Law Clerk Jobs

The Orleans Public Defenders (OPD) seeks rising second- and third-year law students for its 2027 Summer Law Clerkship in the Conflicts Division. OPD provides holistic, community-based representation in New Orleans, using a client-centered team model. The Conflicts Division represents people who cannot afford private counsel when ethical conflicts arise, such as co-defendants in the same case, witness-versus-defendant conflicts, former-client conflicts, or multiple victims or related cases. The clerkship is an intensive, hands-on program lasting 10 weeks, from June 1 through August 6, 2027. Clerks receive training in relevant criminal law and the life of a case, and gain practical experience in public defense and indigent defense in New Orleans. Clerks assist conflicts attorneys with representation-related work, but do not appear on the record in court. This position is unpaid. OPD encourages applicants to seek funding through their law schools or other outside sources and can assist with required paperwork. Academic credit may be available through a clerk’s school, and OPD will work with clerks and their schools on that process. Applications are reviewed and interviews are conducted on a rolling basis. The application deadline is February 12, 2027. Applicants must submit a cover letter explaining their interest, a resume, a writing sample, and an unofficial law school transcript. Incomplete applications will not be considered. OPD is committed to inclusion and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, political affiliation, or genetic information. Reasonable accommodations during the hiring process are available upon request.