The successful careers of our graduates often begin with judicial internships, clerkships, and externships.
A judicial clerkship provides an invaluable experience, reference, and résumé highlight. Judicial clerkships are prestigious positions that prepare the new graduate for maximum success and flexibility in law practice while enjoying a close working relationship with a valuable mentor. Recognized by the bar, bench, and the legal community as an unparalleled experience, clerkships at all levels are an opportunity available to Tulane students from a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and accomplishments.
There are hundreds of judicial clerkships available each year in federal and state court. Federal courts hear cases that involve matters of federal constitutional or statutory law, general common law cases arising under diversity jurisdiction, cases where the United States is a party, and cases involving bankruptcy, copyright, patent, and maritime law. State courts, in contrast to federal courts, tend to have a broader variety of cases. Most criminal cases are heard in state court because most crimes are violations of state or local law. In addition to criminal cases, state courts also handle matters involving family law (including divorce and custody), trusts and estates, personal injury, contract disputes, and real estate disputes.
New Orleans is a particularly advantageous location in light of the number of state and federal courts located within a few miles of the Law School, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, federal district and magistrate courts, and the full range of state trial and appellate courts, as well as the Louisiana Supreme Court. Throughout their law school careers, students are afforded the opportunity to complete judicial internships and externships with local judges and with judges throughout the country during the summers. Our graduates are successful at obtaining prestigious one- and two-year judicial clerkships that start immediately after graduation. Judicial clerkships are also excellent opportunities for alumni, as many judges throughout the country also hire experienced attorneys for term or career clerk positions.
Federal clerkships are generally considered the most competitive positions and require exceptional achievement in law school as well as great letters of recommendation. There are federal clerkship opportunities in the United States Courts of Appeal, United States District Courts (District and Magistrate Judges), United States Bankruptcy Courts, Administrative Law Judges, and specialty courts such as United States Claims Court, United States Tax Court, United States Court of Military Appeals, and United States Court of Veterans.
Application Timing
Understanding when to apply to individual federal judges can be a challenge. Judges do not articulate their preferences at the same time, so this information is not available all at once. The best resource for ascertaining when and where to apply is the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR). OSCAR is a web-based system for federal law clerk and appellate staff attorney recruitment. Applicants can research judges’ and staff attorney offices’ hiring practices and preferences, and timelines, and apply online to clerkship and staff attorney positions.
In 2018, a federal law clerk hiring plan was adopted. The Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan (“Plan”) is a hiring timeline and agreement some federal judges follow, which governs the hiring of second year law students. Participating judges agree that they will not consider candidates or make offers until mid-June in the summer following a student’s second year of law school.
- The Plan is voluntary and it can be challenging to determine which judges follow it. Judges have the option in their OSCAR profile to indicate their hiring practices and preferences (which can include whether they follow the Plan).
- OSCAR follows the Plan and judges who only accept applications via OSCAR by default follow the Plan.
- Second year students are able to gain access to OSCAR early in their spring semester to create a profile, search for clerkship openings, and to build online applications. Applications from second year students will not be released by OSCAR until the Plan’s opening date in June of their 2L summer.
- For more information on the Plan and OSCAR access dates for your class year, please visit this page.
There are valuable clerkship opportunities in state supreme courts, state intermediate appellate courts, and state trial courts. A state court clerkship will provide you with a greater understating of state procedural and substantive law, and as most litigation is conducted in state court, unparalleled exposure into the litigation process. If you plan to work in the geographic location where you are clerking, the state court clerkship should be enormously valuable.
Application Timing
Deadlines for state clerkship applications vary. Each state has its own application procedures for its trial and appellate courts. Some state courts may accept applications as early as winter of your second year, and others as late as fall of your third year or even later.
The Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures is an excellent resource for state court clerkship applications. It is a comprehensive guide to the procedures for applying for state court judicial clerkships at all levels in all 50 states and some U.S. territories. The site is password protected. To obtain the login information, please contact the CDO at lawcdo@tulane.edu or 504-865-5942.
Another valuable resource is the National Center for State Courts, a website dedicated to information about state courts. Links to employment opportunities at state courts around the country are available HERE. Additionally, students and alumni can identify internship, externship and clerkship opportunities within the judiciary at the state and local level, both in person and remote, by navigating to CORA (Court Opportunity Recruitment for All). CORA works by connecting interested applicants to state court opportunities.
Students should also review the NALP guide, Insight and Inside Information for Select State Court Clerkships, available through CRIS. This guide provides specific information about state court clerkships and can be reviewed in conjunction with the Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures.
Where do Tulane Law Gradautes Clerk?
Members of Tulane Law School's Classes of 2015-2025 have clerked at the following courts:
Federal Appellate Courts
U.S. Court of Appeals
D.C. Circuit, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh Circuits.
Federal District & Bankruptcy Courts
District Courts
Northern District of Alabama
Western District of Arkansas
Northern & Southern Districts of Florida
Eastern, Western, & Middle Districts of Louisiana
Southern District of Mississippi
Eastern District of New York
Middle District of Pennsylvania
District of South Carolina
Western District of Tennessee
Eastern, Northern, Southern, & Western Districts of Texas
District of Utah
Bankruptcy Courts
Eastern District of Louisiana
Easter District of New York
Middle District of North Carolina
Northern District of Texas
Specialized Federal Courts
U.S. Court of International Trade
U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board
State, Local, & Territorial Courts
Louisiana
First, Fourth, Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeal
Civil District Court, Orleans Parish
16th, 24th, 26th Judicial District Courts
Other States & Territories
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Connecticut Superior Court
Delaware (Supreme Court, Court of Chancery, Family Court)
Maryland Circuit Court
Massachusetts Trial Court
Nevada Judicial District Court
New Jersey Superior Court
New Mexico (Court of Appeals, Trial Court)
New York Supreme Court
Pennsylvania (Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas)
U.S. Virgin Islands Supreme Court
For More Information
For students interested in working as a judicial law clerk after graduation, please contact Vanessa Beary, Assistant Dean for Career Development: vbeary@tulane.edu
