**Job Title:**
Law Clerk 2025 - 2026
**Job Responsibilities:**
Law clerks in the **Members Only** serve an essential role across various courts, including the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Superior Court, and Tax Court. Their responsibilities differ based on the court they are assigned to but generally include the following duties:
- **Supreme Court Law Clerks:** Work closely with justices on complex cases involving challenging legal issues. They conduct legal research, prepare written memoranda on novel issues of law, and assist in the preparation of opinions.
- **Appellate Division Law Clerks:** Engage in research, analyze legal data, prepare legal memoranda, process emergent motion applications, and proofread published opinions. They are responsible for preparing weekly memos, editing opinions, handling emergent applications, and preparing research memos for upcoming cases.
- **Trial Court Law Clerks:** Gain practical experience by observing judicial proceedings, attending conferences with attorneys and judges, and mediating small claims cases. They summarize information for judges and assist with processing emergent motions.
- **Tax Court Law Clerks:** Perform similar duties to those in the Appellate Division and trial courts, focusing on judicial tax challenges. They review and process motions, conduct legal research, draft legal documents, and manage the motion calendar.
- **Assignment Judge Law Clerks:** Conduct research, prepare legal memos, manage the judge’s docket, and communicate with counsel and courthouse staff.
- **Family Division Law Clerks:** Handle cases involving children, youth, spouses, and domestic partners. They conduct legal research, assist with remote proceedings, and help draft legal opinions and orders.
- **Civil Division Law Clerks:** Prepare bench memoranda, conduct legal research, draft legal orders, assist with case management, and communicate with attorneys and litigants.
- **Criminal Division Law Clerks:** Conduct legal research, assist in drafting jury instructions and legal opinions, manage the motion calendar, and communicate with attorneys and internal staff.
- **General Equity (Chancery) Law Clerks:** Conduct legal research, review case files, draft orders, and assist in processing emergent applications.
**Education and Experience Information:**
Applicants must have graduated from a law school approved by the American Bar Association by the time of their law clerk appointment. The program is intended for recent law school graduates, defined as those graduating within the last four years. Excellent writing and analytical skills are crucial. Completion of a mediation course prior to the start of the clerkship is beneficial. Selected candidates must provide an official, final law school transcript with their date of graduation. Law clerks may hold outside employment with prior approval, and they must possess a valid driver’s license in New Jersey if required for their duties. US citizenship is not required, but candidates must be authorized to work in the US. A thorough background check, including fingerprinting, is mandatory for selected individuals. Law clerks are exempt from the New Jersey residency law during their court term but must become residents if they move into another state position immediately following their clerkship.
**Salary Information:**
Salaries for law clerks vary based on the court and are paid for a 52-week term plus an overlap period. The salaries for the 2024-2025 Court Term are as follows, with the 2025-2026 salaries to be determined based on funding availability:
- Supreme Court: $76,400
- Supreme Court Appellate Division: $69,750
- Superior Court Assignment Judge: $63,950
- Superior Court Chancery Division (General Equity): $63,950
- Superior Court Law Division (Civil and Criminal): $58,900
- Superior Court Chancery Division (Family): $58,900
- Tax Court: $58,900
**Additional Information:**
Approximately 480 clerkships are available annually, with a limited number for the Supreme Court, Superior Court Appellate Division, Superior Court Assignment Judges, Superior Court Chancery Division, and Tax Court. Most openings exist in the Superior Court Law Division and Chancery Division. The **Members Only** is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, encouraging applications from underrepresented groups, women, individuals with disabilities, and other protected class members. All applicants must complete the application process as instructed and provide detailed descriptions of their work experience.
The judiciary offers a hybrid work schedule, allowing up to four days per month of remote work, provided applicants have high-speed internet access and install a multifactor authentication app. Applicants may apply directly to justices or judges through the Judiciary's web-based portal starting June 10, 2024, and interviews will begin on or after June 17, 2024. The **Members Only** consists of the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Tax Court, and Municipal Court System, with the Administrative Office providing support and coordination.
For more information, applicants can visit the New Jersey Courts website or contact the judiciary through the provided email for questions regarding the application process.
