OCS

Law students can do a number of things to position themselves well to apply for clerkships. Overall, it’s helpful to develop good legal experience through…

Number of Judges   When deciding how many judges to target, consider factors such as:  The strength of your credentials Whether your recommenders have any specified limits…

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Please be careful NOT to share this information with judges, friends at other…

Each participant is assigned to work for one judge for a duration of ten months from early September to June/July and receives a $45,000 stipend…

Most Harvard applicants focus on clerkships in the United States, but another option is to go global to domestic courts of other nations or international…

After you made some initial decisions in Step 1: Develop Strategy, next generate an initial list of judges who meet your criteria. By Type of…

Researching judges as individual, potential employers before you submit applications is important, after you have considered more general factors (i.e., geography, type of court, type of judge). …

Think as broadly as possible about where to clerk, for both personal and strategic reasons. The job is similar regardless of location. Cost of Living  Salaries vary…

Financial Assistance for Clerkship Applications Expenses related to the clerkship application process include printing and mailing paper applications, formal professional attire for interviews, and possible…

By this stage in developing your clerkship strategy, you have considered geography, as well as types of courts and judges.  It is now time to…

By addressing grades, we do not mean to suggest they are the “be-all-end-all” factor that determines success. We know some applicants with mediocre grades who…

One of Harvard Law School’s greatest assets is its faculty, and one of the best ways to engage in the law school experience is by…

Transfer students face some unique benefits and challenges in the clerkship landscape. On the plus side, you must have had strong 1L grades and recommendations…

International students and alumni without U.S. citizenship have various clerkship options. First, it is helpful to understand the main restriction. Noncitizens are prohibited from being paid as federal employees…

Most clerkships have terms of one or two years, corresponding roughly to academic years (i.e., starting in August or September). With that regular turnover comes…

Advice Positioning Yourself for Clerkship Applications   Developing Faculty Recommendations   Why Clerk and Common Misconceptions   Considering Clerkships as a…

While the rest of the OCS clerkship website is geared to applicants, this page is provided for the reference of HLS faculty and assistants. Faculty who…

If you think you may be interested in a judicial internship, please consult all of the materials on this website about Judicial Clerkships for reference.

Recent Numbers In recent years, we have had approximately 250+ judicial clerks each year. Total Clerkships: 2019-2023* As of 12/9/2024 Court 2019 2020 2021 2022…

In recent years, HLS students and graduates have secured approximately 250+ clerkships annually.  Interested in joining these ranks?  The steps below – together with the…

The application process for Supreme Court clerkships is no more streamlined than the application process for other types of clerkships. While some general guidelines apply…