ABA Announcements: ABA Judicial Clerkship and Judicial Intern Opportunity Programs

2022 Judicial Clerkship Program

The 2022 ABA Judicial Clerkship Program will be held on February 10-12, 2022 in Seattle, WA. The Judicial Clerkship Program is held annually during the ABA Midyear Meeting. Over the course of three days, students and judges work together on research and writing projects that allow them to explore the judge/clerk relationship and working experience.

This will be an in-person event. We therefore want to ensure the safety of our participating students, volunteers, and other participants. Some points of note:

1.      All attendees must be vaccinated OR have a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the meeting. Proof of vaccination or the negative test results must be submitted before onsite registration.

2.      If unvaccinated, and the meeting is more than two days, unvaccinated attendees must re-test after the second day to continue to attend. This is important for JCP participants as JCP is a three-day program. The ABA is working to identify testing sites near the meeting location.

3.      Local guidelines may differ. If local guidelines have additional requirements, attendees must comply with those guidelines.

4.      Please Note: The ABA In-Person Meetings Policy will be reviewed regularly and changed or revoked as circumstances of the pandemic warrant. I will forward any amendments as soon as available.

View the 2022 program brochure and participation form here and visit the JCP webpage.

If you have any questions, please contact Selina Thomas at [email protected]. 

2022 Judicial Intern Opportunity Program

The American Bar Association’s Litigation Section is a place where law students become engaged in the legal profession and where Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are advanced. One example of this work is the Section’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP), a summer internship program.

Open to all first-or second-year diverse law students, JIOP students intern for a minimum of six weeks over the summer with a participating state or federal judge. The program offers a $2,000 award to each student. Students may also elect law school credit or coordinate their award with their work-study financial aid.

Last year, internships were offered to 164 law students representing 73 different law schools in locations throughout the country. The goal is to place 160 students during Summer 2022. Summer 2022 placements will include the new JIOP location in Salt Lake City, UT.

Applications open for all students on November 1, 2021 and close on January 7, 2022. Please encourage your students to apply early as last year’s program received 730 applications for 150 placements. Screening interviews are guaranteed for the first 500 applicants and additional students will be screened on an as-needed basis.

Please pass this information (program description and frequently asked questions) on to your colleagues and students. More detailed information and the program application can be found here, though please note the application will not be available until November 1. Please contact JIOP Program Director Gail Howard by email or phone at (312) 988-6348 with additional questions.

JIOP alumni are happy to discuss their experiences with your students. Please contact Gail Howard if there is an opportunity for one of our alumni to present either virtually or in-person before your organization.