Judicial Clerkships symplicity - Login Now
OVERVIEW:
Each year, a number of Notre Dame Law School graduates elect to begin their careers by serving as a judicial clerk. These highly-sought after positions provide graduates with a unique opportunity to learn first-hand about the inner workings of the judicial system, while at the same time honing important legal skills and problem-solving abilities. Judicial clerkships provide a graduate with confidence about his or her abilities as an attorney but also enhance his or her value to future employers. As a judicial clerk, the graduate assists a judge, or a group of judges, in a variety of tasks, including research, writing, and administrative duties. Clerkships typically are one- or two-years in duration and are available with both state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels. Over the past decade, seven alumni have served as clerks for the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The success of Notre Dame Law students in the judiciary must in large part be attributed to the unyielding support of the school’s faculty and staff. Professors know first-hand the professional and educational value of a judicial clerkship, and are anxious to do anything they can to help their students gain the experience. Along with the faculty, the Career Services Office helps streamline an otherwise unregimented application process, together providing the information and advice needed to sculpt a successful search for these widely sought after jobs.”
Peter M. Flanagan, Class of 2004
Clerk for the Honorable Ann Claire Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2004-05
NOTRE DAME CLERKS AND THEIR COURTS
| U.S. Supreme Court | U.S. Court of Appeals | U.S. District Courts | Other Federal Courts | State/ Specialty Courts | |
| Class of 2007 | 11 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Class of 2006 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | |
| Class of 2005 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 11 | |
| Class of 2004 | 7 | 9 | 15 | ||
| Class of 2003 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 7 | |
| Class of 2002 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 15 | |
| Class of 2001 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Class of 2000 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
“From professors writing truly valuable letters of recommendation to career services providing free postage for the many applications I sent out, to being hired by a Judge who also happens to be a Notre Dame Law School alumnus, Notre Dame’s career services were far more than just an office on campus. Notre Dame’s career services were a comprehensive and unparalleled set of skills, connections, and opportunities that I constantly enjoy as I begin my legal career.”
Brian Josias, Class of 2004
Law Clerk for the Honorable Charles Wilson,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2004-05
KEY RESOURCES:
- Federal Law Clerk Information System
- OSCAR
- Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan
- Federal Judicial Vacancies, Nominations & Confirmations
- Federal Judicial Center – including judges bios
- The Value of a Clerkship
- Guide to State Court Clerkships (Netid Required)
NOTRE DAME RESOURCES:
- Student Guide to Judicial Clerkship Applications (Netid Required)
- Fall 2008 Judicial Clerkship Application Overview (Netid Required)
- Symplicity—Use Symplicity to track and save application materials such as cover letters, resumes, and recommendation letters as well as create Excel files to be used for mail merge documents; you can also see prior ND clerks for applicable judges
- State Court Clerkship Deadline Guide (Netid Required)
- Required Excel Spreadsheet Format (Excel file) Please remember that if you import information from other sources, you must insure that the information conforms to this format. (Netid Required)
- Create a Word mail merge with Excel data (pdf file) (Netid Required)
- Professor/Staff Assistant Assignments (Netid Required)
- ND / SMC Judges by Court – (Netid Required)
- Notre Dame Judicial Law Clerks and their Courts – Federal Courts (Netid Required)
- Notre Dame Judicial Law Clerks and their Courts – State Courts (Netid Required)
