Judicial Clerkships

Introduction

Judicial clerkships are typically one to two-year post-graduate positions working in chambers with a judge. There are many reasons to clerk, including immersion into the litigation process, the opportunity to hone important analytical, research and writing skills, and the chance to develop professional relationships with a judge and co-clerks.

Clerkships are available at a variety of state, federal, and specialty courts at the trial and appellate level. Students can begin exploring what a clerkship would mean for their career after their 1L year. It is never too late to start considering a clerkship!

Judicial clerkship application deadlines vary based on the court and judge and are very competitive, although there are great clerkship options for every student. Students interested in judicial clerkships are strongly encouraged to discuss opportunities with their career counselors and a member of the Judicial Clerkship Committee. 

Judicial Clerkship Committee Members: 

• Professor Nadia Anguiano

• Professor Sam J. Merchant

• Professor Richard Painter

  • • • Executive Director& Lecturer in Law Kiri Somermeyer

• Professor Megan Walsh

• Professor Jack Whiteley (Spring 2026) 

• Professor Amy Wildermuth

• Professor Ilan Wurman (Spring 2026) 

Upcoming Federal Clerkship Deadline:

For Class of 2027

Applicants gain access to OSCAR on January 20, 2026 at 8 am EST.

Judges who participate in the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan ("Hiring Plan") will not accept formal or informal clerkship applications, or seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, before 12:00 pm EDT on June 8, 2026. Judges in the Hiring Plan also will not directly or indirectly contact applicants, or schedule or conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers, before 12:00 pm EDT on June 9, 2026.

A judge in the Hiring Plan who makes a clerkship offer will keep it open for at least 24 hours, during which time the applicant will be free to interview with other judges.

Important Note: There are many federal judges who are not in the Hiring Plan. Please connect with your career counselor or Joy Wang (wang4025@umn.edu), the Judicial Clerkship Advisor, if you're interested in a federal clerkship.