Rules and Procedures
You should not apply for a clerkship which, if offered, you would not accept. Before applying for a clerkship, consider carefully the reputation of the judge, the length of the clerkship (1 or 2 years) and the location.
Interviews:
You pay for your own interview expenses. You may contact other judges in the same area once you receive your first callback to see if you can consolidate interviews. Judges respond randomly--your tenth choice may respond well before your first choice.
The Offer:
Once a Judge extends an offer to you, you should accept. Most applicants accept the offer on the spot. You must have a very good reason not to accept the offer. If something comes up during the process and you are no longer interested in the clerkship, the proper etiquette is to withdraw your application. Once you accept a clerkship, you must withdraw all other pending clerkship applications.
Eligibility: In general, applicants for paid federal judicial clerkships (in the continental U.S.) must be U.S. Citizens. There are exceptions, however. If you are a permanent resident, eligible to be a U.S. citizen and have filed a Declaration of Intent to apply for citizenship, you may be eligible. Foreign citizens whose country of origin has a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. may also be eligible. If you feel there is a question of your eligibility, you should submit an application as usual and inform the judge's clerks or secretary of your concerns. They will be able to give you an official answer.
Citizenship requirements for applicants to state courts depend on the individual state's laws. You should contact the administrator of the specific court for information.
Requirements:
- Resume
- Transcript
- Cover Letter
- Writing Sample
- Recommendations
1. Resume.
2. Cover Letter. Your cover letter should indicate your interest in the clerkship and highlight your qualifications. The letter should be short, no more than one page. Mention for which term you are applying. You may wish to emphasize your research and writing experience as well as any other unique qualifications. You should also mention any special factors which were important to your selection of this judge/court. Most importantly, convey sincerity.
State your geographic connection to the court if it is not apparent, and if you have upcoming plans to be in the area. If appropriate, you should indicate that your recommendations will be sent under separate cover. You should also mention the names of your recommenders and attach a list of your recommendations including title, address, and telephone numbers. Remember that your cover letter is an example of your writing. Make sure that it is well written and has no typographical or grammatical errors.
Forms of Address and Salutation:
The following are some guidelines for correctly addressing a letter to a judge:
Double check the spelling of each judge's name. Use "The Honorable" before the judge's or magistrate's name on the inside address and envelope. The title for judges who sit on courts that have the name "Supreme" in them is "Justice". All others are "Judge". The title for a magistrate is United States Magistrate Judge. The salutation is "Dear Magistrate Judge although some Magistrate's may prefer "Dear Judge ____". When addressing a letter to a clerk, include the title "Law Clerk" after the name.
| Addressee | Envelope and Inside Address | Salutation |
| U.S. Supreme Court | ||
| Chief Justice | The Chief Justice of the United States Washington, DC 20543 | Dear Chief Justice: |
| Associate Justice | Justice (name) The Supreme Court of the United States | Dear Justice (surname): |
| U.S. Court of Appeals for the (circuit) | ||
| Chief Judge | The Honorable (full name) Chief Judge, (name of court) | Dear Chief Judge (surname): |
| Judge or Senior Judge | The Honorable (full name) (name of court) | Dear Judge (surname): |
| U.S. District Court for the (district) and Other Federal Courts | ||
| Chief Judge | The Honorable (full name) Chief Judge, (name of court) | Dear Chief Judge (surname): |
| Judge or Senior Judge | The Honorable (full name) (name of Court) | Dear Judge (surname): |
| Magistrate Judge | The Honorable (full name) U.S. Magistrate Judge (name of the court) | Dear Magistrate Judge (surname): |
| State Supreme Court | ||
| Chief Justice | The Honorable (full name) (name of the court) | Dear Chief Justice (surname): |
| Justice | The Honorable (full name) (name of the court) | Dear Justice (surname): |
| Other State Courts | ||
| Chief Judge | The Honorable (full name) (name of the court) | Dear Chief Judge (surname): |
| Judge | The Honorable (full name) (name of court) | Dear Judge (surname): |
3. Transcripts. Most judges request a law school transcript. For most an unofficial transcript will suffice; others will want an official transcript. Some judges request an undergraduate transcript. The federal law clerk information web site will specify this information.
You can obtain a copy of your transcript (official or unofficial) from the Registrar's Office, Lyons Hall ((617) 552-8700). Use the transcript request and transcript status tracking features in Agora. Log on to Agora and look for the transcript items in your menu. Review the information on the screen, add any additional information and submit your request. Your request will be received immediately and processed as soon as possible. Use the status tracking page to follow your request. Your PIN acts as the authorization to release your record. If you visit Lyons Hall, you can complete the transcript request form in the office. Request an undergraduate transcript early. You will then have it on hand for any judges requesting that transcript as part of the application packet.
4. Writing Samples. Judges usually want a legal writing sample as a part of the application. Occasionally judges will not want the writing sample until the interview.
Writing samples should be short, approximately 8-10 pages. The sample should be an example of legal writing and not a college thesis. Writing samples may be an excerpt from a longer piece. If using an excerpt, make sure that you provide a cover sheet with points of fact and a context. Examples of commonly used writing samples are Moot Court briefs, sections of journal articles (although most judges do not want writing samples that have been heavily edited by others), and memoranda written at work (with your employer's permission).
5. Recommendations. Judges generally request two or three letters of recommendation. These recommendations should be from law school faculty or legal employers who can write about your legal research and writing ability, legal analytical skills, etc. Letters from undergraduate professors are not as helpful. When requesting letters of recommendation, make your request well in advance to allow sufficient time for those who are writing letters on your behalf. Let your recommender know if you receive an interview or an offer.
Use a special administrative e-mail address, clrkship@bc.edu, to contact the Faculty Support Center regarding individual lists of judges and recommendation letters. See the Clerkship Letter of Recommendation fact sheet for the four steps for obtaining faculty letters of recommendation.
There is a deadline. You must submit your lists to Faculty Support by August 1, 2008 if you plan to apply to judges accepting applications during the first two weeks of September. There is no guarantee that the letters will be ready if you miss the deadline. We had to set a deadline because of sheer volume. You can always supplement your list later if new judges get appointed throughout the year or if you indentify additional courts.
Number of Applications:
According to the procedures set by the Clerkship Committee, you may apply to 75 judges or courts. If you really want to apply to more than 75 judges/courts, please send Dean Wylie or Maris Abbene an e-mail explaining the reasons and listing the additional judges, and the Clerkship Committee will discuss your request at periodic meetings this summer. A typical good reason is, "I am applying to the 59 judges in the DC Superior court system, and there is no central application." A not-so-good reason would be "I want to apply to every single federal district court judge in the country."