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2. Materials 3. Advertising

A typical clerkship application requires a resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, professional There are many avenues for advertising a judicial clerkship position:
and personal references, transcripts, and a writing sample. These materials help the judge narrow
down the pool of applicants. the specific tribe’s website,
Resume Turtle Talk,
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A good resume shows the applicant’s work experience, skills, and interests and is tailored to the job the Tribal In-House Counsel Association,
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opportunity. A typical resume is between one and two pages. Experience in law review, moot court,
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or work as a teaching or research assistant are excellent indicators of research and writing experience. National Native American Law Students Association,
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An applicant with a previous judicial externship or internship experience shows familiarity with a
clerkship. Competitive applicants will have a high GPA, class rank, and an A– or higher legal writing National Native American Bar Association, 79
grade. 70
individual state Native American Bar Associations, or
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Cover Letter
Indian Law Sections or Listservs,
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A cover letter should typically fit on one page with one-inch margins. It introduces the applicant
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and, most importantly, it explains why the applicant is interested in the position. It should describe and a law school’s job portal.
the applicant’s research, writing, and analytical experience. The cover letter allows the judge to learn
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about the applicant’s personality and it demonstrates the applicant’s formal writing skills. Many There are several ways to recruit judicial law clerks as independent contractors. Most of them require
judges look closely for any grammatical errors because correct grammar indicates attentiveness to
detail. the judge to craft a scope of work and minimum qualifications, which should reflect the judge’s
expectations and the court’s specific needs.
Letters of Recommendation
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
An application may typically ask for one to three letters of recommendation. Determine whether you
would like the letters delivered separately by the author, or if the applicant should collect the letters RFQs set forth criteria for the successful candidate and invites interested candidates to submit their
and submit the letters themselves. qualifications using a resume and letter of interest and/or other supporting documents. RFQs can be a
Professional and Personal References stand-alone requirement when compensation is fixed (particularly in situations in which the position is
In lieu of formal letters of recommendation, it may be advantageous to ask for the applicant’s grant funded) and can be used to screen out less-qualified candidates.
professional and personal references. This allows for a conversation between the reference and the
hiring authority that is more personable and tailored to questions that may arise when discussing the Request for Proposals (RFP)
potential candidate with the reference. RFPs are generally used for professional solicitations when the court seeks a career clerk with a
Transcript specific legal education and relevant experience. Compensation typically is negotiable. Although
an RFP may be too formal for judges seeking new attorneys, law students, or graduates with legal
Clerkship announcements usually require a law school transcript. Specify whether an official or
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unofficial transcript is required. Be aware that an official transcript may take longer to receive as training, it may be required by the judge’s employer or an external funding entity.
it may be mailed versus emailed and the applicant will likely need to pay for the cost. If the court
is interested in an applicant with exceptional academic achievements, a transcript conveys that Call for Applications
information. A judge may also gain insight into the applicant’s background and knowledge of specific A Call for Applications in less formal announcement to invite candidates to apply based on the criteria
areas of the law.
in the announcement.
Writing Sample
These announcements should be distributed to resources visited by prospective judicial law clerks
The writing sample highlights the applicant’s analytical skills, comprehension and articulation of legal such as law schools, tribal organizations, and sites that provide resources relevant to Indian law and
issues, and ability to reach and defend a well-reasoned conclusion. Typical samples are between five
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and ten pages. The sample must reflect the candidate’s own work. A good sample includes a cover tribal law practitioners. General employment sites such as Indeed.com do not always reach the target
page with a brief description of the sample, a summary of the facts, a description of any edits by pool of candidates. The judge can decide whether these sites are suitable.
others, or a statement that others have not made any edits. If the sample is a work product, then it
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must include a statement that the applicant has permission to use it. 76 Turtle Talk, Job Announcements (accessed Aug. 9, 2021), https://turtletalk.blog/2021/08/06/job-

announcement s -10/ .
77 Tribal In-House Counsel Association, Job Announcements (accessed Aug. 9, 2021), https://tica.wildapricot.org / Job -
68 PLSI Judicial Clerkship Handbook, supra note 2, at 13. Announcements.
:
69 Id. 78 National Native American Law Students Association, Career & Internship Board (accessed Aug. 9, 2021), https / /
70 Id. www.nationalnalsa.org/career.
71 Id. 79 National Native American Bar Association, Job Postings (accessed April 18, 2022), https://www.nativeamericanbar.
72 Recruiter.com, 11 Things You Should Access in Every Cover Letter You Read (accessed Aug. 9, 2021), https:// ww w. org/job-postings-2.
recruiter.com/i/11-things-you-should-assess-in-every-cover-letter-you-read/. 80 California Indian Law Assocation, Job Announcements (accessed April 18, 2022), https://www.calindianlaw.org/
73 PLSI Judicial Clerkship Handbook, supra note 2, at 15. job-announcements.html.
74 Id. 81 Oregon State Bar Indian Law Section, Employment Opportunities (accessed on April 18, 2022), https://indianlaw.
75 Id. at 16. osbar.org/employment-opportunities.
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