Supreme Court Law Clerk for the 2025-26 Term

Law clerks on the Minnesota Supreme Court get to help the state’s highest court analyze some of the toughest and most interesting legal issues in our court system. Law clerks work together with the justices and court staff to ensure that everyone who comes before the court gets the fair and thorough hearing that they deserve. Supreme Court law clerks hone their legal research and writing skills while working as part of a team that includes some of Minnesota’s most experienced appellate lawyers and legal professionals. And they get to observe oral arguments by the state’s best advocates. They leave their clerkships with unparalleled insight into the appellate process and effective advocacy.
 
The Minnesota Supreme Court consists of seven justices. It has discretionary review of cases from the Minnesota Court of Appeals. It also has direct appellate jurisdiction over cases involving first-degree murder convictions, as well as cases from the Tax Court and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over attorney-discipline matters and certain election cases. The court hears oral arguments at the Minnesota State Capitol and the Minnesota Judicial Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Oral arguments are regularly scheduled during the first two weeks of every month from September through June.
  
 The court generally hires law clerks for one-year terms extending from approximately August 1 to July 31 of the following year.
  
 Approximately eleven clerkships will be offered for the term starting in August 2025. Seven law clerks work with a single justice (“elbow clerks”), while three clerks work for two justices (“shared clerk”). The Chief Justice has two elbow clerks, and Associate Justices each have one elbow clerk and one shared clerk.  Candidates apply to the court as a whole. Interviews take place with the entire court, and justices select law clerks in order of seniority. Successful candidates accept a position with a particular justice or justices, but they also serve the court as a whole.  
 
We are seeking law clerks to help us ensure equal justice under the law, which is enabled by a diverse workforce. If you share this commitment, desire a meaningful career serving the public, and want the opportunity to make a difference for your community, consider starting your career with us.The following are examples of major job duties expected for this position to perform.

Each month, a law clerk is typically assigned one or two cases, and the clerk is expected to prepare a bench memorandum for their assigned cases. A bench memorandum provides a summary of the facts, governing law, and parties’ arguments in the assigned case. Law clerks work with their justice as well as the Court’s skilled staff as they draft their memorandum. The bench memorandum is ultimately distributed to the entire court in advance of oral argument.

Law clerks attend oral arguments for their assigned cases and in other cases of interest or importance. Law clerks also serve as court marshals for hearings. The marshals set up the court room, check in the attorneys, review rules of decorum, control the timers for oral arguments, and gavel at the start and end of the hearing. After the case is heard, and the justices determine how to resolve the case in conference, law clerks work closely with their justice to draft an opinion. Law clerks also perform cite checks of the court’s opinions and orders throughout the year. Law clerks may also be given additional assignments during the clerkship, including assisting with the drafting of concurrences and dissents as they arise, contributing to court-related activities, and traveling with the justices to court functions around the state.The minimum academic requirement for application is enrollment as a second-year law student. Graduation from an accredited law school is required to begin employment. Professional skills, academic proficiency, and life experience (including employment and other experience before, during, and after law school) are all considered. Strong writing and research skills are essential, as is a desire to improve those skills. Experience on a law review, law journal, moot court, law school clinic, or other similar skill-building extracurricular activity is helpful but not required.  
 
Salary 
The anticipated salary for the 2025-26 term is $80,158.  
 
Employee Benefits
The Minnesota Judicial Branch cares about and invests in you as an employee. Because of that, we offer affordable yet competitive benefits to support you and your family’s wellbeing. Our comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees includes health and wellness benefits, enhanced fertility benefits, short- and long-term disability, pension, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and more. The employee-paid premium for a full-time employee with single coverage is only $39.66/month for the Minnesota Advantage Health Plan and $13.48/month for the Dental Plan. Visit our website to learn more about the benefits we offer: https://shorturl.at/jkFU9.
 
Minnesota Judicial Branch employees may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This federal program allows qualified individuals to have their loans forgiven after meeting certain requirements working in public service. You can learn more about this program from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the office of Federal Student Aid.Position Logistics
This position is classified as a Supreme Court Law Clerk. Work will be performed at the Minnesota Judicial Center located in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota.
 
TO APPLY:  Apply online at http://www.mncourts.gov/ by attaching a cover letter, resume, and legal writing sample to the online application. Please arrange for your official transcript, with class rank, if available, to be mailed or e-mailed directly from your Registrar's Office to the address listed below. At least two but no more than four letters of recommendation are expected and should be sent or e-mailed directly to the address listed below. Please note that there is a series of supplemental questions in the application. Please complete thoroughly. Responses are submitted to justices verbatim. If you have any questions, please submit them to the email address below. Because the application form is identical to the application form for the Minnesota Court of Appeals, you may wish to submit applications to both courts at the same time, in which case each attachment, transcript, and recommendation letter will be made available to both courts. Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on April 14, 2024. Interviews will take place June 17 and 18, 2024. In-person interviews are preferred, but virtual interviews will be available for candidates who are located at a distance and unable to travel to the Minnesota Judicial Center for their interview.
   
Why Work for Us?
Minnesota Judicial Branch employees consistently express pride in their public service and in the quality of programs and services provided to customers, as well as appreciation for the teamwork and collaboration that is promoted within the MJB.
 
We celebrate and are committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion, and actively seek and value diversity in professional background and cultural characteristics. We are intentional and mindful about the organizational culture we are building, seeking broad-minded individuals with robust capabilities who value supporting one another’s growth.
 
It is the policy of the Minnesota Judicial Branch that all decisions regarding employment are made without discrimination on the basis of disability. Please let us know if you need a reasonable accommodation for a disability to participate in the employee selection process by contacting HR, nicole.zappa@courts.state.mn.us. 
 
The Minnesota Judicial Branch is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the Minnesota Judicial Branch that all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions, and other terms and conditions of employment be made without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, disability, sexual orientation, or age. We value and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Salary : $80,158