Massachusetts SJC, Appeals Court and Trial Court Clerkships
Short answer: The Supreme Judicial Court has 14 openings for 2027-28, running Aug. 25, 2027 to Aug. 23, 2028, at $97,141.44. Applications opened April 6, 2026, with rolling review from June 8, 2026 (Mass.gov). The Appeals Court hires about 26 clerks a year at $80,973 (Mass.gov). Both require Massachusetts residence (Mass.gov) (Mass.gov).
Fast facts
- SJC eligibility: 2Ls, 3Ls and graduates; the Massachusetts bar exam is not required; clerks must live in Massachusetts during the clerkship (Mass.gov).
- SJC questions: [email protected] (Mass.gov).
- Appeals Court: Chief Justice plus 24 associate justices; the Chief has two clerks, each associate justice one (Mass.gov).
- Appeals Court window: the last posted window was Aug. 1 to 31, 2025, for 2026-27, with hiring through December (Mass.gov).
- Trial Court: Housing, Juvenile, Land and Probate and Family Courts hire through the Trial Court jobs site (Mass.gov).
- Required online application, plus separate PDFs by email to [email protected] (Mass.gov).
- Writing sample of 10 to 15 pages, unedited; a persuasive memo is preferred over a journal note (Mass.gov).
- Two letters; employer letters are preferred (Mass.gov).
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Q: What does an SJC clerk earn?
$97,141.44 (Mass.gov).
Q: Do I need the Massachusetts bar?
No (Mass.gov) (Mass.gov).
Q: When does the Appeals Court take applications?
The last posted window was August 2025 for 2026-27 (Mass.gov). Check the page for the 2027-28 cycle.
Related guides
- New York clerkships
- Federal clerkships
- Application materials
- 50-state clerkship directory
- Clerkship Directory home
