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Yale Law School

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Yale Law School ( YLS ) is the law school of Yale University , a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut . Established in 1824, it has been ranked the number one law school in the country by U.S. News & World Report every year since the magazine started publishing law school rankings. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United States. Its yield rate of 87% is also consistently the highest of any law school in the United States. The school’s small size and prestige have made its admissions process the most selective of any law school in the United States.

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134-1156: Each class in Yale Law's three-year J.D. program enrolls approximately 200 students. Yale's flagship law review is the Yale Law Journal , one of the most highly cited legal publications in the United States. According to Yale Law School's ABA -required disclosures, 83% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required or JD-advantage employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners. Yale Law alumni include many prominent figures in law and politics, including Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . Alumni also include current U.S. Supreme Court justices Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito , Sonia Sotomayor and Brett Kavanaugh , as well as multiple former justices, including Abe Fortas , Potter Stewart and Byron White ; several heads of state, including German President Karl Carstens , President of

268-590: A "legal newspaper", folded after just one year. Its spiritual successor, the current Albany Law Review was later published in 1936. The Columbia Jurist was created by students in 1885 but ceased publication in 1887. Despite its short lifespan, the Jurist is credited with inspiring creation of the Harvard Law Review , first published in 1887 . The current Columbia Law Review , was founded in 1901. The National Law Review also started during

402-611: A 4 from all three faculty members) are admitted, upon which they are immediately notified by the school. There are also 50–80 outstanding students admitted each year without going through this review process. The LL.M. Program and the Visiting Researchers Program at Yale Law are amongst the smallest and most selective graduate law programs in the United States. Yale Law admits around 25 LL.M. students and around 10 visiting researchers every year. These programs are usually limited to those students who intend to pursue

536-470: A career in legal academia. At this distinctive law school, admission to the J.S.D. program is exclusive to candidates who have attained exceptional standing in obtaining their LL.M. degree at Yale Law School and exhibit the promise of delivering outstanding scholarly contributions. Yale Law admitted only men until 1918. Yale Law School houses over two dozen clinics that allow students to represent clients in real-world legal problems. Participation in clinics

670-467: A case should be admitted for a regular hearing on merits. In recent years, the contributions of law clerks to research for judicial opinions have become increasingly evident on account of increasing references to foreign precedents and academic writings. In Ireland Judicial Assistants provide support to the judiciary comparable to that provided to judges of the Federal Courts of the United States,

804-461: A category-leading specialized journal. Often the best indicator is the age of the journal; a newer journal will rarely have the same clout with employers that the older journal has, even when the older journal is specialized. In any case, membership on any such journal is a valuable credential when searching out employment after law school. The paths to membership vary from law school to law school, and also from journal to journal, but generally contain

938-531: A class of 2021 graduate 10 months after graduation was $ 94,000. and the mean salary for a class of 2021 graduate 10 months after graduation was $ 136,943. The law school was ranked # 17 of all law schools nationwide by the National Law Journal in terms of sending the highest percentage of 2015 graduates to the largest 100 law firms in the US (23.58%). Law review A law review or law journal

1072-468: A competition. The only exception is YLS's flagship journal, the Yale Law Journal , which holds a two-part admissions competition each spring, consisting of a four- or five-hour " bluebooking exam," followed by a traditional writing competition. Although the Journal identifies a target maximum number of members to accept each year, it is not a firm number. Other leading student-edited publications include

1206-521: A distinguished academic record, academic recommendations, strong research and writing skills and interviews with judges. For both the Supreme Court of Canada and the Quebec Court of Appeal , being able to work in both English and French is strongly preferred. The Tax Court of Canada hires 12 clerks annually. Many law clerks have gone on to become leaders of the profession. For example,

1340-499: A few of the same basic elements. Most law reviews select members after their first year of studies either through a writing competition (often referred to as "writing on" to the law review), their first-year grades (referred to as "grading on" to the law review) or some combination thereof. Most Canadian law reviews, however, do not take grades into considerations and cannot be submitted with the application. A number of schools will also grant membership to students who independently submit

1474-527: A former Minister of Justice). Contrary to many Western legal systems, the profession of a judicial assistant in Poland is sometimes described as "poorly paid" and "unattractive". Basic salary in common courts is set by a regulation of the Minister of Justice and since June 2016 amounts from 3000 PLN to 4200 PLN per month (ca. €695 to €975 gross). In the case of administrative courts, the salary of assistants

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1608-474: A highly sought-after opportunity. Working as a judicial assistant is considered to be a unique and prestigious opportunity for junior solicitors or barristers, and is viewed as a stepping stone to a successful career in law. Upon completing the position, judicial assistants typically return to private practice, working as solicitors in Magic Circle firms or barristers in top chambers. While traditionally

1742-591: A hike to Rs 32,000 for clerks who stay for longer than a year. For the 2012-13 session each law clerk at the Supreme Court was paid a stipend of Rs 25,000 per month, which may be increased further in the next year. Till 2009–2010 each law clerk at the Supreme Court of India was being paid Rs. 20,000 per month. In addition to this, students from law colleges all over the country are given the opportunity to act as 'legal trainees' under Supreme Court judges during their vacation periods. The institution of law clerks

1876-415: A joint competition with the main law review. A law review's membership is normally divided into staff members and editors. On most law reviews, all 2Ls (second-year students) are staff members while some or all 3Ls (third-year students) serve as editors. 3Ls also typically fill the senior editorial staff positions, including senior articles editor, senior note & comment editor, senior managing editor, and

2010-552: A law clerk entails assisting the judges with writing verdicts and decisions and conducting legal inquiries and research. The most prestigious clerkships available in France are before courts of appeals, which review decisions of lower courts. A similar system exists in the administrative courts, including the Conseil d'Etat. In Germany, there are two different kinds of law clerks. Students of law who, after law school, have passed

