Program Expectations

Preparing for the Clerkship: Program participants will attend monthly meetings beginning in 2022 that will focus on different aspects of being a clerk. Students will work on and receive direct feedback on their resume and cover letters, hear from different judges/justices around the country, and have the opportunity to talk to their judge and/or justice ahead of the start of the program.

Program Orientation: Program orientation will be held with what Court the student starts with. The orientation will consist of day-long programming focused on skills-training particular to judicial law clerks.

Daily Work and Expectations: Program participants will work closely with their assigned justice or judge, be assigned research and writing projects, attend oral arguments and hearings, meet and discuss assignments with the assigned justice or judge, and attend and participate in any other activities that the justice or judge may assign. Participants may also receive assignments and support from the justice’s full-time law clerks.

YLD Mentorship: Program participants will be assigned a young lawyer mentor who served as a judicial law clerk within the past five (5) years. The mentor is to provide mentorship through support and guidance during the program term, goal setting and career planning, networking, and broader exposure to membership of the State Bar of New Mexico.

Post-Graduate Clerkship Application Boot Camp: Program participants will work with justice and judge, program administrators, and young lawyer mentor to prepare and refine applicants’ applications materials for post-graduate judicial clerkships. The clerkship bootcamp will be available to all law students whether they were accepted as interns or not.

Exit Interview and Evaluations: Between July 26 and 30, 2020 program administrators will perform exit interviews and conduct program evaluations to determine whether program value and purpose have been met. Participants will be asked to complete a program evaluation and students may be asked to work on future program development.

For more information, contact Member Services at memberservices@sbnm.org.