Semester Clerkship (Fall 2026 & Spring 2027)

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. 

The Institute for Justice’s Semester Clerkship programs provide an unparalleled opportunity for select law students to substantively contribute to IJ’s cutting-edge civil-rights litigation. Clerks conduct legal research; help develop litigation strategies for active and potential cases; and help draft discovery requests, motions, and briefs filed in both state and federal court. Clerks have been involved in projects as diverse as:

• Researching appellate court treatment of FTCA actions to support United States Supreme Court merits briefing on application of the FTCA’s judgment bar in a police brutality case. 
• Participating in moots for dispositive-motion hearings in a challenge to protectionist mobile vending regulations. 
• Analyzing discovery objections in a civil forfeiture class action lawsuit. 
• Assessing how to certify a new class and add new plaintiffs to an existing class action. 

• Developing litigation strategies for potential challenges to licensing requirements in several states across the country. 
• Helping prepare motions to exclude expert witness testimony and reports. 
• Drafting portions of opposition briefs for motions to dismiss and for summary judgment in both state and federal court. 

IJ’s Semester Clerkship program is highly competitive. Paid opportunities are available to students who wish to work in our Virginia, Texas, Florida, or Arizona offices. Although we're not able to offer paid opportunities to students who live and work in other states, we will happily host remote students for unpaid clerkships, and we often work with those students to help them receive course credit according to their schools' externship policies. The program typically runs for 12 weeks, with two cohorts offered each year in the fall and spring. It is designed as a part-time commitment to accommodate students' class schedules. 

To be considered, please complete the application and submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample.

IJ is an equal opportunity employer.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At IJ we value a diverse workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

To learn more about our culture and benefits, visit our Working at IJ page. No phone calls please.

#LI-Hybrid