Law Clerk for Appellate Legal Counsel

State of Oregon • Salem, OR

7d • $84,501 - $97,822 • Hybrid

About The Position

Law Clerk for Appellate Legal Counsel The Oregon Supreme Court is hiring for post-graduate law clerk to begin in August 2026. This position is full-time and limited duration, typically for a period of two years. However, court may choose to hire a clerk for only a one-year term, and a one-year option is available by joint agreement between the hiring manager and the clerk before the start of the clerkship. Our Law Clerk Positions Our law clerk positions provide a unique opportunity for law school graduates to both employ and improve their analytical, research, and writing skills, while working closely with judges, staff attorneys, and other staff to resolve all manner of cases that come before the courts. Our work is complex, interesting, and ever-changing, and it is a critical component of our state's judicial branch operations. Law clerks participate in many different and important steps in the case-resolution process. Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court is our state's appellate court of last resort. The primary work of the court involves discretionary review of decisions of the Oregon Court of Appeals. It also has discretionary review in certain types of cases (such as mandamus, habeas corpus, and certified questions) and has mandatory review of other types of cases (such as death penalty appeals, tax appeals, certain criminal, agency, and elections matters, and lawyer discipline and judicial fitness matters). The court regularly hears arguments in its courthouse in Salem. The court has seven justices and typically employs seven to nine law clerks at any given time. Because clerks may be hired for two-year terms, not all judges hire new clerks each year. This candidate selected for this position will work for the Supreme Court Appellate Legal Counsel. You will spend most of your time assisting the Appellate Legal Counsel and central law staff with petitions for review and opinions. You will be researching and writing petition memoranda and draft opinions, as well as engaging in extensive discussion, editing, and proofreading. You also will prepare final opinion summaries and media releases, and perform other tasks as needed for the court. For example, a few times a year, the Oregon Supreme Court holds oral arguments at law schools or other locations in the community, and you may have an opportunity to attend those arguments and share your experience at the court with students and other members of the community. You may also be called to lead community tours of the beautifully renovated, historic Supreme Court building. While acting as a vital resource to the Appellate Legal Counsel, you will be involved in important discussions with your fellow clerks, staff attorneys, and all the justices that help shape the law. Finally, you will be provided thoughtful training and gain in-depth perspective about how our courts function and serve the community. The law clerk role at comes with many benefits, including opportunities to: Develop practical skills, such as researching, writing, editing, and exercising sound judgment; Gain familiarity with a variety of areas of procedural and substantive law, both state and federal; Hone the ability to efficiently learn new areas of law and manage multiple projects; Observe and learn from different styles of advocacy in briefs and oral arguments; Help resolve novel, complex, and important legal issues; Work closely with judges and other experienced legal experts with diverse legal backgrounds; Attend trainings and continuing legal education programs; Connect with members of the Oregon legal community; and Be part of a team committed to public service and access to justice for all.

Requirements

• Applicants must have a Juris Doctor degree (or equivalent) from an ABA-accredited law school by the start of the clerkship.
• Submit a completed online Workday application, cover letter, resume, undergraduate and law school transcripts, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation.
• All submitted documents must be in an unprotected Adobe PDF format (no password if possible).
• In your resume, please include your law school GPA and class rank.
• In your cover letter, please describe why you are interested in clerking for the Oregon Supreme Court and how your experience has prepared you for the position.
• Your writing sample must be 10 pages or less (5-7 pages is preferred). Please choose a sample that contains legal analysis and, on a cover page, describe how, if at all, the sample was edited by others and how, if at all, generative artificial intelligence was used to prepare the sample.

Responsibilities

• Assisting the Appellate Legal Counsel and central law staff with petitions for review and opinions.
• Researching and writing petition memoranda and draft opinions, as well as engaging in extensive discussion, editing, and proofreading.
• Preparing final opinion summaries and media releases.
• Performing other tasks as needed for the court.
• Lead community tours of the beautifully renovated, historic Supreme Court building.

Benefits

• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
• Benefits package with health insurance
• Participation, after six months' employment, in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System
• Law clerks who are members of the bar may also be eligible for bar dues payments up to the cost of bar dues for the Oregon State Bar.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree