State Court Clerkships: 50-State Directory (2027-28) Forum

Post by **TLS** » Tue Oct 27, 2026 7:38 am

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State Court Clerkships: 50-State Directory for 2027-28 Applicants

Short answer: State clerkships are hired court by court and chambers by chambers. There is no state version of OSCAR, and most state supreme courts hire term clerks for one to two years (State Court Report). This directory lists every state and D.C.: who hires, when, how to apply, pay and eligibility, each linked to the official page. Where we could not verify a fact, it says n.a..

Fast facts

No central system: no OSCAR equivalent; each justice usually runs a separate process (State Court Report).
Term vs. career: term clerks serve one to two years; career clerks serve indefinitely and often have prior experience (State Court Report).
Biggest program: New Jersey, about 480 clerks a year (NJ Courts).
Top of the pay range: Ohio Supreme Court, $104,000 to $119,000 (Supreme Court of Ohio); Illinois Appellate Court, $111,899 (Illinois Courts); California Supreme Court chambers law clerk, $8,569 to $10,889 a month (California Courts).
Bar rules vary: Alaska, Massachusetts, Maine and Oregon do not require admission to their own bar (Alaska) (Mass.gov) (Maine) (Oregon); New York (within 18 months), Kansas and Nebraska require it (NY) (Kansas) (Nebraska).
Residency rules: Massachusetts and Michigan require in-state residence (Mass.gov) (Michigan); New Jersey does not (NJ Courts).

Open or closing soon (as of Sept. 26, 2026)

Alaska Superior Court, due Oct. 1, 2026; Anchorage District Court, due Oct. 15, 2026 (Alaska Court System).
Delaware Superior Court 2027-28, open through Oct. 30, 2026 (Delaware Superior Court).
Ohio Supreme Court, rolling since Sept. 8, 2026 (Supreme Court of Ohio).
Hawaii Circuit Court, Judge Soong (Oct. 16, 2026) and Judge DeWeese (Nov. 16, 2026) (Hawaii Judiciary).
Massachusetts SJC 2027-28, rolling until filled (Mass.gov).
Vermont Supreme Court 2027-28, rolling (Vermont Judiciary).
Texas Supreme Court and Fifteenth Court of Appeals, no fixed deadlines (Texas Supreme Court) (Fifteenth COA).
Virginia Court of Appeals, rolling (Virginia Jobs).

Deep guides

Northeast

Connecticut: n.a.. The Judicial Branch site could not be checked for this edition; start at the Connecticut Judicial Branch site and ask your career office.
Maine: Supreme Judicial Court term clerks serve Aug. 16, 2027 to Aug. 11, 2028 and are paid $70,636.80. The 2027-28 deadline was July 24, 2026; email PDFs to [email protected]. Maine bar admission is not required (Maine SJC announcement). The Superior Court, District Court and Business and Consumer Docket also post 2027-28 clerkships (Maine Judicial Branch).
Massachusetts: SJC: 14 openings for 2027-28, $97,141.44, rolling review from June 8, 2026 (Mass.gov). Appeals Court: about 26 clerks a year at $80,973 (Mass.gov). Full Massachusetts guide.
New Hampshire: n.a. for term clerkships. Court jobs are posted at NH Court Careers. A 2024 posting (#24-84) for a Supreme Court Senior Law Clerk listed $76,655.80 to $112,827 (NH Judicial Branch, 2024).
New Jersey: About 480 one-year clerkships a year, the largest state program, with no residency requirement (NJ Courts) (NJ Courts). Full New Jersey guide.
New York: Court of Appeals clerks need New York bar admission within 18 months (NY Court of Appeals). Full New York guide.
Pennsylvania: Openings for individual judges are listed on the UJS job openings page; listed starting salaries run $51,000 to $71,000 (PA Courts). Term, timeline and eligibility: n.a..
Rhode Island: The Trial Court Law Clerk Department hires 17 clerks for the Superior, District and Family Courts and Traffic Tribunal. Term Aug. 22, 2027 to Aug. 19, 2028; pay $70,725, rising to $74,367 after six months. Applications were mail-only, postmarked by July 31, 2026 (RI Judiciary).
Vermont: Supreme Court clerkship Sept. 7, 2027 to Sept. 1, 2028, $69,715. Rolling review; email a single PDF to [email protected] with the subject line 2027 Clerkship (Vermont Judiciary).

South (including Delaware, Maryland and D.C.)

