach. A judicial clerkship also provides networking opportunities. Clerks make numerous contacts with attorneys and judges. Length of a Judicial Clerkship Judicial clerks usually serve a one or two-year term, but indefinite clerkships are becoming more common. Salaries Clerkship salaries are reasonable, but not competitive with salaries being offered by medium and large law firms. Law school graduates obtaining a federal clerkship should expect to be classified a JSP-11 and receive a salary of approximately $48,947. If a new federal law clerk is a member of any state bar and has at least one year of full-time legal work experience, he/she would be classified a JSP-12 and given a salary of approximately $58,665. Salaries for state appellate clerkships typically range from $40,000 to $55,000. When to Apply Application deadlines vary from judge to judge. Federal court judges begin their hiring in September of the student’s third year. These federal clerkships are very competitive and only a handful of the top law students from around the country will receive interviews. The federal clerkship database is the best source for determining federal clerkship opportunities and deadlines (https://lawclerks.ao.uscourts.gov/). Moreover, there is a new Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR) enabling applicants and recommenders to file materials online with upwards of 400 participating federal judges. For more information and guidance, and how to use this system and learn which judges are participating, come to the CSO and/or consult www.dcd. uscourts.gov/OSCAR.html. State appellate courts have varying hiring deadlines and judges may interview students during their second or third year of law school. Qualifications Judges set their own qualification requirements for their law clerks. However, given the extensive amount of research and writing required of judicial clerks, most judges will prefer candidates that were on Law Review and performed well in law school. State court judges, particularly those that practice on the trial level or lower appellate level, tend to broaden their hiring criteria to include factors such as a candidate’s work experience, law school activities, and state of residence. Check the resources available in the CSO for the specific requirements of individual judges hiring clerks this year. 45
Federal Government Jobs 46
Page 2 and 3: UDSL Job Search Manual Table of Con
Page 4 and 5: Staff Tim Swensen Assistant Dean, D
Page 6 and 7: Internships, Fellowships and Writin
Page 8 and 9: Career Planning Guide To be effecti
Page 10 and 11: ___ Law professors ___ Undergrad sc
Page 12 and 13: How to WOW Prospective Employers In
Page 14 and 15: exceptional work ethic, ability to
Page 16 and 17: Arthur B. Radley aradley@hotmail.co
Page 18 and 19: Thomas J. Robinson 423 Cheyenne Dri
Page 20 and 21: Cover Letter Writing 19
Page 22 and 23: e at least one inch all around the
Page 24 and 25: A targeted mailing to a large numbe
Page 26 and 27: UNSOLICITED APPLICATION LETTER 35 S
Page 28 and 29: UNSOLICITED Maude E. Atkinson 5435
Page 30 and 31: THANK YOU LETTER 107 Westminster Ro
Page 32 and 33: Tips for Successful Interviews Firs
Page 34 and 35: The Interview General Reminders An
Page 36 and 37: Networking Tips 35
Page 38 and 39: Bar Exam Information 37
Page 40 and 41: The Ohio Bar Examination The State
Page 42 and 43: Due Dates: February 2006 Ohio Bar E
Page 44 and 45: State Contact Information Date/Loca
Page 48 and 49: Careers in Federal Government Worki
Page 50 and 51: LawMatch Reference Guide 49
Page 52 and 53: NALP Guidelines 51
Page 54 and 55: Summer Employment Provisions for Fi

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