Fall Semester
- Consider applying for summer judicial externships/internships.
- If you are interested in a position in a city where you will be over winter break, research which judges hire externs/interns and send these judges a resume and cover letter explaining that you will be in the area.
- Attend OCPD programs about judicial internships in November.
Winter Break
- Research judges that hire students for summer judicial externships/internships.
- Draft cover letters and ask three individuals to serve as references.
- Revise your resume and writing sample.
- Apply for summer judicial externships/internships in December/January
Spring Semester
- Request a transcript that includes your first-semester grades.
- Finalize your cover letters, resume, writing sample, and list of references.
- Attend OCPD programs about judicial clerkships and speak with a counselor about clerkships and how to research judges and courts.
- Consider applying to be a Dean's Fellow for a professor.
Summer Break
- Contact alumni or speak with employers who clerked to find out more about their experiences.
- Consider applying to be a research assistant or Dean's Fellow for a professor in the fall or to be a judicial intern for the fall semester in July/August.
Fall Semester
- Attend OCPD programs about judicial clerkships and speak with a counselor about clerkships and how to research judges and courts.
- If you are interested in a position in a city where you will be over winter break, research which judges hire externs/interns and send these judges a resume and cover letter explaining that you will be in the area.
- Apply to be a judicial intern for the spring semester in October/November.
Winter Break
- Research judges and courts in the geographic areas that interest you.
- Find out application deadlines and requirements.
Spring Semester
- Apply for summer judicial externships/internships in November/December/January.
- Request a transcript that includes your first-semester grades.
- Attend OCPD programs about judicial clerkships and speak with a counselor about clerkships and how to research judges and courts.
- Ask three individuals (professors or past legal employers) to write recommendations on your behalf for a judicial clerkship.
- Revise your cover letters, resume, and writing sample.
- Find out the application deadlines and requirements for judges and courts in the geographic areas that interest you.
- Apply to any state judges that still have application deadlines in the spring.
- Create a mail merge file and work with the Faculty and Administrative Support Services (FASS) department to facilitate the processing of your recommendations.
Summer Break
- If you haven't already, ask three individuals (professors or past legal employers) to write recommendations on your behalf.
- Find out the application deadlines and requirements for judges and courts in the geographic areas that interest you.
- Apply to any state and federal judges with application deadlines in the summer.
- Create a mail merge file and work with the Faculty and Administrative Support Services (FASS) department to facilitate the processing of your recommendations.
Fall Semester
- Attend OCPD programs about judicial clerkships and speak with a counselor about clerkships and how to research judges and courts.
- Revise your cover letters, resume, and writing sample.
- Request an updated transcript.
- Apply to state and federal judges accepting applications.
Winter Break
Apply to state and federal judges accepting applications.
Spring Semester
- Apply to state and federal judges accepting applications.
Summer Break
- Check the OCPD website and OSCAR for state and federal judges still hiring for the fall.