Types of Clerkships

There are a variety of clerkship opportunities for applicants with different interests, experiences, and qualifications to clerk with the courts below. We have also compiled a detailed list of former, current, and upcoming Texas Law judicial clerks (pdf) as well as a list of courts hiring Texas Law graduates (pdf).

Federal Courts

  • U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (13 circuits, including District of Columbia and the Federal Circuit)
  • U.S. District Courts (including District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands)
  • U.S. District Court Magistrate Judges
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Courts
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
  • U.S. Tax Court (usually requires an L.L.M. in Tax)
  • Federal Administrative Law Judges (ALJs: more than 30 federal government departments and agencies employ more than 1,000 administrative law judges who hire law clerks (called administrative assistants or special assistants). Examples include the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, Department of Labor, Drug Enforcement Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, National Labor Relations Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, etc.
  • Immigration Courts: The Immigration Courts hire approximately 20 law clerks to assist Chief Immigration Judges throughout the nation for a one-year period.

State Courts

  • State Supreme Courts
  • State Intermediate Appellate Courts
  • State Trial Courts

Texas Courts

  • Supreme Court of Texas
  • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
  • Texas Intermediate Appellate Courts (usually only the 1st)