JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP HANDBOOK - Cornell University Law School

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vary somewhat due to locality adjustments), and money certainly goes a lot farther in non‐ major urban areas. According to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, most recent law school graduates with academic excellence qualify for an appointment at least at grade JSP‐11, step 1 (annual base salary of $50,287). One year of post‐graduate legal experience and bar membership qualifies the appointee for grade JSP‐12, step 1, appointment with an annual base salary of $60,274. If an appointee has two years of post‐ graduate work experience, plus bar membership, he or she qualifies for appointment at JSP‐ 13, step 1, with an annual base salary of $71,674. If an appointee has three years of post‐ graduate work experience (with at least two years as a judicial law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, death penalty law clerk, or bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk, in the federal judiciary, plus bar membership, he or she qualifies for appointment at JSP‐14, step 1, with an annual base salary of $84,697. Incoming law clerks who have prior federal experience may be eligible to match their highest previous rate of federal pay within the grade for which they qualify. See https://oscar.symplicity.com/drupal/content/qualifications‐salary‐ and‐benefits. Specific information about salary can be made available prior to accepting an offer from the employing court's personnel representative. State court clerkship salaries vary. For instance, New York Court of Appeals clerkships pay more than $76,000 the first year and approximately $80,000 the second year. New Jersey Supreme Court clerkships pay $57,000. Generally do not assume that you cannot afford to interview for or accept judicial clerkships. Contact the Financial Aid Office for information about Cornell=s interview loan fund and about student loan deferral options. CITIZENSHIP ISSUES Under a provision in the appropriations bill passed in December 2009, appropriated funds may not be used to pay compensation to noncitizen employees with duty stations in the continental United States, unless they qualify under one of the following exceptions: Lawful permanent residents who are seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B); Persons admitted as refugees or granted asylum who have filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; or Persons who owe "allegiance to the United States" (e.g., nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. § 1408). In addition to the appropriations act restriction, all noncitizens must be eligible for employment under U.S. immigration law. Law clerk applicants may be required to provide citizenship information and proof of eligibility to work in the United States as part of the clerkship application. If you are unsure if you are eligible to work in the United States, 12 | P age
Cornell University’s International Student and Scholars Office can help you make that determination – www.isso.cornell.edu. For additional information regarding the employment of non‐United States citizens call the Office of General Counsel at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts at (202)502‐1100. Non‐citizens sometimes have better luck with state court clerkships. State courts’ requirements vary, so you should check directly with the state court(s) in which you are interested. RESOURCES THE JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP COMMITTEE AND ITS PROGRAMS The faculty Judicial Clerkship Committee is composed of members of the faculty and administration who are especially well‐suited to offer advice about your judicial clerkship search. Be sure to attend the various clerkship information programs offered by the Clerkship Committee and the Office of Public Service. These programs will offer a great deal of detailed information about what clerks do and how you apply for clerkship positions. You are encouraged to seek individual guidance from members of the Clerkship Committee. For a humorous (and actually very helpful) article about the clerkship application process, see Appendix N, AHow Not To Get A Judicial Clerkship@. ACONNECT@ THE CORNELL CLERKSHIP DATABASE In the summer of 1996, the Clerkship Committee and the Office of Public Service began to construct a new tool for facilitating the clerkship search. ACONNECT@ is a database that keeps track of a variety of information about various state and federal judges. This information includes: C Cornell Connections: links to faculty, administrators, alumni and other friends of the Law School; experiences with the Law School such as Moot Court judging C Our Track Record: information on the judge=s history of giving interviews and offers to Cornellians Many of the charts in this Handbook’s appendix were created from CONNECT data. Keep in mind that Cornell students are the principal source of information to expand the database. During the clerkship season, we will ask you to report back to us information you have acquired in your search. By helping us enlarge CONNECT, you help make the clerkship process easier and more successful for those who come after you. In order to protect the privacy of students who submit information, only administrators have access to the CONNECT database. See Assistant Dean Karen Comstock or Elizabeth Peck with queries about CONNECT data. 13 | P age
Page 1: JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP HANDBOOK CORNELL
Page 4 and 5: Leadership Libraries 15 LexisNexis
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTION Clerking for a judge o
Page 9 and 10: valuable. (For further discussion,
Page 11 and 12: positions as Atemporary,” meaning
Page 13 and 14: JUDICIAL FELLOWS PROGRAM Following
Page 15 and 16: above, as one application. SELECTIN
Page 17: Grades and Other Credentials You do
Page 21 and 22: C Almanac of the Federal Judiciary:
Page 23 and 24: STAFF ATTORNEY AND PRO SE LAW CLERK
Page 25 and 26: COVER LETTER The same concerns abou
Page 27 and 28: WRITING SAMPLES Your writing sample
Page 29 and 30: Although there are no guarantees ab
Page 31: FEDERAL COURT WORKPLACE ISSUES In a
Page 34 and 35: Academic Record What are your grade
Page 36: Jeffrey S. Lehman Chief Judge Frank
Page 40 and 41: torney’s pay rate is comparable t
Page 42 and 43: Circuit and Contact Information 5th
Page 45 and 46: Applying to everyone in October sou
Page 53 and 54: Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito,
Page 55 and 56: APPENDIX K JUDGES WHO HIRED CORNELL
Page 59 and 60: JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP RESOURCES APPEND
Page 61 and 62: types of clerkships, how to build a
Page 63 and 64: The Honorable XXX United States Dis
Page 65 and 66: The Honorable XXX Supreme Court Sta
Page 67: Judge Frederick Block U.S. District

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP HANDBOOK - Cornell University Law School

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