Judicial Clerkships Research

Some frequently-asked questions about applying for clerkships include:

1. What do law clerks do?
   • Generally speaking, judicial law clerks do research for the judge and prepare memos or draft opinions on cases before the judge. 
   • Find out more using the books and guides on the Additional Information page in this guide. 
2. What kinds of cases does the judge I'm applying to clerk for hear?​​​​​​​
   • The Analytics databases on Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg all include general categories (civil litigation, criminal, real estate, torts) for the cases that profiled judges hear. 
3. How does the judge I'm applying to clerk for rule in particular kinds of cases?
   • ​​​​​​​The Litigation Analytics databases also include outcomes for types of cases and motions. They include links to significant cases as well. You can also search for published opinions by judges, and search in Bloomberg Law dockets for unpublished orders and opinions by federal judges. For trial court judges, you may need to search in news databases for local news articles.
4. How do I find personal information about the judge I'm applying to clerk for, like schools they attended, religion, or political party?
   • You will not always be able to find personal information on judges.
   • Most of the judicial directories and profiles listed in this guide include the judge's college and law school. 
   • The American Bench: Judges of the Nation, available at KF98.A19 A47, includes more personal information than most of the directories, including gender and ethnicity . Some profiles include birthdate, religion, political party, president or governor appointed by, legal and civic organization memberships, and hobbies and interests. 
   • The Court Listener Project's Judge Search includes fields for birth city and state, schools attended, and political party. It also include financial disclosures. 
   • Some court websites include biographical information on their judges.
   • You may be able to find more information on a judge by searching for interviews and profiles in local newspaper articles and bar publications.
5. How do I apply for a judicial clerkship?
   • ​​​​​​​See the resources on Emory Law Career Center (you'll need to log in). These include a Judicial Clerkships Guide, and cover letter template and guidance. 
   • Federal judicial clerkships use the OSCAR Online System for Clerkship Application and Review. Find new clerkship positions and information on applying. 
   • Search for jobs in the federal judiciary, including law clerk positions, on the United States Courts website. 
   • There is no central site to search for or apply for state court clerkships. Find them posted on state court websites. 

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