Judicial Clerkships

Fast Facts

Judicial Clerkships: An Overview

• Clerkship Application Deadlines at a Glance
• Notes About Applying for Clerkships as an Alum - According to the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, once you have reached Labor Day of your 3L year, you are free to apply to federal clerkships on any schedule that you like. Savvy 3Ls and alumni will submit federal clerkship applications during the late spring in order to beat the rush of student applications in September.
• UVA Judicial Clerkship Handbook - Deciding whether to clerk, where to clerk and what to say in your application

Detailed Application Materials

• Summary of Application Procedures - Instructions to guide you through the technical aspects of the clerkship process, including how to use CARS and the rules about bundling your applications.
  
• OSCAR - Online System for Clerkship Application and Review.  OSCAR is an Internet-based application program that permits applicants to apply for federal clerkships electronically.  If a federal judge participates in OSCAR, this is the exclusive method by which you can apply to clerk for that judge.
• CARS - Clerkship Application and Recommendation System.  CARS is the Law School’s in-house system for applying to state judges and federal judges who do not participate in OSCAR. 
• 2010 Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures

Other Notes on Applications

• Sample Cover Letters
• Notes About Using Non-Faculty Recommenders
• Supreme Court Clerkships

Reference Materials

• Clerkships Accepted By Virginia Law Students, 1983-present
• Clerkship Interviews By Judge
• Judicial Clerkship Survey
• Sitting Judges with UVA Law Degrees
• Students' Average GPAs for Clerkships

Useful Articles

• Rat Race: Insider Advice on Landing Judicial Clerkships
• Ethics for Law Clerks
• Judicial Clerkships For Everyone

Other Useful Links

• Federal Law Clerk Information System
• Information on Judicial Nominations
• United States Courts Home Page
• Links to All Federal Courts
• Federal Judicial Center

For more information, contact judicialclerkships@virginia.edu

 
FAST FACTS

Number of Judicial Clerks, 2008-09 Court Year, Class of 2008: 51

• 14 U.S. Courts of Appeal
• 34 U.S. District Courts and Other Federal Courts
• 3 State Courts

Alumni Clerkships, 2008-09 Court Year
Many of our alumni make the decision to clerk after they have worked for a year or two elsewhere. This list includes Virginia alumni from the Class of 2007 and earlier who will clerk during the 2008 to 2009 Court Year.  Please note that the information about alumni clerkships is incomplete.   

• 1 Supreme Court of the United States
• 4 U.S. Courts of Appeal
• 8 U.S. District Courts and other Federal Courts

Total Number of UVA Law School Graduates Clerking in 2008-2009 Court Year: 63