OSCAR
OSCAR (Online System for Clerkship Application and Review) is the primary source for information on federal law clerk openings, clerkship application information, and law clerk employment information. While not every judge posts openings on OSCAR, applicants should start their searches with this system.
The application and hiring process for law students does not begin until after their 2L year. Generally, students are able to access OSCAR in January of their 2L year. See the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan for application and hiring dates, and OSCAR access dates.
U.S. Courts Careers
Some judges choose to not use OSCAR to post clerkship openings. The U.S. Courts Careers page includes some unique clerkship postings, as well as duplicates of OSCAR postings. Go to "Search Judiciary Jobs" and enter law clerk in the "Search by position or keyword" search box.
Individual Federal Court Sites
Some federal courts post clerkship openings on their individual sites, instead of or in addition to OSCAR. If you are interested in a court, follow the link below to find its website and double check whether it has any openings.
U.S. Tax Court
Clerkships with the U.S. Tax Court will not be on OSCAR. Find application information at the link below.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services
Clerkships with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services are not listed on OSCAR. The judges keep their hiring information updated on the Court's website, below.
Administrative Law Judges
While technically not part of the federal courts, numerous federal agencies utilize administrative law judges (ALJs) to resolve matters, and many of the ALJs hire clerks; this site links to the agencies who use ALJs, so you can research their websites and contact the agencies directly to find out if they are hiring clerks and what their hiring process is.
Stay on top of clerkship postings by subscribing to the weekly MLaw Clerkships Listserv. Subscribers receive news of clerkship openings not posted on OSCAR, as well as updates and announcements relevant to clerkships. Email clerkships@umich.edu to be added to the listserv.
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