2144-644: A law clerk in the early years of the program. Meanwhile, the Hon. Madam Justice Andromache Karakatsanis of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Hon. Madam Justice Kathryn N. Feldman of the Ontario Court of Appeal were formerly law clerks at the Ontario Court of Appeal. In England and Wales , law clerks are called judicial assistants. It is possible to be a judicial assistant at the Court of Appeal and at

2278-876: A law clerk is considered to be one of the most prestigious positions in legal circles, and tends to open up wide-ranging opportunities in academia , law firm practice, and influential government work. In some countries, judicial clerks are known as judicial associates or judicial assistants. In many nations, clerk duties are performed by permanent staff attorneys or junior apprentice-like judges, such as those that sit on France's Conseil d'État . In English and Hong Kong courts, they are known as judicial assistants. The European Court of Justice uses permanent staff attorneys ( référendaires ) and stagiaires (young law graduates). Australia, Canada, Sweden, and Brazil have notable clerk systems. Most Canadian courts accept applications for judicial clerkships from graduating law students or experienced lawyers who have already been called to

2412-470: A law school. He took on a former student, Samuel J. Hitchcock as a law partner, and Hitchcock became the proprietor of the New Haven Law School , joined by David Daggett in 1824. The Yale Law School shield (shown at the upper right of this page) shows staples and a rampant dog, representing Seth Staples and David Daggett. The school's affiliation with Yale began in the mid-1820s and in 1843,

2546-419: A lesser extent judges, or legal practitioners. The shorter pieces, attached to the articles, commonly called "notes" and "comments", often are written by law student members of the law review. Law review articles often express the thinking of specialists or experts with regard to problems, in a legal setting, with potential solutions to those problems. Historically, law review articles have been influential in

2680-657: A number of methods can be used to assess the notability of a law review. A professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication averages the annual rankings of: the Washington and Lee University Law School rankings, the average US News Peer Reputation score from the last 10 years, the average ranking of the School in US News of the last 10 years, and Google Scholar metrics for all Law reviews in

2814-431: A number of reasons why journal membership is desired by some students: At schools with more than one law review, membership on the main or flagship journal is normally considered more prestigious than membership on a specialty law journal. This is not the case at all schools, however. At many schools, the more prestigious journal is the specialty journal; a low-ranked general journal will rarely attract as much attention as

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2948-500: A particular applicant. A student who has been selected for law review membership is said to have "made the law review". Secondary journals vary widely in their membership process. For example, at Yale Law School , the only one of its nine journals that has a competitive membership process is the flagship Yale Law Journal  – all others are open to any Yale Law student who wishes to join. By contrast, other secondary journals may have their own separate membership competition or may hold

3082-456: A portion of prospective editors in order to increase the diversity of the journal’s membership. In 2018, a self-styled group of "faculty, alumni, and students opposed to racial preferences" sued New York University Law Review and Harvard Law Review over this practice. Both suits were dismissed in 2019 for lack of standing. In 2019, the top 16 law schools in the United States all reported female editors-in-chief of their law reviews. For

3216-447: A prohibition on secret recordings and disruption of campus events. The institution is known for its scholarly orientation; a relatively large number of its graduates (9%) choose careers in academia within five years of graduation, while a relatively low number (46%) choose to work in law firms five years after graduation. Another feature of Yale Law's culture since the 1930s, among both faculty and student graduates, has been an emphasis on

3350-897: A publication by the state Bar Association started in 1894. In 1917, editorship was taken over by the West Virginia College of Law and became the West Virginia Law Review in 1949. The first law review originating outside the Northeast was the Michigan Law Review , beginning in 1902. The Northwestern University Law Review —formerly the Illinois Law Review —followed shortly thereafter in 1906. Both Michigan and Northwestern were launched by faculty and only later turned over to student editors. Following these publications, there

3484-440: A publishable article. The write-on competition usually requires applicants to compose a written analysis of a specific legal topic, often a recent Supreme Court decision. The written submissions are often of a set length, and applicants are sometimes provided with some or all of the background research. Submissions normally are graded blindly, with submissions identified only by a number which the graders will not be able to connect to

3618-727: A simple Credit/No Credit system. For their remaining two-and-a-half years, students are graded on an Honors/Pass/Low Pass/Fail system. Similarly, the school does not rank its students. It is also notable for having only a single semester of required classes (plus two additional writing requirements), instead of the full year most U.S. schools require. Unusually, and as a result of unique Connecticut State court rules, Yale Law allows first-year students to represent clients through one of its numerous clinics; other law schools typically offer this opportunity only to second- and third-year students. Students publish nine law journals that, unlike those at most other schools, mostly accept student editors without

3752-546: A summer school in law and economics, the Yale-Paris ;II-Essec Summer School . The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Yale Law School for the 2021–2022 academic year is $ 93,923. In 2015, the Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance (including cost of living) for three years is $ 289,879. According to Law School Data,

3886-611: A time. Though most of the law clerks usually begin their one-year service period in July each year, soon after the completion of the LL.B. degree, though there have been instances of law clerks serving after having accumulated some work experience. The work profile of the law clerks varies as per the judges who they work under. Generally, it involves preparing summary opinions and briefs for the Special Leave Petitions listed for

4020-483: A year the law clerk is entrusted with judging simpler criminal and civil law cases by himself (in General Courts), such as petty theft or a civil case involving low sums of money. In the United States, judicial law clerks are usually recent law school graduates who performed at or near the top of their class and/or attended highly ranked law schools. Serving as a law clerk, especially to a U.S. federal judge ,

4154-531: Is a scholarly journal or publication that focuses on legal issues. A law review is a type of legal periodical . Law reviews are a source of research, imbedded with analyzed and referenced legal topics; they also provide a scholarly analysis of emerging legal concepts from various topics. The primary function of a law review is to publish scholarship in the field of law. Law reviews publish lengthy, comprehensive treatments of subjects (referred to as "articles"), that are generally written by law professors , and to

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4288-745: Is an attempt to create a legal publication, that is produced from all groups related to law, including lawyers, academics, students, members of the judiciary, procurators and anyone else in related fields with an interest in China. Examples include the NALSAR Student Law Review and the National Law School of India Review . The Mexican Law Review , the law review of the National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico's preeminent university,

