Federal Circuit Clerkships: Patent, Trade and Government Appeals
Short answer: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is one of the 13 federal courts of appeals and has nationwide jurisdiction over patents, trademarks, international trade, government contracts, certain money claims against the United States, federal personnel, and veterans' benefits (CAFC-26-06). Its judges hire through OSCAR (Federal Circuit careers), and a Federal Circuit rule lets professional experience count toward pay grade (OSCAR qualifications).
Fast facts
- Location: 717 Madison Place NW, Washington, D.C. (CAFC-26-06).
- Hiring: law clerk hiring information is on OSCAR's hiring plan page, and court applications must include the Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (Federal Circuit careers).
- Pay example: JSP-11 to JSP-14, $85,447 to $187,093 (CAFC-26-06).
- Experience rule: professional experience before or after the JD can substitute year-for-year for legal experience, subject to limits (OSCAR qualifications). Engineers and scientists who became lawyers can start at a higher grade.
Vacancy CAFC-26-06, a term law clerk to Senior Judge Evan J. Wallach: a two-year term starting March 1, 2027, extendable up to four years, posted March 3 to June 30, 2026. It was not remote. Preferred candidates had patent law interest or experience, a science or technical background, or a prior clerkship. Clerks travel when the judge sits by designation in other courts (CAFC-26-06).
Who should apply
- Patent litigators and prosecutors, especially with a technical degree.
- Trade, government contracts and federal employment lawyers.
- Former Court of Federal Claims, CIT or district clerks. See the Court of Federal Claims guide and the Court of International Trade guide.
Fish & Richardson was reported to pay $115,000 to former clerks with Federal Circuit experience and two years of service (Above the Law). See the clerkship bonus guide.
Discuss on TLS
- Federal Circuit clerkships
- Why clerk at Federal Circuit?
- Rank these courts in order of prestige? (how courts compare)
Q: Do I need a technical background to clerk at the Federal Circuit?
Not always. It is often preferred, as in CAFC-26-06 (CAFC-26-06), but the court also hears trade, contracts, personnel and veterans' appeals.
Q: Is the Federal Circuit on the hiring plan?
The court points applicants to OSCAR and the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan (Federal Circuit careers). Each judge sets their own practices.
Related guides
Last verified: September 26, 2026, against the official court pages and dated news sources linked in this guide. Hiring status changes often, so confirm on the court or chambers page before you apply. Spot an error? Reply in the linked discussion thread or PM a moderator.
