JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP HANDBOOK - Cornell University Law School

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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 <strong>CLERKSHIP</strong>S 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 <strong>Law</strong>. 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. 24 | P age
FEDERAL COURT WORKPLACE ISSUES In accordance with Judicial Conference policy, each court in the judiciary has implemented a Fair Employment Practices (FEP) Program. Most court programs provide both informal and formal procedures for resolving disputes pertaining to EEO and anti‐discrimination rights, worker adjustment and retraining rights, occupational safety and health protections, and claims based on statutory rights that most judiciary employees have under the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The court=s FEP program is applicable to employed chambers staff, including law clerks. The court=s plan usually is available on the court=s intranet web site or from the court human resource/personnel specialist. Additionally, each circuit has an Employment Dispute Resolution Coordinator who may be consulted and the Fair Employment Practices Office of the Administrative Office also is available for assistance. 25 | 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 and 18: Grades and Other Credentials You do
Page 19 and 20: Cornell University’s Internationa
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: Although there are no guarantees ab
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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