4422-681: Is an example of a professionally edited law review in Ireland, while some leading student law reviews include the Trinity College Law Review and the UCD Law Review . Bocconi Legal Papers is a student-edited law journal in Italy. It is a project sponsored by Bocconi School of Law and is published by a group of students belonging to the same institution, under the supervision of several faculty advisors. They adopted

4556-461: Is based in Ottawa but hears cases across the country, selects 15 law clerks each year, or one per judge. The Federal Court also hires only one clerk per judge, or about 30 per year in total. The Court of Appeal for Ontario selects 17 law clerks, who serve either one or two of the 24 Justices. The Quebec Court of Appeal usually hires a similar number of law clerks for both Montreal and Quebec City but

4690-595: Is common among Yale Law students, with over 80% of degree candidates participating in clinical activities prior to graduation. Yale Law's clinics cover a wide range of issue areas and legal fields. Students represent clients before courts at all levels of the federal judiciary, state courts in Connecticut and other states, international tribunals and adjudicative bodies, administrative processes, and private arbitration. Yale Law School has greatly expanded its clinical programs in recent years, adding eight new clinics during

4824-631: Is considered to be one of the most prestigious positions in legal circles, and tends to open up wide-ranging opportunities in academia , law firm practice, and influential government work. Among the most prestigious clerkships are those with the United States Supreme Court , the United States courts of appeals , United States district courts , specialized courts such as the United States Tax Court and

4958-640: Is edited by professors and is therefore a closer cousin to peer-reviewed social science journals than to typical student-run law journals. RUPTURA, is the law review of the Law School Association of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador . This law review is edited by students who maintain an annual publication standard. RUPTURA is considered the oldest magazine in the region. Online legal research providers such as Westlaw and LexisNexis give users access to

5092-449: Is highly competitive, with most federal judges receiving hundreds of applications for only one or two open positions in any given year. Federal appellate judges tend to recruit primarily from the most prestigious and highly-ranked law schools in the United States. Justice Clarence Thomas is the major exception to the rule; he takes pride in selecting clerks from non-top-tier schools, and publicly noted that his clerks have been attacked on

5226-789: Is no express provision on age. Many of the assistants with professional experience are eligible for admission to practice law. They are not to be confused with court clerks ( Polish: "urzędnicy sądowi"), due to the fact that the latter do not have legal qualifications and exercise only administrative tasks, whereas assistants draft legal decisions or opinions, and conduct legal research. Judicial assistants also differ from "judicial clerks" or "court referendaries" ( Polish: "referendarze sądowi") in that they possess no judicial powers, and cannot make binding legal decisions on their own. Law clerks in Poland have their own organisation called National Society of Judicial Assistants (Ogólnopolskie Stowarzyszenie Asystentów Sędziów). There are varying opinions on

5360-788: Is regulated by the President of the Republic of Poland , and ranges from 1600 PLN even up to 5200 PLN, depending on whether we are dealing with a senior assistant or not. The remuneration rules at the Supreme Court of Poland and the Constitutional Tribunal are provided by respective internal regulations. Since 1991, law graduates from the National University of Singapore , Singapore Management University , and reputable foreign universities, only those obtaining first class honours or equivalent, are invited to join

5494-464: Is still a recent development in the context of the Indian judiciary. Anecdotal references indicate that some justices are hesitant to rely on 'law clerks' on account of concerns with confidentiality, especially in politically sensitive disputes. However, their services are heavily relied on to go through the written submissions in order to prepare for the preliminary hearings that are held to decide whether

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5628-507: Is unusual among Canadian courts in having a formal clerkship program for law students in addition to law graduates. The Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan hires 3 clerks, each of whom is assigned to 2 to 3 judges. The New Brunswick Court of Appeal hires two law graduates, who serve as law clerks working under the direct supervision of the Chief Justice of New Brunswick. Successful candidates for all clerkships are usually selected based on

5762-573: The Fordham Law Review comment cited extensively in the court's landmark decision in Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories (1980). A 2012 study found that the Supreme Court has increased its use of citing law journals and reviews over the last 61 years in majority, concurring or dissenting opinions, especially for important or difficult cases, despite claims by some judges to the contrary. In addition to rankings that measure impact factor ,

5896-641: The Harvard Journal of Law & Technology and the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review . Membership and editorial positions on law journals, especially flagship law reviews, is competitive and traditionally confers honor and prestige. Selection for law review membership is usually based on a combination of students' grades, their performance on a short article-writing competition, as well as an examination on Bluebook legal citation rules. In

6030-548: The University of Pennsylvania Law Review , it is the oldest surviving law review in the US. By the 1870s, these early commercial legal periodicals established the format for a more "modern style of legal writing" and led to today's student-edited law reviews. The first student-edited law periodical in the US was the Albany Law School Journal , founded in 1875. This journal, described as something like

6164-629: The Yale Journal on Regulation , the Yale Law and Policy Review , and the Yale Journal of International Law . In November 2013, it was announced that a $ 25 million donation would bring student dormitory living back onto campus, with renovations to begin in 2018. Since 2020, Yale Law School has held the top spot as the world’s best law school, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) . Yale Law has been ranked

6298-640: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) provides one detailed point of comparison (2000). There are some major differences between ECJ clerks and their American counterparts, largely because of the way the ECJ is structured. One key difference is that ECJ clerks, while hired by individual judges, serve long tenures as opposed to the one-year-clerkship norm at the U.S. Supreme Court. This gives ECJ clerks considerable expertise and power. Because ECJ judges serve six-year renewable terms and do not issue individual opinions,

6432-574: The Federal Constitutional Court (who have the right to select their wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter personally) prefer clerks from outside the courts or the civil service, especially those who are or were professors of law and who often hire people from academia (sometimes even young law professors). The clerks of the Federal Constitutional Court are deemed very influential and are therefore dubbed

