Law Clerk

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Law Clerk

The Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals are hiring for post-graduate law clerk positions that begin in August 2026.

The positions are full-time and limited duration, typically for a period of two years. However, some judges may choose to hire clerks for only a one-year term, and a one-year option is available by joint agreement between the hiring judge and the clerk before the start of the clerkship.

Our law clerk positions provide a unique opportunity for law school graduates to both employ and improve their analytical, research, and writing skills, while working closely with judges, staff attorneys, and other staff to resolve all manner of cases that come before the courts. Our work is complex, interesting, and ever-changing, and it is a critical component of our state's judicial branch operations. Law clerks participate in many different and important steps in the case-resolution process.

The Oregon Supreme Court is our state's appellate court of last resort. The primary work of the court involves discretionary review of decisions of the Oregon Court of Appeals. It also has discretionary review in certain types of cases (such as mandamus, habeas corpus, and certified questions) and has mandatory review of other types of cases (such as death penalty appeals, tax appeals, certain criminal, agency, and elections matters, and lawyer discipline and judicial fitness matters). The court regularly hears arguments in its courthouse in Salem.

The court has seven justices and typically employs seven to nine law clerks at any given time. Because clerks may be hired for two-year terms, not all judges hire new clerks each year.

Supreme Court clerks are generally hired to work for a particular judge. Working as a law clerk, you will spend most of your time assisting your judge with petitions for review and opinions assigned to their chambers. You will be researching and writing petition memoranda and draft opinions, as well as engaging in extensive discussion, editing, and proofreading. You also will prepare final opinion summaries and media releases, and perform other tasks as needed for the court. For example, a few times a year, the Oregon Supreme Court holds oral arguments at law schools or other locations in the community, and you may have an opportunity to attend those arguments and share your experience at the court with students and other members of the community. Along with your judge, you may also be called to lead community tours of the beautifully renovated, historic Supreme Court building.

While acting as a vital resource to your judge, you will be involved in important discussions with your fellow clerks, staff attorneys, and all the justices that help shape the law. Finally, you will be provided thoughtful training and gain in-depth perspective about how our courts function and serve the community.

The Oregon Court of Appeals is our state's intermediate appellate court. With the exception of a limited number of appeals that go directly to the Oregon Supreme Court-most notably death penalty cases, ballot title cases, lawyer discipline matters, and tax court cases-the Court of Appeals reviews appeals on every subject from Oregon's trial courts and administrative agencies, The Court routinely ranks as one of the busiest appellate courts in the country and for the vast majority of Oregon cases, it is the court of last resort. Because the Court of Appeals hears a wide variety of cases, you will gain familiarity and experience with many different areas of law.

The court has 13 judges and typically employs 22 to 24 law clerks at any given time. Because of our two-year clerkship terms, not all judges hire new clerks each year.

Court of Appeals law clerks are generally hired to work with a particular judge. Some judges hire two clerks, while others hire only one. While the exact role of a clerk will differ among chambers, you can expect to spend most of your time researching and writing on complex legal issues that directly affect people's lives. Examples of common tasks for clerks include researching discrete legal issues, writing case-related legal memoranda, preparing bench memos prior to oral arguments, and preparing draft opinions. Clerks also engage in extensive proofreading and cite checking of drafted opinions prior to publication. Clerks can expect to discuss legal issues and draft opinions with their judge and can be called upon to work with their judge to critically examine the research and proposed outcome for a case. Judges on the Court of Appeals sit in three-judge panels, and clerks attend pre-and post-argument conferences where the judges share preliminary thoughts on the cases and arguments. The Court of Appeals has a robust training program, so clerks can connect with peers across chambers as they learn how best to do the vital work of the Court.

In general, all judges are looking for law clerks who are skilled writers, critical thinkers, and who excel at legal research. Because clerks are closely involved in the resolution of cases, judges must be able to trust their work and their judgment, and that clerks will effectively and respectfully communicate differing views on legal analysis or outcomes to ensure that the judge has all the necessary information to make the correct decision. It is also important for clerks to be able to respectfully engage with different viewpoints and positions, and to be open to changing their mind about an initial position. Law clerks are expected to handle and safeguard information that may be disturbing, controversial, or confidential, and the Court expects that clerks will uphold the highest standard of ethics.

The law clerk role at both courts comes with many benefits, including opportunities to:

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The mission of the Oregon judicial branch is to provide fair and accessible justice services that protect the rights of individuals, preserve community welfare, and inspire public confidence. As part of that mission, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive staff to reflect the diversity of the people we serve across the state.

The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals use a joint hiring process, in which an applicant submits only one application. Applications are completed online using Workday. Part of that application includes a questionnaire which allows you to specify whether you would like to be considered by judges on both courts, or only one court. Some judges choose to provide additional information about work in their chambers; that information can be found here:

Applicants must have a Juris Doctor degree (or equivalent) from an ABA-accredited law school by the start of the clerkship.

To apply, you must submit a completed online Workday application, cover letter, resume, undergraduate and law school transcripts, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation.

Our Human Resource Services Division will notify you by email before the application deadline if we have not received one or more of your letters of recommendation.

Court of Appeals Writing Exercise

After the application deadline, one or more hiring Court of Appeals judges may assign a closed-universe writing exercise to each applicant selected for an interview with that judge. If assigned, completion of the writing assignment is required for the applicant to be considered for an offer by that judge.

For those candidates selected for interviews, the Supreme Court intends to conduct in-person interviews in Salem, Oregon, although online interviews may be possible. The Court of Appeals will conduct online interviews only. The interviews will occur in late September 2025.

Communication

We communicate with applicants via email, and your Workday account is tied to your email. We recommend that you use a permanent, personal email address, rather than a school or work address, on your Workday account.

Workday Timeout

Please be aware that Workday times out after approximately 15 minutes of inactivity, which results in progress to that point being lost, if not saved. We recommend that you review the online application and gather all your required documents before starting the application and that you save your work frequently.

Veterans' Preference
Eligible veterans who meet the law clerk qualifications will be given preference in the recruitment process unless they opt out of being given preference. This process is handled in Workday when you select apply. After you submit the application, you will receive an email requesting documents to verify your eligibility, and you must submit those documents to receive the preference. Visit the Oregon job opportunities for additional details, information, and resources.

Reference Checks

By submitting your application to the Oregon Judicial Department, you consent to reference checks about your qualifications, your workplace performance, and your work product.

Criminal Background Check
You will be subject to a criminal background check if you are a finalist. Adverse results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may result in disqualification if the circumstances are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.

United States Employment Eligibility
The Oregon Judicial Department does not offer visa sponsorships. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's confirming authorization to work in the United States. OJD will use E-Verify to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

Conduct Expectations
Because of OJD's role in providing justice and upholding the rule of law, employees of the department are required to meet the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics while on the job, and also to maintain those same high standards when taking actions in their personal lives that could reflect on the department. As an employee, you will be expected to preserve the confidentiality of information received in the course of OJD employment.

Pay Equity
The Oregon Judicial Department complies with Oregon’s laws. Salary offers are made with consideration of the applicant's education and post-law-graduation experience.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Oregon Judicial Department is an eligible employer for the .

Future Vacancies
This job announcement may be used to fill future vacancies in this class of work.

Questions and Support

The Oregon Judicial Department embraces equal opportunity and affirmative action. We are committed to building a diverse team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.