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How does one describe a clerkship on a resume? I know confidentiality is important, so how much can/should I say about what I do?

(This was anon because there was some identifying information at first, but I edited that out. Sorry!)

Don't, you just list that you clerked, what court, what judge, where and when. Everybody knows what clerking generally entails.

I think it’s worth explaining the 6 month term, but in your cover letter not your resume (although if it’s that your judge is retiring or leaving the bench you could probably find a way to notate that briefly on your resume? I think it’s more natural in the letter though).

I don’t think you really need to describe a clerkship - it’s fairly self evident and I definitely wouldn’t say anything about specific cases. Maybe something generic like “researched legal issues, wrote bench memos, and drafted orders and opinions” but really you probably don’t even need to say that.

I don’t describe my clerkships on my resume and I’ve never run into any problems. I’d probably only bother if it’s a really specialized court or you did something really out of the ordinary (and maybe not even then).

mjb447 wrote:I don’t describe my clerkships on my resume and I’ve never run into any problems. I’d probably only bother if it’s a really specialized court or you did something really out of the ordinary (and maybe not even then).

I'd say if you did something really extraordinary that's especially when you shouldn't describe it. Unless it's already public knowledge (and why would it be?), you'd be revealing confidential information about how your judge runs chambers.

BlackAndOrange84 wrote:

mjb447 wrote:I don’t describe my clerkships on my resume and I’ve never run into any problems. I’d probably only bother if it’s a really specialized court or you did something really out of the ordinary (and maybe not even then).

I'd say if you did something really extraordinary that's especially when you shouldn't describe it. Unless it's already public knowledge (and why would it be?), you'd be revealing confidential information about how your judge runs chambers.

Poor choice of words on my part - I was thinking less of specific in-chambers work and more of general things chambers or the court does (or did during a particular year) that you got to see that deviate from the "standard" clerkship experience or that you want to highlight as relevant or interesting to a particular employer, e.g., you saw lots of criminal trials in a border district.

During one of my clerkships, chambers handled an unusually large number of suits related to a specific event. It presented some unusual coordination and logistical issues to the whole court, some of which trickled down to the clerks. I would probably run the specific wording by my judge first, but there might be certain targeted resumes where I'd try to note that experience in general terms (and probably in terms of what was assigned to the court or my judge overall rather than my specific work).

In most cases, I probably still wouldn't, and I understand the position that even what I've described is beyond the pale. I agree that most clerks shouldn't describe their clerkships at all.

mjb447 wrote:I don’t describe my clerkships on my resume and I’ve never run into any problems. I’d probably only bother if it’s a really specialized court or you did something really out of the ordinary (and maybe not even then).

I'd say that if it was appropriate to note, say, a particular focus (like a patent-focused EDTX clerkship, for someone applying for patent lit positions), that would be better in the cover letter.

mjb447 wrote:

BlackAndOrange84 wrote:

mjb447 wrote:I don’t describe my clerkships on my resume and I’ve never run into any problems. I’d probably only bother if it’s a really specialized court or you did something really out of the ordinary (and maybe not even then).

I'd say if you did something really extraordinary that's especially when you shouldn't describe it. Unless it's already public knowledge (and why would it be?), you'd be revealing confidential information about how your judge runs chambers.

Poor choice of words on my part - I was thinking less of specific in-chambers work and more of general things chambers or the court does (or did during a particular year) that you got to see that deviate from the "standard" clerkship experience or that you want to highlight as relevant or interesting to a particular employer, e.g., you saw lots of criminal trials in a border district.

During one of my clerkships, chambers handled an unusually large number of suits related to a specific event. It presented some unusual coordination and logistical issues to the whole court, some of which trickled down to the clerks. I would probably run the specific wording by my judge first, but there might be certain targeted resumes where I'd try to note that experience in general terms (and probably in terms of what was assigned to the court or my judge overall rather than my specific work).

In most cases, I probably still wouldn't, and I understand the position that even what I've described is beyond the pale. I agree that most clerks shouldn't describe their clerkships at all.

That's fair, I see what you're saying.