6566-729: The New Deal . The law school's 15th dean, Harold Koh (2004–2009), made human rights a focus of the law school's work, building on a tradition that had developed over the previous two decades. On March 23, 2009, the White House announced the appointment of Koh to the United States Department of State as the Legal Adviser of the Department of State . Robert C. Post was selected to replace him as dean of

6700-881: The Review of the Academic Center Afonso Pena from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (published since 1996), and the Alethes Periodic from Federal University of Juiz de Fora . To pursue academic recognition by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, review bodies must include post-graduated and ranked academics, which prevents student law reviews to even be recognized or compared to other similar legal periodicals. In China, there are law reviews run by academics, as well as law reviews run by students. The China Law Journal

6834-581: The Supreme Court as Justices' Law Clerks. The Supreme Court comprises the High Court and the Court of Appeal, which is the final court of appeal in Singapore. Upon accepting appointment, Justices' Law Clerks are appointed for a term of one and a half years, with a possible 6-month extension. During their term, the law clerks are given the opportunity to work with both the judges of the High Court as well as

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6968-508: The Supreme Court of Poland , and the Constitutional Tribunal , where special regulations may apply. They are recruited in a competitive process with three phases: the application itself, a test of legal knowledge, and an interview. Only law graduates who are Polish citizens of good character and are above 24 years old can apply for a post in common courts. Similar requirements pertain to the administrative courts, except there

7102-735: The UK Supreme Court (formerly the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords ). Only Supreme Court judicial assistants are appointed for a full-time, one-year fixed-term appointment. Since 2006 they have taken part in a week-long exchange in Washington DC at the U.S. Supreme Court established by the late Justice Antonin Scalia and Lord Rodger of Earlsferry . Sally Kenney's article on clerks, or référendaires , on

7236-656: The United States Bankruptcy Courts , the New York State Commercial Division, Delaware Court of Chancery , and state supreme courts . Some U.S. district courts provide particularly useful experience for law clerks pursuing specific fields. The Southern District of New York deals with a heightened volume of high-profile commercial litigation, the Eastern District of Texas handles the most patent cases in

7370-562: The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit . Professors Clark and Frank, among others, became judges on that court. Some of the faculty members who became Second Circuit judges continued to teach courses at YLS and chose their clerks from student graduates. These judges influenced thinking in general at YLS and particularly reinforced student interest in public service, a characteristic tradition at YLS since

7504-474: The articling requirement for provincial law societies, which qualifies a person to become a practising lawyer in a Canadian jurisdiction. The most prestigious clerkship available is with the country's highest court, the Supreme Court of Canada , followed by the Federal and provincial Courts of Appeal. Each Justice of the Supreme Court hires four clerks for a one-year period. The Federal Court of Appeal, which

7638-400: The (unofficial) Dritter Senat ("Third Senate") as opposed to the two official " senates " of 8 justices each which form the court. In Hong Kong , law clerks are known as judicial assistants. Since 2009, the Court of Final Appeal has been offering full-time, one-year fixed-term appointments to junior lawyers who graduated from highly ranked law schools. This program was initiated under

7772-434: The 1880's, but was not student or academically produced, but published by Pennsylvania reporter and legal book publisher Kay & Brother and included editorially reviewed contributions by practicing attorneys focusing on the interpreting court decisions on a nationwide basis versus regionally and was not an academic law review. It continues today as on-line only daily legal news service with analysis contributed by lawyers and

7906-653: The 2016–2017 academic year. Yale Law School signed in June 2011 an Agreement for Collaborative Activities to create an environment for long-term joint research, exchange and programming activities, with Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University , the direct inheritor of the Faculty of Law of Paris and acting law school of the Sorbonne University . They organize, together with the ESSEC Business School ,

8040-457: The African context," including "legal and institutional regional and sub-regional developments, post conflict resolution, constitutionalism, commercial law and environmental law". In spite of some few exceptions, in Argentina almost all law reviews are run by publishing houses or law professors. In both cases, the involvement of students in the day to day creation of these reviews is fully narrowed. Among these few exceptions, it should be mentioned

8174-418: The Bar in Canada or abroad (typically in the United States or the United Kingdom ). Most provincial superior and appellate courts hire at least one clerk for each judge. Typically students in their last two years of law school are eligible to apply for these positions, but increasingly, experienced practicing lawyers are also considered for these positions. The term typically lasts a year and generally fulfills

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8308-414: The Class of 2013 accepted full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners. Yale Law School's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 8.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. The median salary for

8442-448: The Commonwealth more generally are the Law Quarterly Review (first published 1885), the Modern Law Review (first published 1937), the Cambridge Law Journal (first published 1973), The Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (first published 1981) and Legal Studies (first published 1981). In Africa, the Journal of African Law has published articles focusing on "legal pluralism and customary law'" to "issues of international law in

8576-413: The Court of Final Appeal. Their main role is to help judges research points of law, analyze appeals and leave applications, and draft memoranda on legal points. They also undertake a range of other tasks, such as preparing press summaries and fact summaries of appeals, as well as notes for judges’ external speaking engagements and participation in legal conferences. Additionally, judicial assistants assist in

8710-448: The Courts of Australia, the European Courts in Luxembourg and Strasbourg and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. They are typically recent law graduates and were introduced on a gradual basis to phase out the traditional Usher/Crier or "tipstaff" position (a process that is almost complete), while simultaneously providing research assistance to the judge to whom they are assigned. Judges of all jurisdictions have Judicial Assistants, with

8844-426: The Delaware Court of Chancery hears a substantial volume of corporate and shareholder derivative actions. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who performed at or near the top of their class. Federal judges, especially those at the appellate level, often require that applicants for law clerk positions have experience with law review or moot court in law school. As such, the law clerk application process

8978-421: The Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo and one student from the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen. Its articles are mainly related to the curriculum at these universities. Within the United Kingdom, as in much of the Commonwealth outside North America (a notable exception being Australia), all of the leading law reviews are edited and run by academics. The leading law reviews in the United Kingdom and