Alabama: n.a.. No clerkship page was found on the Alabama Supreme Court site; ask chambers directly.
Arkansas: Justice Bronni posted a term clerkship (late August to August, renewable) starting at $95,000; email [email protected]. The posting was for 2026-27, so check for newer ones (Arkansas Courts).
Delaware: Supreme Court, Chancery, Superior Court and the Complex Commercial Litigation Division all hire clerks (Delaware Courts) (Delaware Superior Court). Full Delaware guide.
District of Columbia: The Court of Appeals pays grade 11, step 1 (DC Courts); Superior Court has 62 judges and pays GS-10, step 1 (DC Courts). Full D.C. courts guide.
Florida: No Supreme Court vacancies were posted when checked. Applicants can join the statewide Law Clerk Resume Repository, which all hiring offices can see (Florida Supreme Court).
Georgia: Supreme Court term clerks serve one year, usually from August. Openings are usually announced two years before the term and posted under Employment Opportunities. Prior experience is not required (Supreme Court of Georgia).
Kentucky: n.a.. See Kentucky Courts careers.
Louisiana: Each Supreme Court justice has three clerks and hires one to one and a half years ahead. Apply to justices in your third semester. New graduates must pass the bar before a second year (Louisiana Supreme Court).
Maryland: The Judiciary hires more than 200 new law clerks a year for one-year terms, usually August to August. Apply to posted vacancies, to the continuous Law Clerk opening (Job 13165), or to chambers (Maryland Courts).
Mississippi: n.a.. See the Mississippi Judiciary site.
North Carolina: The Court of Appeals has 15 judges (NC Courts). Judicial Branch jobs are posted on the state government jobs site (NC Courts careers). Clerkship details: n.a..
Oklahoma: Most Supreme Court justices and Court of Civil Appeals judges have two law clerks, per an Oklahoma Bar Journal article (secondary source) (OBA). Other details: n.a..
South Carolina: n.a.. See SC Judicial Branch careers.
Tennessee: Justice Campbell is hiring one clerk for a term starting August or September 2027, reviewing on a rolling basis. Email [email protected] with three letters (Tennessee Courts).
Texas: Supreme Court clerks earn about $74,500 (Texas Supreme Court); Court of Criminal Appeals clerks earn about $83,711 (CCA). Full Texas guide.
Virginia: The Court of Appeals hires on a rolling basis with a March 1 priority deadline (Virginia Jobs). Full Virginia guide.
West Virginia: Circuit judges post law clerk vacancies on the WV Judiciary employment page; apply with the General Employment Application. Other details: n.a..

Midwest

Illinois: A posting for Appellate Court Fourth District (Justice Doherty) listed $111,899 and required an ABA JD plus an Illinois license or bar eligibility; it has closed (Illinois Courts).
Indiana: Supreme Court clerks serve one to three years; pay is $90,169.06, $97,414.66 and $99,396.38 for years one to three. Mail applications to each justice. All five were not taking applications when checked (Indiana Supreme Court).
Iowa: Each of 7 justices and 9 Court of Appeals judges usually has one clerk. Terms are about a year starting in August, and applications arrive as early as the spring before. This court sheet is older, so its pay figures are left out (Iowa Courts, older PDF).
Kansas: Each justice hires two research attorneys for two-year terms starting in August after the bar exam. A Kansas license is required (Kansas Courts).
Michigan: Justice Thomas is hiring for the 2027 term and prefers two years. FY2026 pay is $81,097.92 to $105,819.84, and Michigan residency is required by the first day. Email one PDF to [email protected] (Michigan Supreme Court).
Minnesota: The District Court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court all hire clerks, and some post openings months ahead. Clerks must graduate from law school by the start date (Minnesota Judicial Branch).
Missouri: The Supreme Court page lists each judge's hiring status; write to chambers at 207 West High Street, Jefferson City (Missouri Courts). Current-cycle details: n.a..
Nebraska: Justice Papik is hiring for Aug. 1, 2028 to July 31, 2029 at a $71,613.78 start. Apply through statejobs.nebraska.gov; top 20% preferred; Nebraska bar admission or eligibility required (Nebraska Judicial Branch).
North Dakota: Supreme Court term Aug. 1, 2027 to July 31, 2028, $83,472. The window closed July 12, 2026. Clerks must take a bar exam before starting (ND Courts).
Ohio: The Supreme Court opened applications Sept. 8, 2026, with rolling review. Clerks serve one year from September and earn $104,000 to $119,000. Bar admission or a scheduled bar exam is required. Email [email protected] (Supreme Court of Ohio).
South Dakota: Supreme Court term Aug. 1, 2027 to July 31, 2028. Mail five copies of your materials, including class rank and LSAT score, to the Deputy State Court Administrator in Pierre (SD UJS).
Wisconsin: Each of 7 justices and 16 Court of Appeals judges appoints one clerk, usually for a year starting about Aug. 1 (Wisconsin Court System).

