ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>ELBOW LAW CLERK TO A FEDERAL JUDGE </title> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 3.0"> <meta name="Microsoft Border" content="none"> </head> <body bgcolor="#82abd5"> <strong><font face="Arial" size="+1"> <p align="center"> <img src="/images/BANNRED.jpg" width="387" height="91"></p> <p align="center"> <font size="+2">Chambers Law Clerk Qualification Standard</font></p> </font></strong> <p> &nbsp;</p> <p> <strong><u>Qualifications</u></strong></p> <blockquote> <p> 1. To qualify for the position of law clerk on the personal staff of a federal judge, a person must be a law school graduate (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school of recognized standing, and have one or more of the following attributes: <ul> <li>Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;</li> <li>Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;</li> <li>Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or</li> <li>Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies which in the opinion of the judge is the equivalent of one of the above.</li> </ul> </p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p> Some examples of criteria which are considered to be acceptable as equivalent include: <ul> <li>Publication of a noteworthy article in a law school student publication or other scholarly publication;</li> <li>Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif;</li> <li>Winning of a moot court competition or membership on a moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools;</li> <li>Participation in the legal aid or other law school clinical program sanctioned by the law school;* or</li> <li>Summer experience as a law clerk to a state or local judge or law clerk experience on a continuing basis in a private firm while attending school (i.e., working one's way through college).*</li> </ul> </p> </blockquote> <blockquote> * In order to receive credit, participation and experience could not have been for academic credit.<br /><br /> This list is not all-inclusive; the determination of an acceptable equivalence rests with the appointing judge.<br /><br /> 1 The table below shows the number of years of legal work experience required to qualify for appointment as a law clerk at the applicable Judiciary Salary Plan (JSP) grade levels. Please note that appointment to JSP-12 or above requires that the candidate be a member of the bar of a state, territory, or federal court of general jurisdiction. </blockquote> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr valign="top"> <td width="4" align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="104"> <p align="center"> <font color="#FFFF80" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>JSP Grade Level</strong></font> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="1"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="183"> <font color="#FFFF80" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Years of Legal Work Experience</strong></font> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="1"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="170"> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#FFFF80"><strong>Bar Membership Required</strong></font> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" height="10"> </td> <td align="left" height="10" width="104"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="183"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="170"> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4" height="10"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td align="center" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" height="10"> </td> <td align="left" height="10" width="104"> <blockquote> <p> 11</p> </blockquote> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="183"> 0 </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="170"> No </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4" height="10"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td align="center" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" height="10"> </td> <td align="left" height="10" width="104"> <blockquote> <p> 12 </p> </blockquote> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="183"> 1 </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="170"> Yes </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4" height="10"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td align="center" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" height="10"> </td> <td align="left" height="10" width="104"> <blockquote> <p> 13</p> </blockquote> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="183"> 2 </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="170"> Yes </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4" height="10"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td align="center" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" height="10"> </td> <td align="left" height="10" width="104"> <blockquote> <p> 14<font color="#990000">**</font></p> </blockquote> </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="183"> 3 </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#000080" width="1" height="10"> </td> <td align="center" height="10" width="170"> Yes </td> <td align="center" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4" height="10"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" height="4" width="4" bgcolor="#6699cc"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="104"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="1"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="183"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="1"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="170"> </td> <td align="center" height="4" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="4"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </center> </div> <blockquote> <blockquote> <p> <font color="#990000">**</font> <b>Two years of federal chambers law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk, or death penalty law clerk experience is required in order to be appointed at or promoted to JSP-14. <br />Note: only one JSP 14 law clerk is permitted for each Judge's chambers.</b></p> </blockquote> </blockquote> <p> <strong><u>Legal Work Experience</u></strong></p> <blockquote> <p> Legal work experience is progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school. Major or substantial legal activities while on military duty may be credited, on a monthfor- month basis whether before or after graduation, but not to exceed one year if before graduation from law school. <br /> <br /> Due to the nature of the work of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, other professional work experience in a field of the court s jurisdiction such as engineering, science, or technology, may be substituted for the required legal work experience (whether pre- or post-Juris Doctor) on a year-for-year basis, at the appointing judge s discretion. This experience may not, however, be substituted for the prior federal clerkship experience required for appointment or promotion to the JSP-14. </p> </blockquote> <p> <!--<p> <strong><u>Crediting of Bar Examination Preparation Course</u></strong> <blockquote> <p> In crediting work experience subsequent to graduation from law school, it is the practice of the Judiciary, when so informed, to count as work experience courses taken for purposes of passing the bar examination, if a separate examination in addition to completion of law school is required by the state. The time credited is either the actual duration of the bar examination preparatory course or a maximum of six weeks, whichever is less. This credit presumes full-time study in such a preparatory course. Part-time study while engaged in full-time employment is not counted. In crediting the six weeks or less, the maximum allowable credit may not always be realized if the time falls between pay periods, since pay increases are effective at the beginning of the next pay period after the Administrative Office is informed that the candidate has met the eligibility criteria. 2</p>--> <!-- <hr color="#FF0000"> <p> <b>Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Law Clerks</b></p> <p> Based on letters and phone calls, Court Services Branch of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts prepared the following frequently asked questions concerning law clerks: <ul> <li><i><strong>Are there grade restrictions in promoting law clerks?</strong></i><br> Yes. JSP-14 is the highest grade level for an elbow law clerk who was appointed after October 31, 1994. </li> <li><strong><i>Are law clerks covered under the Leave Act?</i></strong><br> All law clerks are automatically exempt from the Leave Act at the time of their appointment, unless the appointing officer elects to have the law clerk(s) covered.</li> <li><strong><i>What is the difference between a &quot;term&quot; and a &quot;career&quot; law clerk?</i></strong><br> &quot;Term&quot; appointments are covered by social security only and include eligibility for health and life insurance only. &quot;Career&quot; appointments are covered by all benefits (health, life, retirement and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan). </li> </ul>--> </blockquote> <hr> </body> </html>