9112-405: The High Court, clerks are assigned to two or three judges (including Associate Judges). In the Court of Appeal of New Zealand and the Supreme Court of New Zealand , each judge has their own clerk. The Chief Justice is the exception and has two clerks. Judges clerkships are highly sought after and competition is extremely competitive; judges' clerks often have class ranks that put them at, or near,

9246-445: The Hon. Mr. Justice Jean Cote of the Alberta Court of Appeal was one of the first Supreme Court law clerks, serving as a clerk in the program's inaugural year (1967). Similarly, the Hon. Madam Justice Louise Arbour , formerly of the Supreme Court of Canada, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , also served as

9380-523: The International Chamber of Commerce - Italy. Its editorial board is composed of more than 150 members, including students, scholars, and professionals from all over the world. It is a double-blind peer reviewed law journal, run by University of Bologna, School of Law students, which follows The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. The Trento Student Law Review is a student-run law review based in Trento, Italy. Established in 2017, it published its first issue, titled "Number Zero", in January 2018. In

9514-511: The Judges of the Appeal and the Chief Justice. After their term, the law clerks have the option of joining the permanent establishment of the Singapore Legal Service . If they take up this option, they will be posted to other branches of the Singapore Legal Service, for example as Deputy Public Prosecutors at the Attorney's General Chambers or as Assistant Registrars in the Supreme Court Registry. Many Justices' Law Clerks choose to join private firms after their stint (and several have recently achieved

9648-561: The Justice's trust. Each justice has his or her own method for interviewing and appointing court attorneys. Polish law clerks are called "asystenci sędziów", which can be directly translated as "judges' assistants" or "judicial assistants". Generally their status is regulated by the Law on the System of Common Courts of July 27, 2001, but there are also assistants in the administrative courts,

9782-587: The Miscellaneous Days (i.e., Monday and Friday). On the Non-Miscellaneous Days, involve attending Court proceedings and preparing notes for the arguments advanced by the counsels on matters listed. They also assist the judges in drafting the judgments and orders by supplementing it with research and case analysis. In 2014, the Supreme Court increased the monthly stipend of law clerks/research assistants from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000, with

9916-682: The Netherlands ( Ars Aequi  [ nl ] ), Groningen Journal of International Law ) and the Czech Republic ( Common Law Review ). In Belgium, the oldest and most prominent student-edited law review is Jura Falconis . It was founded by a group of students from the Law Faculty of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven who, in 1964, conceived the idea of producing their own law journal grafted on

10050-769: The Netherlands, Ars Aequi  [ nl ] is one of the few general legal journals. It has been published since 1951. It is edited by students from all faculties of law of Dutch universities, who review and edit submitted articles ( peer review is not common in Dutch law journals). The quality of its publications is considered top-ranked in the Dutch legal discipline. Ars Aequi publishes articles written by established scholars, researchers and students. The editorial board does however not set different quality standards for student articles. Ars Aequi  [ nl ] has published its Black Issue in 1970, criticizing legal aid. It resulted in reforms of accessible legal aid in

10184-482: The Netherlands. In Iceland, Úlfljótur Law Review , has been in publication since 1947. In 2007 it celebrated its 60th anniversary. Since its creation in 1947 it has been edited and run by students at the Department of Law, University of Iceland. Úlfljótur Law Review is the most senior of all academic journals still in publication at the university and held in great respect by Icelandic jurists and legal scholars. In Finland, Helsinki Law Review , edited by students at

10318-605: The Philippines Jose P. Laurel , and Peter Mutharika , former president of Malawi ; U.S. senators, governors, and officials; and the current deans of four of the top fourteen-ranked law schools in the United States: Penn , Virginia , Northwestern , and Georgetown . The school began in the New Haven law office of Seth P. Staples in the 1800s, who began training lawyers. By 1810 he was operating

10452-663: The Research Centre of the Lahore High Court and assist all the judges in the various registry benches of the Lahore High Court. In the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Philippine Court of Appeals , recent law graduates and young lawyers can apply for a position as a "Court Attorney" to a Justice. This position basically corresponds to what is called a "law clerk" at the Supreme Court of

10586-412: The Supreme Court for six years. In lower courts, the duties of a law clerk are generally carried out by the "griffier". It is customary for the griffier to attend the deliberations of the judges, as well as to draft the verdict. They therefore do have some influence on final decisions. In addition, the griffier is also responsible for many of the duties of a court clerk, such as keeping records and making

10720-676: The U.S. Supreme Court, ECJ clerks act as agents for their principals—judges—and are not the puppeteers that critics claim. The ECJ also admits a limited number of selected law graduates as Stagiaires . Their duties are more similar to those of the law clerks of the U.S. Supreme Court. In France, law clerks are called juristes assistants. They typically go through a competitive nomination and interview process to get accepted as law clerks. Most French courts accept applications for judicial clerkships from graduating law students. Students in their last year of law school are eligible to apply, although most law clerks are PhD candidates in Law or candidates for

10854-409: The US, law reviews are normally edited and published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association , in close collaboration with faculty members. Law reviews can provide insight and ideas that contribute to the bedrock of jurisprudence. For example, Justice Stanley Mosk of the Supreme Court of California admitted that he got the idea for market share liability from

10988-428: The United States and Canada, most law journals are housed at individual law schools and are edited by students, not professional scholars, which is unique of law schools. North American law schools usually have flagship law reviews and several secondary journals dedicated to specific topics. For example, Harvard Law School 's flagship journal is the Harvard Law Review , and it has 16 other secondary journals such as

11122-430: The United States. There has been a weak correlation between law school ranking and law review citation metrics. In the United States, law reviews are typically edited by students who are selected to join after successfully completing a "write on competition" at the end of their first year of law school. Grades and class standing are often considered during the application process. Law professor Erwin N. Griswold noted

