Some of you may be seeking internships for next summer, or have students asking for your advice. I think a judicial internship (next to a research assistantship for a professor) is a great opportunity. It emphasize research and writing skills, which employers value. Not all internships are created equal. You may have one that amounts to photocopying and document review with little substantive work.
If you choose well, you may find yourself with a mentor and receive strong feedback on your writing. The writing sample as well will be helpful for on campus interviews. Here are some points:
- For those interested in a judicial clerkship, this may serve as a tryout. If not for your judge, another on the court. There are those that prefer to hire their interns. You may be able to find this out by talking to current and former clerks after receiving an offer.
- Very important – will you be working directly with the judge or for their clerks?
- Apply widely. If you want a judicial internship there will be an opportunity somewhere. So, apply at all levels: state, federal, administrative, etc.
- Do not be afraid to follow up. Sometimes your application may get lost amid many others. A polite request for an update on your status may bring yours to the forefront.
Please feel free to ask specific questions in the comments.
Posted by Scott Maravilla on December 15, 2015 at 08:20 AM
Comments
To the above, I’d add that students should understand that semester-term judicial internships (fall or spring semester) are easier to secure than during the summer. Generally, there is less applicant demand for internship positions during the academic year. Moreover, the candidate applicant pool will principally be local during the academic year. Therefore, overall the selection process is less competitive for prospective candidates during the academic year. This may be particularly relevant for more competitive internships, e.g. federal courts of appeals, certain active status federal district court judges, state supreme courts, etc.
Posted by: TS | Dec 16, 2015 12:08:33 AM
As a onetime judicial intern, I would add that the connections one makes with, and mentoring one gets from, law clerks can be just as or more valuable as the relationship with the judge, especially if one’s interested in getting a clerkship.
Posted by: Asher Steinberg | Dec 15, 2015 12:52:40 PM