Pursuing Clerkships Post-Graduation
While students frequently apply for clerkships with state or federal courts or international tribunals while they are at YLS, these opportunities are equally available to alumni. Indeed, a number of these clerkships are obtained by YLS alumni each year.
There are several reasons to pursue a clerkship post-graduation. For some alumni, a clerkship can provide a way of strengthening and rounding out lawyering knowledge and skills. For other alumni, a clerkship can assist with a transition to a different sort of job or career path, or with a permanent or temporary geographic relocation. Some alumni who have experienced the court system through practice welcome the opportunity to see how decision-making works within chambers, as well as to work as arbiters rather than advocates for some period of time.
YLS graduates should not limit themselves in their considerations of pursuing judicial clerkships, and should be aware that judges are regularly open to hiring individuals who are several years out of law school. In fact, a number of judges prefer, and some require, one or more years of post-graduate experience.
Access to Clerkship Resources
Alumni who are applying for judicial clerkships should contact CDO at clerkship@yale.edu for access to the YLS Clerkship SharePoint site and the CMS clerkship module. Annually, each January, CDO will archive all alumni accounts to prepare for the new year ahead. CDO will send a reminder email about this policy each December to alumni clerkship seekers. After the archiving process, alumni may contact CDO to request renewed access to these resources.
Clerkship Counseling Appointments
CDO counselors would be happy to assist you with your clerkship search. To make an appointment for a counseling session, contact CDO at clerkship@yale.edu or 203-432-1676.
Additional Resources
Judicial Clerkships in the U.S.
U.S. Supreme Court Clerkships – YLS version
Opportunities with International Tribunals and Foreign Courts