Participation in the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan pertains to the hiring of law school students with two full years of grades in accordance with the timeline set forth below. Students who attend law school part-time or who seek a dual degree may have a later law school graduation date but meet the requirement of having two full years of grades. The dates set forth below do not apply to law school graduates; judges can accept applications, interview, and hire graduates on their own schedule.
Judges will not accept formal or informal clerkship applications, or seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, before 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, June 8, 2026. Judges also will not directly or indirectly contact applicants, whether to schedule interviews or otherwise before 12:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Judges will not conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers, before 12:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Note: As an experiment, a day has been added between the interview scheduling period and interview period)
A judge who makes a clerkship offer will keep it open for at least 24 hours, during which time the applicant will be free to interview with other judges.
Judges will not accept formal or informal clerkship applications, or seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, before 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, June 14, 2027. Judges also will not directly or indirectly contact applicants, or schedule or conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers, before 12:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, June 15, 2027.
A judge who makes a clerkship offer will keep it open for at least 24 hours, during which time the applicant will be free to interview with other judges.
Judges will not accept formal or informal clerkship applications, or seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, before 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, June 12, 2028. Judges also will not directly or indirectly contact applicants, or schedule or conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers, before 12:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, June 13, 2028.
A judge who makes a clerkship offer will keep it open for at least 24 hours, during which time the applicant will be free to interview with other judges.
Applicants from the graduating classes of 2023 and 2024 gain access to OSCAR to register for an account, upload documents, search for positions, and build applications on the dates listed below: