Law Clerk Addict's Blog
For those interested in volunteer / deferred associate state court clerkships for 2009-10, a large number have been added to NALP's PSLawNet.org website, including prime locations such as New York and Hawaii.
Today's Boston Globe has a pretty detailed article about the ongoing controversy surrounding clerkships at the Massachusetts Superior Court. For those who are unaware, the court publicly rescinded all clerkship offers in May, and then the following month replaced the paid positions with volunteer deferred associates, drawing some vocal criticism.
The state supreme court clerk salary chart has been slightly updated to correct salary data for the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
Two weeks ago when I announced, the new data section, I promised that more charts and statistics would be added over the coming months. Now, after providing forum readers with a sneak preview last night, I am proud to officially launch my State Supreme Court Law Clerk Salary Chart. In the future, I expect to add federal salary charts that adjust for cost of living allowances, and, once the market sorts itself out, a law firm clerkship bonus chart.
Why start with this salary chart, even though the state court section is not yet complete? No particular reason, except that the data is pretty interesting, and the compensation is a lot more variable than one would ever expect, with several state courts paying salaries that eclipse the federal payscale. Given that clerkships have a reputation as being very low paying, particularly for recent graduates, applicants might be surprised to see some of these numbers.
Unfortunately, there is still data missing for some state courts, so as usual please email me at lawfirmaddict@gmail.com if you can help fill in any gaps or provide additional information.
A blogger on the progressive Blue Mass Group blog expresses her disagreement with the recent Massachusetts Committee on Judicial Ethics advisory opinion permitting Massachusetts judges to hire deferred associates as unpaid "judicial interns."
Yesterday we posted about a Massachusetts Committee on Judicial Ethics advisory opinion about the propriety of a judge employing a deferred law firm associate as a volunteer judicial intern. Now, the AmLaw Daily provides even greater detail about the ethical implications of such an arrangement, including details about the procedures both judges and law firms must implement to ensure no appearance of impropriety.
Here are a few interesting tidbits relating to state court clerkships that are too short to justify posts of their own:
* The Massachusetts Committee on Judicial Ethics has issued an advisory opinion informing Massachusetts judges that they are not violating ethical rules by hiring deferred law firm associates as unpaid judicial interns. Hat Tip: Legal Profession Blog.
* A New York law clerk's unilateral decision to require a juror to return to deliberations has resulted in an appellate court reversing a defendant's criminal conviction.
It seems like no legal job offer is safe anymore.
Below are a few random links relating to state supreme courts that are too short to justify posts of their own:
* Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) has submitted a letter to President Barack Obama requesting that the President consider nominating Dana Fabe, the Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, to replace retiring United States Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
* Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer offered some insight about the benefits of state court clerkships at a recent speech at the University of Southern California School of Law.
* South Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Kaye Hearn is virtually guaranteed to become the newest member of the South Carolina Supreme Court and the second female justice in that court's history.