Judicial Intern

In the United States, a judicial intern is usually a law student or sometimes a recent law school graduate who provides assistance to a judge and/or law clerks in researching and writing issues before the court. These positions are usually unpaid and volunteer positions either during law school or immediately thereafter.

Many judicial law clerks had one or two judicial internships while they were in law school. Judges also frequently hire previous judicial interns as judicial law clerks once these judicial interns finish their law school education. Among the most prestigious judicial internships are those in the federal courts and in a state's court of appeals or highest court.

Working as a judicial intern at any level of government is usually a means for a law student to gain practical legal experience and familiarity with the court operations. Judicial law clerk positions are usually paid positions. Federal judicial clerkships require an intensive application process that is extremely competitive, as there are only a little over 1,200 federal clerkship positions at any one time for all law school graduates. However, similar to a judicial clerkship, a judicial internship can also open up many career opportunities. Both are excellent additions to an aspiring lawyer's resume.

A judicial intern's selection process is similar, to judicial clerkship positions. Grades, class ranking, and relevant extracurricular activities such as membership in the law school's law review or being a member of the law school's Moot Court Board are usually expected criteria in selecting a judicial intern.

A judicial extern or extern law clerk are other titles that are commonly used for a judicial intern.

The American Bar Association Section of Litigation accepts judicial internship applications annually.