11256-466: The United States. Each of the 15 Supreme Court justices has 5 to 10 court attorneys at any given time. Court attorneys at the Supreme Court of the Philippines are co-terminus with their justices. Some stay for one year or less, others stay for as long as their respective justice serves the Court. Previous court attorneys have become notable Justices themselves e.g. Justice Vicente V. Mendoza, Justice Antonio Abad etc. or have gone to hold important positions in

11390-547: The University of Helsinki, has been active since 2007. Earlier, the University of Turku published Turku Law Journal from 1999 to 2003. Sweden's first law review is Juridisk Publikation . The first number of Juridisk Publikation was published in April 2009. It originated as a review by students from Stockholm University. It is now delivered to Swedish law students from all universities, as well as to most legal libraries in

11524-530: The auspices of former Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma . The selection process for the position of judicial assistant is highly competitive. Applicants are typically required to have strong academic backgrounds, possessing first-class LLB or LLM degrees from reputable universities, as well as prior experience in international law firms or reputable chambers. They are expected to be in the top 5% of their graduating class or hold degrees from Oxbridge . Hundreds of applicants vie for just six or fewer open positions, making it

11658-411: The average student who borrowed money to attend Yale Law School in the graduating class of 2022 graduated with $ 143,437 in debt. The annual total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, mandatory university health insurance, and living expenses) at Yale Law School for the 2021–2022 academic year is $ 93,821. According to Yale Law School's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 78.8% of

11792-495: The bar exam or a French civil service competitive entrance exam such as French National School for the Judiciary, French National School of Public Finances, or French National School of Court Clerks. Law clerks ( juristes assistants ) are hired for three years renewable once. Depending on credentials and curriculum they can be assigned to the bench (magistrat du siège) or the prosecution (parquet or parquet général). The work of

11926-661: The case of Revista Lecciones y Ensayos , a law review ran by students at the School of Law of the University of Buenos Aires . In Australia, as of 2017, the leading student-edited peer-reviewed academic law reviews are the Melbourne University Law Review , Melbourne Journal of International Law , University of New South Wales Law Journal , and Monash University Law Review . The Melbourne University Law Review generally outperforms Sydney Law Review on reputation, impact, citation in journal and cases and combined rankings. These publications are among

12060-571: The clerk switch judge after a time, usually three months. The rationale being that working for different judges broadens the scope of learning. The term as law clerk is two years, after which the law clerk may opt to apply to the Court of Appeals in the Administrative system or the General system ("kammarrätt" or "hovrätt") and continue on the path that traditionally leads to Judge, or leave the Court system for another career. Having completed

12194-492: The complete text of most law reviews published beginning from the late 1980s. Another such service, Heinonline , provides actual scans of the pages of law reviews going back to the 1850s. Membership on the law review staff is highly sought after by some law students, as it often has a significant impact on their subsequent careers as attorneys. Many U.S. federal judges and partners at the most prestigious law firms were members or editors of their school's law review. There are

12328-537: The concern some have about the unusual nature of a publication being run by students and celebrated the impact that it has had in law and legal education. In 1995, Richard Posner argued law reviews had a higher standard of fact-checking to faculty-run journals or published books, and described them as indispensable resources for law clerks, judges, practitioners and professors. He also argued that faculty-run journals are generally better at aspects including article selection and editing interdisciplinary papers. In Canada,

12462-573: The country. Juridisk Publikation is edited by top students from the law schools in Lund, Stockholm Uppsala, Gothenborg and Umeå. The publication is anonymously peer reviewed by a board of leading Swedish legal practitioners and academics. In Norway, the first student edited law review Jussens Venner was founded in 1952 by students Carsten Smith and Torkel Opsahl (both of whom later became distinguished academics). Occasionally it features peer-reviewed articles, but its editors are composed of one student from

12596-479: The court orders and preparing briefs etc. Law clerks serve as paid staff of the court for an extendable one-year term. The Supreme Court has 17 law clerks for the year 2017-2018. In the Lahore High Court , many civil judges with master's degrees (mostly LLM) and post-graduate research experience are appointed as research associates equivalent to law clerks to the judges of the court. They function through

12730-420: The court such as Court Administrators or Deputy Court Administrators. Many of them have gone on to successful legal practice, in business, or in the academe. The position is an extremely difficult one to get accepted to because aside from the competence requirement, there is also the character requirement that differs from one Justice to another. The position is basically a confidential one and the lawyer must enjoy

12864-452: The development of the law; they have been frequently cited as persuasive authority by courts. Some law schools publish specialized reviews, dealing with a particular area of the law, such as civil rights and civil liberties , international law , environmental law , and human rights. Some specialized reviews focus on statutory, regulatory, and public policy issues. Law reviews are generated in almost all law bodies/institutions worldwide. In

12998-630: The discretion of individual judges. The Registry of the Supreme Court of India invites applications in January each year for 'law clerk-cum research assistant' positions from the Colleges and Universities empanelled with the Registry. The Universities nominate/recommend their students to the Registry which screens the applications and shortlists candidates. The shortlisted candidates are interviewed by an esteemed panel of sitting Supreme Court Justices in

13132-639: The exception of ordinary judges of the District Court. Judicial Assistants are typically recruited on a three-year contract and take up the role for this or a shorter period of time, generally before entering/returning to practice or academia. In Mexico , duties conferred to law clerks in some common law countries are charged in a person called "Secretario de Acuerdos" or "Secretario Proyectista", for lower courts and, "Secretario de Estudio y Cuenta" for higher court: "Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación". Secretario de Acuerdo's main activities are: conducting

13266-463: The exception rather than the norm. In Continental Europe law reviews are almost uniformly edited by academics. However, a small number of student-edited law reviews have recently sprung into existence in Germany ( Ad Legendum , Bucerius Law Journal , Freilaw Freiburg Law Students Journal , Goettingen Journal of International Law , Hanse Law Review , Heidelberg Law Review , Marburg Law Review ),

