Coming Up to Speed on Federal Clerkships

Updated July 31, 2008

If you are entering your final/3L year of law school this fall and plan to apply for a federal judicial clerkship NOW is the time to act. The information below will bring you up to speed on federal clerkships.

The Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan

Most federal judges hire judicial clerks in accordance with the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan. The plan specifies that applicants not be accepted until the fall of a student's final year of law school and prescribes some specific dates:

• Wednesday, September 3, 2008: The second day after Labor Day - The first day that application materials may be RECEIVED by judges, also the day the online application system OSCAR releases applications to judges;

• 12 Noon, Monday, September 8, 2008: The first day judges may contact applicants to schedule interviews; and

• 8 a.m., Thursday, September 11, 2008: The first day judges may hold interviews and the first day judges may make job offers.

This time-line shows that the federal process moves very condensed, so if your application is not delivered by September 3, you could miss any chance of an interview and a position. For more information on the Federal Hiring please read the earlier article.

Note that there are some judges who do not follow the plan, so it is important to check each judge's posting for information.

Finding Open Positions

The source for federal clerkship position postings is OSCAR which maintains a list of both judges who are accepting electronic applications and those who only accept paper. You can search positions by visiting the "Judges/Clerkships" tab on the OSCAR web site. The Career Services Office has also listed a limited number of federal positions in the Pacific Northwest in our online job postinge, but for a definitive list, visit OSCAR.

Two Ways to Apply: OSCAR v. U.S. Mail

Federal judges have the option of participating in the online system OSCAR. OSCAR allows students applying for judicial clerkships to view application requirements for individual judges, select judges to whom they wish to apply, submit all application materials online, and manage and track what documents have been submitted. On the "other" side of this process, judges who elect to receive judicial clerkship application materials through the OSCAR system can review submitted application materials, and can sort, manage and selectively print application materials through the OSCAR system. For more information on OSCAR, read the earlier article.

If you are applying to a judge who is not participating in the OSCAR system, you will need to gather all the requested application materials (including letters of recommendation) and mail the materials to the judge in one envelope.

Timing Your Application

Pursuant to the Law Clerk Hiring Plan, applicants should mail materials so that they will be RECEIVED by federal judges on the second day after Labor Day. For paper applications, this means precise mailing to guarantee that your application neither arrives too early nor arrives after all the other applications. For OSCAR applicants, the process is considerably easier. You can upload your various application materials throughout the summer and build your application packets for judges over time. You can complete applications prior to September 3 and OSCAR will automatically deliver your application at the right moment. With OSCAR it is very important that you complete your applications and press the "release" button prior to 9 am eastern time on September 3.

For pros and cons of using OSCAR and paper for judges who accept both, please view the earlier Article on OSCAR. Also, keep in mind that not all judges follow the Hiring Plan - some judges may hire earlier, although none of the judges in the OSCAR system will be able to view materials until Sept. 3. For judges not following the Hiring Plan, it is often best to mail applications per the requirements of those judges' postings.

What to Do Now to Put Together Your Applications for This Fall

1. Read the Judicial Clerkship Manual(requires your WebDisk password)! Observe the guidelines for materials and time-lines. An updated copy is available today view it online or stop by Career Services for a copy.

2. Review the links on the Career Services Judicial Clerkship website: There are links to many helpful sites. The best resource for finding which judges are accepting application materials and hiring this year is OSCAR

   Plus, you will find links to sites that can help you research individual judges. There is also a list of resources in the Judicial Clerkship Handbook.

3. Meet with Career Services: We can talk to you and help you come up with a strategy for getting the best clerkship for you. Career Services can also help you connect with a faculty member who is willing to help with the clerkship application process.

4. Do your research early: determine which judges are accepting applications this fall and research which judges you are interested in applying to. (Remember, if a judge is not listed on OSCAR system, you may need to call the judge’s chambers to see if they are hiring for the 2009 term.)

5. Create an Excel spreadsheet containing information about the judges to whom you plan to apply. A sample format for the Excel sheet is located in the back of the Judicial Clerkship Handbook. The spreadsheet must list the judges, their addresses and whether or not they are an OSCAR judge. (Faculty secretaries will need this information in order to prepare and process your letters of recommendation. They will not process your letters unless they have the information in the proper format.)

6. read the OSCAR Applicant User Guide Before uploading materials Most of the problems you are likely to encounter are covered in the user guide. OSCAR can be a bit of a grouch, and, sometimes, you can make a small but critical mistake that will prevent your materials from being submitted and seen by the judge. Don’t guess - read the guide and follow the directions!

7. Decide who you will ask to write letters of recommendation on your behalf and begin talking with them about your clerkship plans: Federal judges usually expect at least one or two of your recommenders will be faculty members. You must give your recommenders a minimum of 1 month notice to write your letters of recommendation - the earlier, the better! Provide your recommenders with an up-to-date copy of your resume and talk with them about your clerkship plans. Many Lewis & Clark faculty members were clerks themselves and are a tremendous source of information and insight into the clerkship application process - talk to them!

8. Let Career Services know which judges you are planning to apply to by emailing a copy of your Excel list to Bill Penn wcpenn@lclark.edu.

Questions? Please contact Libby Davis (eadavis@lclark.edu), Ellen Jones (ekjones@lclark.edu) or Bill Penn (wcpenn@lclark.edu) in Career Services, if you (or your recommenders) have any questions about the OSCAR system or about the judicial clerkship application process in general.

Resources

-Federal Clerk Hiring Plan
-OSCAR
-Judicial Clerkship Manual (WebDisk password)
-Clerkship Article Index

Back to Articles Index Page