Judicial Clerkship Handbook 2009-2010 Career Services Judicial Clerkship Handbook 2009-2010 1 1 CAREER SERVICES OFFICE STAFF Ilona DeRemer Lydia Montelongo Assistant Dean Director [email protected] [email protected] Samantha Williams Assistant Director Judicial Clerkship Advisor [email protected] JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP COMMITTEE 2009-2010 Professor Andy Hessick, Chair Professor Adam Chodorow, Faculty Fellow Ilona DeRemer, Assistant Dean for Career Services Samantha Williams, Assistant Director of Career Services Judicial Clerkship Handbook 2009-2010 2 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. IMPORTANT DATES AT A GLANCE .................................................................................2 2. WHY CLERK? ................................................................................................................3 BENEFITS OF A JUDICIAL CLERKHSIP .............................................................................4 COMMON MYTHS DISPELLED……………………………………………...…………4 3. TARGETING PROMISING CLERKSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ................................................5 TARGETING A SPECIFIC TYPE OF COURT/OVERVIEW OF THE COURT SYSTEM..................5 THE HEARSAY BOOK .............................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.8 ASSESSING YOUR STRENGTHS/QUALIFICATIONS .............................................................8 JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIPS ...................................................................................................8 4. RESEARCHING CLERKSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND JUDGES ..........................................9 RESEARCH RESOURCES ....................................................................................................9 OUT-OF-STATE OPPORTUNITIES……………………………………………………… 10 5. THE MECHANICS OF A JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP APPLICATION.................................... 11 SAMPLE COVER LETTERS............................................................................................ 115 SAMPLE RESUME........................................................................................................... 17 REQUESTING A LETTER OF REC FROM A PROFESSOR..................................................... 18 SAMPLE COVER PAGE FOR WRITING SAMPLE................................................................ 19 6. TIMING IS ESSENTIAL................................................................................................. 20 THE FEDERAL JUDGES LAW CLERK HIRING PLAN AND GUIDELINES ............................ 20 SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATIONS ............................................................................... 21 OPPORTUNITIES LATER IN YOUR THIRD YEAR .............................................................. 22 7. PREPARING FOR THE INITIAL INTERVIEW................................................................. 24 8. THE INTERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 286 9. ACCEPTING THE OFFER ............................................................................................. 28 10. APPENDIX.................................................................................................................. 29 UNITED STATES COURTS............................................................................................... 30 ADDITIONAL WEBSITES FOR JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS RESEARCH.................................... 31 PREPARING FOR JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS: TIPS FOR STUDENTS SPENDING THEIR SUMMERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ................................................................................. 32 ASU ALUMNI JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS............................................................................ 33 ASU LAW FACULTY JUDICIAL CLERKS ........................................................................ 40 Judicial Clerkship Handbook 2009-20110 1 1. IMPORTANT DATES AT A GLANCE March Research application deadlines for out-of-state clerkships with state court judges and for federal judges who are not following the Federal Judges Law Clerk Hiring Plan. Apply accordingly. Use the “Vermont Law School Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures”, the “Northwest/Rocky Mountain Consortium’s Judicial Clerkship Database” and the Judicial Yellowbook. March – May Begin to prepare your application material based on your earliest application deadline. Ask for letters of recommendation. May 18, 2009 OSCAR becomes available to students. If you are applying to federal judges who use OSCAR, you must register with OSCAR and in most cases begin to upload your application materials and request letters of recommendation through the OSCAR system. Early-July ASU Judicial Clerkship Table will be available at the Career Services website with the most up-to-date information on clerkship opportunities with Arizona federal and state judges. July – August Finalize your applications for all judges who are following the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan or who take applications in the summer. Friday August 21* Deadline to submit your applications to the Career Services Office for Arizona federal and state judges who do not use OSCAR. These applications will be bundled and sent to the judges to be received by Tuesday, September 8, 2009. Friday, Sept. 4** Express mail your applications to certain federal and state judges who follow the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan so that they are received by the judges no earlier than Tuesday, September 8, 2009. These include federal judges who are not taking applications through OSCAR and judges for whom Career Services is not bundling applications. Tuesday, Sept. 8 First day when applications to federal judges who are following the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan may begin to accept applications. Career Services will have the bundled applications delivered to Arizona judges. Friday, Sept.11 First day when judges following the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan may contact applicants to schedule interviews. Thurs, Sept. 17 First day when judges who are following the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan may hold interviews and make offers. October Not all judges extend offers in September. Offers may be made in October or later. Remaining 3L year Not all judges hire before or during the regular judicial clerkship cycle. Some judges do not interview until late in the fall semester and some even interview during the spring semester. There is also the possibility a new judge may be seated on a court. Career Services will inform you of these opportunities as they come up. Continue to do your own research of clerkship opportunities with the resources mentioned throughout this handbook. NOTE: *CLASSES BEGIN ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 20! ** MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, IS A HOLIDAY! 2 2. WHY CLERK? Judicial clerkships are one of the most prestigious and sought-after positions available to recent law graduates. Nationally, approximately 10% of all law graduates get placed as local, state or federal clerks. Here at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, over the past five years that percentage has ranged from 10% to 16% of the graduating class. The benefits of clerking are immeasurable; in fact, major law firms find them to be so valuable that many hold their associate offers open during the term and also give credit for that year towards the partnership track. Many of our current faculty have held clerkships at various level courts. Many students find clerking to be an excellent transition between law school and the real world by learning, for example, what consists of good writing and bad, and what types of arguments are persuasive to a judge. In addition, the experience obtained from a judicial clerkship makes a new attorney very marketable for post-clerkship employment, regardless of what area of law that attorney wants to practice! GENERAL INFORMATION THE FUNCTION AND ROLE OF THE LAW CLERK A law clerk is a lawyer employed to assist a judge with as many administrative, clerical, and basic legal tasks as possible, so as to leave the judge more time for judging and critical decision-making. The clerk has no statutorily defined duties. Instead, the clerk carries out the judge's instructions. In doing so, the typical clerk is given a broad range of duties. Clerks are usually assigned to do legal research, prepare bench memos draft orders and opinions, edit and proofread the judge's orders and opinions, and verify citations. Many judges discuss pending cases with their law clerks and confer with them about decisions. Frequently, clerks also maintain the library, assemble documents, serve as courtroom crier, and run errands for the judge. District court clerks also often attend conferences in chambers with the attorneys in a case. Other staff members also assist the judge. Generally, an appellate judge is authorized to employ three law clerks and two secretaries. Each district judge generally has two law clerks, a secretary, a courtroom deputy, and the services of a court reporter. Each bankruptcy judge has one law clerk and a secretary. Each magistrate has a clerical assistant and a secretary. With the approval of the magistrate's Committee of the Judicial Conference, a magistrate may employ a law clerk instead. Typically, judicial clerkships last one or two years. Some judges, however, employ “career clerks,” who work for the judge on a permanent basis. Most clerks are hired to assist a specific judge although some courts employ “floating clerks” to assist the judges. Judicial clerks play a significant role in the judicial process. Depending on the court, judicial clerks perform a variety of duties including advising