13400-492: The famous American law reviews. Since then, Jura Falconis has grown into a very solid and most unusual value in the Belgian legal literature. The articles in the leading law reviews in France are written by academics and lawyers, the principal editors are Dalloz , LexisNexis, Lamy Liaisons  [ fr ] (part of the international Wolters Kluwer group) and Francis Lefebvre  [ fr ] . Irish Law Times

13534-567: The first of two required examinations join the Referendariat , a time of two years consisting of a series of clerkships: for a civil law judge, a criminal law judge or a prosecutor, a government office and finally at a law firm. The purpose of this clerkship is solely the legal education of the clerk (Referendar) and not giving assistance to his instructor. In the Federal Supreme Courts (see Judiciary of Germany ) and

13668-411: The first time in history, women led all of the law journals of the most prestigious U.S. law schools. Law clerk A law clerk , judicial clerk , or judicial assistant is a person, often a lawyer, who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant roles in

13802-532: The first week of June. The final merit list is prepared and the selected candidates are offered positions to work under the sitting judges of the Supreme Court starting from the month of July. The eligible candidates receive offers throughout the year as and when the vacancies are created in the Chambers of Justice. Usually, two law clerks are assigned to each judge for one year, though some justices are known to sometimes engage either one or more than two law clerks at

13936-402: The format of a working paper series, as a way to complement – rather than compete with – peer-reviewed publications and offer scholars an additional round of feedback. The University of Bologna Law Review is a student-run law journal published by the Department of Legal Studies of the University of Bologna , and officially sponsored by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and

14070-515: The formation of case law through their influence upon judges' decisions. Judicial clerks should not be confused with legal clerks (also called "law clerks" in Canada), court clerks , or courtroom deputies who only provide secretarial and administrative support to attorneys and/or judges. Judicial law clerks are usually recent law school graduates who performed at or near the top of their class and/or attended highly ranked law schools. Serving as

14204-915: The fully student-run law reviews (without a Faculty editor-in-chief) include, in order of the frequency they are cited by the Supreme Court of Canada: the McGill Law Journal , the Osgoode Hall Law Journal , the Queen's Law Journal , the Alberta Law Review , University of British Columbia Law Review , the University of Ottawa Law Review , the Saskatchewan Law Review , and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review . The country also has several specialized publications run entirely by students. Outside North America, student-run law reviews are

14338-400: The importance of spending at least a few years in government service. A similar emphasis has long been placed on service as a judicial law clerk upon graduation. Its 4.5:1 student-to-faculty ratio is the lowest among U.S. law schools. Yale Law does not have a traditional grading system, a consequence of student unrest in the late 1960s. Instead, it grades first-semester first-year students on

14472-530: The influence of assistants on the Polish judiciary. Some scholars criticize the profession, because - in their view - judges themselves should write their own opinions, as it would positively affect the quality and length of these documents. However, prominent judges state that "a good assistant is a treasure to have" (Judge Krystian Markiewicz), while others complain that they do not need assistants who "make no unaided decisions whatsoever" (Judge Barbara Piwnik, also

14606-425: The law school, students may receive academic credit for their work on the law review, although some journals are entirely extracurricular. English and US law education in the early 19th century was dominated by the study of "discursive" treatises which examined older English case law. These treatises were written by eminent scholars of the era but had diminishing relevance to a newly founded nation. The treatise format

14740-452: The law school. In 2022, two federal appeals judges, James C. Ho and Elizabeth L. Branch , stopped hiring Yale Law graduates as clerks because of concerns the school suppresses conservative views. The school responded by initiating actions to "reaffirm its commitment to free speech", which included an orientation about "free expression" and "respectful engagement", the appointment of a new dean to help law students "resolve disagreements", and

14874-484: The minutes of court sessions. Although the role of griffier is often held by a permanent member of legal staff of the court, it is not uncommon for the role to be held by an advanced year law student, in which case they may be referred to as a "buitengriffier" (external clerk). Law clerks are referred to as judge's clerks in all four levels of the New Zealand court system. It is a fixed term position of 2 years. In

15008-409: The most competitive in the United States. In 2023, the median GPA for the entering class was 3.96, and the median LSAT score was 175. After an initial round of screening by the admissions department, approximately 25% of applications are independently evaluated by three different faculty members. Each application is scored from 2–4 at the discretion of the reader. All applicants with a perfect 12 (i.e.,

15142-694: The most important role of ECJ clerks is to facilitate uniformity and continuity across chambers, member-states, and over time. Furthermore, this role is heightened because the European Union is composed of nations with disparate legal systems. Kenney found that ECJ clerks provide legal and linguistic expertise (all opinions are issued in French), ease the workload of their members, participate in oral and written interactions between chambers, and provide continuity as members rapidly change. While Kenney concludes that they have more power than their counterparts on

15276-456: The most prestigious of all, editor-in-chief of the law review. (Upon graduation, the editor-in-chief of the law review can often expect to be highly recruited by the most prestigious law firms.) As members, students are normally expected to edit and cite-check the articles that are being published by the law review, ensuring that references support what the author claims they support and that footnotes are in proper Bluebook format, depending on

15410-590: The most-cited law reviews by the High Court of Australia and among the most cited non-US reviews by US journals. The top international law journal in Australia is the Melbourne Journal of International Law , also a student-edited peer-reviewed academic law review. In Brazil, law reviews are usually run by academics as well, but there are efforts by students to change this; for example: University of Brasilia Law Students Review (re-established in 2007),

15544-878: The nation, the Northern District of California leads the country in antitrust suits, and the District of Columbia hears many high-profile disputes involving the federal government . Similarly, the United States Tax Court specializes in adjudicating disputes over federal income tax , the United States Bankruptcy Courts specialize in issues arising under the United States Bankruptcy Code , the New York State Commercial Division adjudicates high-profile commercial matters in an expedited fashion, and

15678-473: The number one law school in the United States by U.S. News & World Report between 1990 and 2024. Among U.S. law schools, Yale has the lowest acceptance rate and the highest yield rate—whereas less than 5% of applicants are admitted, about 80% of those who are accepted ultimately enroll, either in the Fall following their acceptance or after a deferral. Since its inception in 2018, with Yale Law School securing

