New Jersey State Bar Association Calls for Quick Action to Fill Judicial Vacancies and Support New Law Graduates

New Jersey State Bar Association Urges Quick Action to Fill Judicial Vacancies
 
The New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) is calling for action to quickly fill the state's judicial vacancies, which is causing a shortage of judges. NJSBA President Jeralyn L. Lawrence has been advocating for this since the start of her term. However, an important aspect of the vacancy crisis that has not been properly addressed is the lost opportunities for recent law graduates to serve as clerks for the empty seats on the bench. The NJSBA estimates that there are currently around 60 vacancies, which means that there are also around 60 missed opportunities for young lawyers to start their careers clerking in New Jersey.
 
The Impact of Vacant Judicial Seats on New Law Graduates and the State's Legal Industry
 
The legislature may not be fully aware of the indirect impact of vacant judicial seats on new law graduates and the state's legal industry as a whole. With roughly 60 legal clerkships unavailable to recent graduates, it affects the local legal field because those potential law clerks must look elsewhere for employment. Experienced lawyers understand the value of clerkships and consider the experience to be crucial for new hires. Many former clerks look back on their clerkship experiences with fondness. For example, one board member described their clerkship experience by saying, "I loved being a law clerk. I learned more about the practice of law in that one year than in any other year before or since. Regardless of what area of law you plan to practice, or what side of the aisle you intend to join, being a law clerk provides new attorneys with a valuable perspective of the Court. And there is no other experience that can give you that." Clerking offers the opportunity to observe, learn, and develop one's legal skills in a practical setting before becoming a practicing attorney.
 
Clerkships bridge the gap between the legal theories learned in law school and the practical application of that knowledge to serve clients or public interests. Another board member reflected on their clerkship experience by saying, "Under the supervision of my judge, and with his guidance and mentorship, I learned how to identify critical issues, analyze and simplify complex matters of fact and law, and write clearly and efficiently. I also had opportunities to observe and participate in hearings and trials and received guidance on what was most effective so that I could apply it to my future practice. Spending time in a judge's chambers as a law clerk can provide great learning opportunities and a strong foundation for a legal career. I encourage all who have the opportunity to clerk to do so." Due to the positive impact of their experience, former clerks encourage all new lawyers to take advantage of the opportunity to clerk. To ensure that the maximum number of recent graduates can serve as law clerks, the legislature must take action to fill judicial vacancies quickly.
 
The position of a judicial law clerk is one of the few entry-level legal positions available to new law school graduates. The impact of having a large number of unavailable entry-level positions on the local legal field should not be underestimated, as it could have long-lasting effects. A recent graduate who must leave New Jersey to accept a clerkship elsewhere may not return to practice here, and it also has the potential to force a recent graduate to forego a clerkship altogether, even though they had the ability and desire to serve as a law clerk. Each year that the legislature retains such high vacancy rates, more law graduates are being involuntarily pushed out of career-defining experiences.

The call to fill the judicial vacancies quickly must continue, but now we are also urging you to remember the impact on potential law clerks looking to begin their careers locally in New Jersey. We cannot ignore the impact on recent law graduates of having such a significant number of jobs foreclosed simply because a judge has not been chosen to fill a seat on the bench. We owe it to our well-respected legal community to ensure that we can continue to set a high standard for what it means to be a lawyer in New Jersey.
 
REFERENCE: 
New Jersey Judicial Vacancy Affects Potential Law Clerks
https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2023/01/23/new-jersey-judicial-vacancy-affects-potential-law-clerks/