December 2019

On February 28, 2018 an ad hoc committee of federal judges, responding to the significant difficulties generated from the absence of a coherent schedule for judicial clerkship hiring, announced a 2 year pilot hiring plan for federal law clerks. Under the terms of the plan, beginning with the Class of 2020, no applicants will be considered unless they have completed at least two years of law school.

In December 2019, the committee announced updates for the second year of the plan, setting a specific time judges could accept recommendations on the plan release date (12pm EDT) and adding a 24-hour reading period before judges can extend interview invitations.  The committee's original announcement of the plan and the letter explaining the December 2019 updates are linked below.  The updated plan details are available on the OSCAR website, along with the OSCAR access dates and application release dates OSCAR has set to complement the plan schedule.

This page will collect information on the hiring plan and its implementation. Please check back regularly for new links, and email Liz Peck or Greta Trakul (co-chairs of NALP's Judicial Clerkship Section's Federal Hiring Plan Work Group) if you have any additions.

Remember also that NALP's Judicial Clerkship Section actively uses NALPConnect discussions (member login required) for many clerkship topics including the new federal law clerk hiring plan.

Resources and Information

Ad Hoc Committee Hiring Plan Announcement with Deans' Letter (PDF)

Ad Hoc Committee December 2019 Plan Updates (PDF)

DC Circuit Adopts Hiring Plan

1st Circuit endorses the hiring plan

2nd Circuit Adopts Hiring Plan

3rd Circuit Adopts Hiring Plan

7th Circuit Adopts Hiring Plan

9th Circuit to Follow New Law Clerk Hiring Plan

District of Connecticut Adopts Hiring Plan

US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (PDF announcement)