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Judicial Clerkships

Clerkship Program: 5 Strengths 

The Law School devotes significant resources to helping students and alumni find judicial clerkships. Here are a just a few of the ways our clerkship program stands out:

  1.  A dedicated clerkship office. Led by Assistant Dean Michelle Cherande, the Judicial Clerkship Office has two full-time, experienced administrators who offer individualized advice and counsel. 
  2.  Faculty support. A faculty clerkship committee led by the Dean identifies clerkship opportunities and supports students and alumni including by writing recommendation letters and contacting judges.
  3.  Information sessions throughout the year. Numerous events help students navigate the judicial clerkship application process including a diversity reception, Q&A sessions with judges from across the country, and a networking reception with current and former clerks. 
  4.  Invaluable resources. Our judicial clerkship handbook and appendices feature application advice as well as a list of past, current, and future NYU Law clerks.
  5.  A network of 1400 law clerk alumni. Our tight-knit community provides guidance and mentorship to NYU Law students and alumni seeking a clerkship.

Student Voices

Video title screen still for Student Voices: Clerkships Click to play the video

Clerkship Stories

Students share their clerkship stories.

Yvonne Diabene Click to play the video

Working with the JCO

Yvonne Diabene '24 discusses her experience working with the JCO

Emma Schwartz Click to play the video

Finding a Clerkship

Emma Schwartz '22 on the application process.

Arijeet Sensharma Click to play the video

How the Clerkship Office Helps

Arijeet Sensharma '22 on working with the JCO

Where Our Graduates Clerk

About 20% of each graduating class eventually clerks. In the past five academic years, our graduates accepted more than 670 clerkships—194 with judges on federal appeals courts. In the current term, 20 graduates are clerking on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Second Circuit, and the Ninth Circuit—three of the most competitive Circuits. Since 2000, 36 NYU graduates have clerked or secured clerkships on the US Supreme Court.

NYU graduates clerk throughout the country. Since the 2014 term, NYU grads have accepted clerkships in 46 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and 3 countries.

Judges Jill Pryor, Patricia Millett, and Amy St. Eve listen to arguments
Judge Jill Pryor (11th Circuit), Judge Patricia Millett (DC Circuit), and Judge Amy St. Eve (7th Circuit) at the 2023 Marden Moot Court Competition.

Learn from Judges at Law School 

NYU Law students can take courses such as Decisionmaking in the Federal Courts and Constitutional Litigation with distinguished judges, including Judge Harry T. Edwards of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Judge Raymond J. Lohier, Jr. '91 and Judge Alison J. Nathan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Judge John G. Koeltl and Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

NYU holds several events throughout the year with judges from across the country, including the Orison S. Marden Moot Court Competition, the National Immigration Law Competition (ILC), and the Brennan Lecture on State Courts and Social Justice.

NYU is also home to the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA), a leader in judicial education since 1952. Over one-third of all currently sitting federal and state appellate judges are alumni of IJA training programs. Students can apply to be IJA Fellows and work on the annual seminar for new appellate judges. 

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