West

Alaska: About 15 Supreme Court clerks a year. Superior Court applications are due Oct. 1, 2026 and Anchorage District Court applications Oct. 15, 2026 (Alaska Court System). Full Alaska guide.
Arizona: The Supreme Court's 2027-28 process has closed; the 2028-29 period opens in summer 2027 (Arizona Supreme Court).
California: Many chambers jobs are posted as regular positions, not fixed terms, and staff attorney jobs require a California bar card (California Courts) (California Courts). Full California guide.
Colorado: Justices hire about 12 to 18 months ahead (Colorado Judicial). Full Colorado guide.
Hawaii: Circuit Court clerks earn $80,736 (from July 1, 2026), and Intermediate Court of Appeals clerks $86,304 (from July 1, 2027). Open chambers include Judge Soong (Oct. 16, 2026) and Judge DeWeese (Nov. 16, 2026) (Hawaii Judiciary).
Idaho: Each of 5 justices and 4 Court of Appeals judges has two clerks, for one or two years. Pay is $78,774, $80,774 and $84,224 for years one to three. All 45 district judges have county-paid clerks (Idaho Supreme Court).
Montana: The Chief Justice has two clerks and each of the other six justices one (Montana Courts). Timeline and pay: n.a..
Nevada: The 2025 Supreme Court posting offered one- or two-year terms at $87,102.01, top 20% preferred, through governmentjobs.com/careers/nvcourts (Nevada HR, 2025).
New Mexico: Supreme Court and Court of Appeals applications open Feb. 15 each year, usually for 2Ls. Apply through CORA or as the judge directs (NM Supreme Court order) (NM Supreme Court).
Oregon: One joint Workday application covers the Supreme Court (7 to 9 clerks) and Court of Appeals (22 to 24). The deadline was Aug. 17, 2026, with interviews in late September for August 2027 starts. Bar passage is not required (Oregon Judicial Department).
Utah: Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges hire their own clerks, usually for at least a year; starting pay is $41.20 an hour. Court of Appeals applications go to [email protected]. Judge Harris takes applications Jan. 1 to Feb. 15 (Utah Courts).
Washington: Supreme Court clerks start at $93,804, with no official deadline (Washington Courts). Full Washington guide.
Wyoming: The Supreme Court law clerk description (March 2023) requires an ABA JD and Wyoming bar membership within one year (Wyoming Courts, 2023).

Is a state supreme court clerkship worth it?

For state practice, government and appellate work, often yes. A state high court clerkship shows you how the court that decides your state's law actually works. Firm credit varies: White & Case lists $50,000 to $100,000 bonuses for approved courts on its site (White & Case), but which state courts count differs by firm, so ask each one. See the clerkship bonus guide. TLS members have covered this in depth: Is a State Supreme Court Clerkship Worth It?, Exit options from State Supreme Court Clerkship, State court clerk/state supreme court clerk work prospects, Sidley Austin Clerkship Bonus for State Supreme Court?, Struck Out On Plan—State Supreme Court? and Bankruptcy clerkship to state clerkship? Bad idea?. For a career-strategy read on state versus federal clerking, talk to BCG Attorney Search.

How to use this directory

Pick the courts where you want to practice. State clerkships pay off most in the state where you will work.
Open each official link and note the term, deadline and whether you apply to the court or to chambers.
Check the State Court Report clerkship form results (March 2026) and its state-by-state guide for courts that rely on career clerks.
Reuse your federal materials; see the application materials guide.

Discuss on TLS

FAQ

Q: Is there an OSCAR for state clerkships?
No. Each court or justice sets its own process (State Court Report). New Mexico uses CORA for its appellate courts (NM Supreme Court).

Q: Do I need to be admitted to the bar?
It depends on the state. Alaska, Massachusetts and Oregon say no (Alaska) (Mass.gov) (Oregon); Kansas requires a Kansas license (Kansas).

Q: Which state program is the largest?
New Jersey, with about 480 clerkships a year (NJ Courts). Maryland hires more than 200 (Maryland Courts).

Q: When should I apply?
Often 12 to 24 months ahead. Colorado justices hire about 12 to 18 months ahead (Colorado Judicial), and Georgia announces terms about two years out (Supreme Court of Georgia).

Related guides

Last verified: September 26, 2026, against the official court pages linked in this guide (older or secondary sources are labeled). 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.