JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP HANDBOOK - Cornell University Law School

since your preferred judges may not get back to you as quickly as some others.
There is no formula for success here, and the process, once set in motion, is largely beyond
your ability to control. Under these circumstances, you are well‐advised to send
applications only to those judges from whom you would feel comfortable accepting an
offer. However unsettling or unusual this process may seem, remember that a clerkship is
not like most other legal jobs. It is a unique, one‐ or two‐year long experience during which
you will, no matter where or for whom you clerk, learn much about the practice of law
while often developing an enduring personal and professional relationship with someone
who has lived a life in the law.
EXPECTATIONS ABOUT ACCEPTANCE – STATE CLERKSHIPS
State court judges, are first and foremost, judges. Like their federal colleagues, they too are
accustomed to deference. So, when a state court judge makes a clerkship offer, s/he would
like it accepted as soon as possible. If you receive an offer from a state court judge and feel
comfortable accepting it on the spot, by all means, do so. However, if you need a bit of
time, perhaps a week, to think it over, you may, graciously and humbly, ask for that small
amount of time to weigh your decision. Once that time has expired, promptly contact the
judge and tell him/her of your decision. While state court judges may be slightly more
flexible about acceptances, remember that the judge’s perceptions of you (and your law
school) will be formed, in part, based on these initial interactions.
CLERKING AND COURSE SELECTION
There are no Arequired@ courses for clerking but it is a good idea to keep your clerkship
plans in mind as you put together your second and third year curriculum. Moreover, some
judges will like to know that you have taken, or intend to take, certain courses that will
come in especially handy given the nature of their docket. Look for opportunities to
improve your legal writing.
For a federal court clerkship, it is important that you take Federal Courts which, among
other things, will acquaint you with special issues involving the Article III judicial power and
the most important federal causes of action. If criminal cases or civil rights cases form a
significant part of your court=s docket (as they do for the federal courts and many state
appellate courts), Criminal Procedure can be very useful. Other courses you might find
helpful include advanced procedure offerings (e.g., Advanced Civil Procedure; Injunctions)
and Administrative Law. If you are interested in a Aspecialty court@ (a court that handles
exclusively tax, bankruptcy, domestic relations, etc.) you should obviously plan on taking
the available courses relevant to that specialty. Finally, once you have secured a clerkship,
you should ask your judge if there are any particular courses he or she would like you to
take.
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