Courthouse internships are found through federal judiciary job portals, direct applications to individual judges’ chambers, law school and university career offices, and national pipeline programs that place students with judges. Almost every position asks for a resume, cover letter, writing sample or transcripts, and references, and almost every position requires a background check before you start. The path in depends on which court you want, which judge you want, and how far ahead you plan.
What Kind of Internship You’re Applying For
Where you look depends on what you want to do inside the building.
Judicial (Chambers) Internships
These place you directly with a judge. Law students research issues, draft bench memoranda on pending motions, and sit in on proceedings. Undergraduates in chambers usually handle research and administrative support rather than legal drafting. These positions give you the closest view of how judges weigh arguments and decide cases, and they carry real weight on a legal resume.
Court Administration Internships
Every courthouse runs on people managing case records, coordinating hearings, handling budgets, and supporting HR. Administration internships suit students interested in public administration, criminal justice, or court management rather than practicing law.
Specialized Division Internships
Many courts have divisions like juvenile court, drug court, family court, or the law library, each with its own intern roles. A drug court placement, for example, involves treatment programs and compliance monitoring rather than traditional legal research.
Who Qualifies
Education Level
Chambers internships with federal judges overwhelmingly seek law students who have finished at least one year of legal study. The Supreme Court Internship Program runs differently: it requires applicants to have completed at least two semesters of undergraduate study and to be actively enrolled in a bachelor’s program during the internship, and law and graduate students are not eligible.1Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court Internship Program Some administrative roles accept high school students.
GPA expectations vary. Some postings set a threshold; many don’t. Competitive applicants generally carry a 3.0 or higher, and strong writing and relevant experience matter more than the number when no cutoff is listed.
Citizenship and Work Authorization
Paid federal judiciary positions are limited by appropriations law to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, refugees or asylees who have filed to become permanent residents, and lawful permanent residents actively pursuing citizenship.2United States Courts. Citizenship Requirements for Employment in the Judiciary Lawful permanent residents who are not yet eligible to apply for citizenship may still be hired if they submit an affidavit of intent to apply when eligible.
These restrictions do not apply to unpaid volunteers.2United States Courts. Citizenship Requirements for Employment in the Judiciary Because many judicial internships are unpaid, noncitizens authorized to work in the U.S. may still qualify for volunteer positions. Anyone hired or appointed by a judiciary office must complete Form I-9.
Background Checks
Judicial Conference policy requires every person working or volunteering in court chambers, including interns and externs, to undergo an FBI fingerprint check as a condition of starting work.3OSCAR. Background Checks and Suitability Requirements The Department of Justice, which runs its own intern programs, uses a broader suitability review that adds a credit report to the fingerprint check. Common reasons offers get withdrawn there include a history of drug use, unfulfilled tax obligations, and misrepresentations on security forms.4U.S. Department of Justice. Volunteer Legal Internships – Conditions of Employment State and local courts run their own screening, ranging from a basic criminal check to a full fingerprint investigation. Build several weeks into your start date for this step.
Where to Find Open Positions
The biggest mistake applicants make is searching only one source. Positions are scattered across platforms that don’t cross-reference each other, and many chambers openings are never posted publicly at all.
Federal Court Portals
The U.S. Courts website has a searchable database of judiciary jobs, including internships, filterable by keyword and location.5United States Courts. Search Judiciary Jobs The Supreme Court Internship Program posts on USAJOBS with narrow two-week application windows: summer opens around February 15, fall around May 15, and spring around September 12.1Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court Internship Program Miss those and you wait a cycle.
For law students, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR) is the centralized platform for federal law clerk and staff attorney positions, and it publishes weekly updates on new openings.6OSCAR. OSCAR Home Not every judge uses OSCAR for interns, which is why direct outreach still matters.
Individual Judges’ Chambers
A large share of judicial internships are filled through direct applications to individual chambers. Whether a judge takes interns, and for which semesters, is entirely at that judge’s discretion. Some judges post instructions on the court’s website, often asking for a single PDF emailed to a chambers address. Others rely on law school career offices. Check the specific court’s website before sending a cold application, and follow the format the posting specifies exactly. If the listing says not to call about status, don’t. Chambers notice when applicants can’t follow simple instructions.
State and Local Courts
State trial courts, appellate courts, and local municipal courts run their own employment pages, usually on the individual court’s website rather than a centralized state portal. Quality varies widely. If you can’t find a listing, call the clerk of court’s office and ask whether the court accepts interns and how to apply.
University Career Services
Law school career services and undergraduate career centers often maintain curated lists of judicial internship opportunities, and professors with judicial contacts sometimes know about positions that never get posted. A pre-law advisor or judicial externship coordinator is often the fastest route to state court openings.
Pipeline and Diversity Programs
Two national programs place students directly with federal judges and take some guesswork out of the process.
The American Bar Association’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) offers paid summer internships for law students committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. The 2026 application opened on November 3, 2025, with a January 9, 2026 deadline; screening interviews run through January, judge interviews through March, and final selections come by April.7American Bar Association. Judicial Intern Opportunity Program
Just The Beginning runs the Summer Judicial Internship Project (SJIP), placing law students with federal judges. Participation is free, and interns receive stipends funded through the organization.8Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization. Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization
Preparing Your Application
Most courthouse internships ask for a resume, cover letter, writing sample or transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Each piece carries more weight with judges than in a typical job search.
Cover Letter
The letter is addressed to a judge, so keep the tone formal and deferential without being stiff. Explain why you want that particular court or division, and share something your resume doesn’t show. In many chambers, law clerks read applications first and pick their favorites before the judge sees anything, so write for that broader audience rather than tailoring every line to the judge’s biography. The most common mistake is restating your resume in paragraph form. The judge will read both documents. Use the letter for motivation, personality, and writing ability.
Writing Sample
Law student applicants should submit a piece of persuasive or analytical legal writing that shows research depth and clear reasoning. A memorandum or brief from a legal writing course works well. Keep it under ten pages unless the posting says otherwise, and pick your best work rather than your most recent.
Transcripts and Recommendations
Most courts want either official or unofficial transcripts at the application or interview stage. Letters from professors who know your work beat generic endorsements from employers. If a professor has judicial connections, tell them you’re applying for a judicial internship so they can shape the letter accordingly.
Timelines, Interviews, and Silence
Courthouse internships run on timelines that surprise first-time applicants. Summer positions often close months ahead. The Supreme Court’s summer window opens in mid-February.1Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court Internship Program JIOP closes in January for the following summer.7American Bar Association. Judicial Intern Opportunity Program Individual judges set their own schedules, and many hire on a rolling basis, so applying early helps.
After submitting, expect weeks or months of waiting. Interviews may be one-on-one with the judge, a conversation with law clerks, or a panel. For law students, interviewers may test familiarity with legal concepts or ask about coursework tied to the court’s docket.
Do not read silence as rejection. Many chambers never notify applicants who aren’t selected, and timelines slip. If enough time has passed and the posting didn’t prohibit follow-up, a brief, polite status email is appropriate.
Paid or Unpaid
Most federal judicial internships are unpaid volunteer positions. The pipeline programs above are the notable exceptions: JIOP and SJIP provide stipends specifically to make these placements accessible to students who cannot afford to work for free. Some individual courts have paid intern positions at entry-level pay grades, but they are limited.
Many law schools require students to receive academic credit for unpaid externship placements as a matter of institutional policy. Check with your career services office or externship coordinator before accepting an unpaid position so you can secure credit and meet any required supervision arrangements. If cost is the barrier, apply to stipend-funded programs first and ask your school about summer grants for public interest work.