On Wednesday, March 7, Amy Wildermuth, Vice President for Faculty & Professor of Law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, will present the workshop “Introducing Judicial Clerkships” at 12:15 in Room 106. Come learn the benefits of doing a judicial clerkship, application guidelines, and more.
A recent graduate offers the following advice for those of you considering a clerkship: “Cast a broad net! The economic changes have also really changed the interests in clerkships. They are more competitive now, so the larger pool of Judges to whom you apply the better. Listen to Amy Wildermuth; she knows her stuff.” If you are a 1L or 2L and are considering a judicial clerkship, Wednesday’s workshop is the first step in educating yourself about the process.
This tip came from a former clerk: “I think a lot of students just apply for clerkships without knowing what the job involves. I’d recommend asking someone who has done a clerkship what the job is like before deciding whether or not it is the type of opportunity you want to pursue. I didn’t do a judicial internship, but it is a great way to learn whether or not you’d like to be a clerk. Many judges end up hiring their past interns, so it is a great way to get your foot in the door.”
Coming March 21, current judicial clerks (panelists TBA) will be participating on the “Clerks on Clerkships” panel. You will have an opportunity to learn from current clerks at a variety of courts, and will have the chance to hear about their experiences and the reasons why they decided to do a judicial clerkship after graduation. When we asked former law clerk Megan Houdeshel why she had decided to do a clerkship, she replied, “I wanted to do a clerkship because I thought it would be a chance for me to improve on the writing skills I acquired in law school. My firm (Parr Brown Gee & Loveless) encouraged me to apply. It was also an opportunity to be directly involved in the appellate process. I have also developed incredible friendships with the other clerks who will be my colleagues in the years to come. I think this can only improve my practice in the future.”