Job Details for Term Law Clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

Minimum Qualifications
To qualify for the position of law clerk, an applicant must be a law school graduate (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school of recognized standing and have one or more of the following attributes:

• Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools
• Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school
• Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree, or
  • Demonstration of proficiency in legal studies, which in the opinion of the judge, is equivalent to one of the above
• At least one year in practice or judicial clerkship. Knowledge of bankruptcy law is highly preferable.

To qualify for grade 12 in the Judicial Salary Plan (JSP), one year of legal work experience following law school graduation is required. To qualify for JSP grade 13, two years of legal work experience following law school graduation is required.

Legal work experience is defined as progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school. Major or substantial legal activities while in military service may be credited on a month-for-month basis, whether before or after graduation, but not to exceed one year if before graduation from law school.