15812-478: The office of the Federal Prosecutor General , the duties of law clerks are performed by wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter ( German for "scientific assistant"). With few exceptions, they are lower court judges or civil servants, assigned for a period of three years to the respective Federal Court, and their clerkships serve as a qualification for a higher judgeship. However, some justices of

15946-484: The one with the highest score applying to any given spot is accepted. One applies to the Swedish Court Agency (Domstolsverket) about six times a year, which calculates the scores and apportions the applicants. The Courts in the bigger cities naturally tends to be most popular, thereby needing the highest scores even if they also have most law clerk positions. The ratio is about one law clerk per judge, and

16080-467: The position of judicial assistant in Hong Kong was regarded solely as a gateway to a career at the bar, recently there has been a growing trend of law firms hiring individuals who have completed their tenure as judicial assistants, due to their high calibre and valuable experiences in court proceedings. The primary responsibilities of judicial assistants are to provide support and assistance to judges in

16214-459: The preparation of specimen directions, case bulletins, and publications related to judicial education. In India law graduates go through a competitive nomination and interview process to get accepted as law clerks. The Supreme Court of India and several High Courts of India offer paid law clerkships that are considered very prestigious. These clerkships usually last for one year (session commencing from July to Mid of May) and may be extended at

16348-408: The public hearings, writing verdicts, ordering to execute sentences, and providing general assistance to Judges, while Secretario Proyectista's activities are to draft sentences. Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands are independent researchers. Applicants are recruited from the top law firms and universities. For most, it is a highly prestigious second job. Law clerks typically work at

16482-510: The publication's journalists. The success of the Harvard Law Review provided a model that was followed by later journals: faculty-written articles solicited and published by student editors. Yale Law Journal , first published in 1891, used this format to great success. Other contemporary journals were launched by faculty with varying degrees of student input including Dickinson Law Review in 1897. The West Virginia Bar ,

16616-448: The publication's preference. On some law reviews, students may be expected to write a note or comment of publishable quality (although it need not actually be published), although other law reviews often pull from a broader pool for submissions. The editorial staff is normally responsible for reviewing and selecting articles for publication, managing the editing process, and assisting members in writing their notes and comments. Depending on

16750-480: The rankings discourage low-income applicants and "fail to advance the legal profession" by devaluing programs that encourage public interest profession rather than high-paying corporate jobs. Yale's decision was followed by Harvard Law School , which also withdrew from the rankings. Yale Law School enrolls about 200 new students a year, creating one of the smallest classes among top U.S. law schools. Its small class size and prestige combine to make its admissions process

16884-490: The school's students began receiving Yale degrees. Daggett went on to serve as mayor of New Haven, U.S. Senator, and judge on Connecticut's highest court. An opponent of education for African Americans and a supporter of colonization, he helped lead opposition to the establishment of a college for African Americans in New Haven and presided over the trial of a woman who ran a boarding school for African American girls. A special relationship or connection developed between YLS and

17018-408: The scrutiny committee, consisting of senior judges and law clerks of the Court, before final appointment. In recent years, all law clerks appointed have been licensed advocates placed at the top of their class with excellent research credentials. Law clerks sit in court during hearings. In chambers, law clerks assist the judge in making determinations of law, conducting research, critically proof-reading

17152-444: The second-highest law school ( Harvard Law School ). Additionally, a 2010 survey of "scholarly impact," measured by per capita citations to faculty scholarship, found Yale's faculty to be the most cited law school faculty in the United States. In November 2022, Yale made a voluntary decision to pull out of the U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings. Describing their methodology as "profoundly flawed," Yale claimed that

17286-717: The title of Senior Counsel ), while others have chosen a path in academia. After successfully obtaining the Swedish law degree called Candidate of Law one can apply for a position as a law clerk ("notarie" in Swedish) either in the Administrative Courts ( förvaltningsrätt ) [1] or in the General Courts ( tingsrätt ). [2] Applicants are rated according to their accumulated points, which are calculated mainly by grades. Higher grades giving higher scores and

17420-542: The top of their graduating class. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has an extensive and competitive program for the appointment of the Law Clerks/Research Associates. Applications are invited from all over Pakistan calling on fresh law graduates, Advocates and Barristers to submit their CVs, transcripts/degrees, three letters of recommendation and a legal writing sample. Applicants thereafter are shortlisted purely on merit and interviewed eventually by

17554-472: The top position, the Fortuna Ranking of US Law School Rankings has consistently placed Yale at #1, while Harvard and Stanford have maintained their positions as #2 and #3 respectively in the latest 2023-2024 ranking. The school also saw a greater percentage of its students go on to become Supreme Court clerks between the 2000 and 2010 terms than any other law school, more than double the percentage of

17688-428: The two years is considered qualifying and may open up career opportunities otherwise closed. The work as a law clerk mainly entails assisting the judges with writing verdicts and decisions, keeping the records during trials and conducting legal inquiries. After about six months the law clerk is trusted with deciding simpler non-disputed issues by himself (such as registering prenuptials or granting adoptions). After about

17822-895: Was a lull in new journals broken in 1908 by publication of the Maine Law Review which unfortunately ceased publication when the school closed in 1920. The California Law Review , beginning in 1912, was the nation's first law review published west of Illinois. The Georgetown Law Journal was launched that same year. Additional US law reviews During the 1990s, the American Bar Association began coordinating its own practitioner journals with law schools, courting student editorial bodies for publications including Administrative Law Review , The International Lawyer , Public Contract Law Journal , and The Urban Lawyer . Some law reviews also consider race, gender, and other demographic characteristics of all or

17956-475: Was also unsuited to communicate the rapid decisions of a young court system to an expanding population of lawyers. By the 1850s a number of legal periodicals had arisen in the US which "typically highlighted recent court decisions, local news, and editorial comments". One of these periodicals, the American Law Register , was founded in 1852 and has been published continually since. Now known as

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