COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE SUPERIOR COURT
Suffolk Superior Courthouse, 3 Pemberton Square, 13th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108

 LAW CLERK TO THE JUSTICES OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

A Massachusetts Superior Court Clerkship offers a dynamic legal environment. This trial court clerkship provides an unmatched opportunity to do intensive writing and research and to observe courtroom practice. Law clerks routinely attend motion hearings and portions of trials. During trials, law clerks may attend bench and lobby conferences and help the judges with evidentiary issues, jury empanelment questions, and jury charges. Law clerks usually work simultaneously with several judges on various cases and have direct access to the judges to discuss legal issues.

Law clerk duties encompass every aspect of court procedure and all legal issues within the court’s jurisdiction. Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief Justice, the eighty-one Associate Justices, and the Manager and Assistant Manager of Legal Research, law clerks prepare memoranda and write draft decisions for the judges. Subject matters include a broad spectrum of civil and criminal law. Assignments range from in-depth research on unsettled questions of law to quick-answer research of evidentiary issues arising during trials. Law clerk offices are lively open settings where the law clerks routinely exchange ideas, information, and experiences.

This year, the Justices of the Superior Court are seeking to hire numerous law school graduates of outstanding ability to serve as law clerks, assigned to either eastern or western Massachusetts. The law clerks will serve a one-year term from September 1, 2014 until August 31, 2015 at a salary of $55,076.74 per year. Employee benefits include subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance, ten days of paid vacation time and three days of paid personal time.

The central law clerks’ office is located in the Suffolk Superior Courthouse in Boston. The main office for law clerks assigned to western Massachusetts is in the Hampden County Courthouse in Springfield.

Because the Superior Court is a circuit court, both the judges and the law clerks rotate among various Superior Court locations. Law clerks generally move every two to four months to different courthouses where they have the opportunity to work with a new group of judges and law clerks. Law clerks assigned to eastern Massachusetts can expect to spend one rotation in Boston and other rotations in Superior Court locations within or east of Worcester County. Law clerks assigned to western Massachusetts are generally based in Springfield, but may also rotate to Superior Court locations west of Worcester County. Accordingly, a reliable car is a requirement for the clerkship.

Clerkships are open to distinguished graduates of law schools throughout the country. Both recent law school graduates and practicing attorneys are invited to apply for the positions. Excellent research, writing, analysis, and communication skills are absolutely necessary, as are high professional and ethical standards. Prior experience as a Superior Court law fellow or judicial intern and current Massachusetts bar membership (or intent to take the Massachusetts bar) are preferred but not required. All law clerks must reside in Massachusetts for the duration of their clerkship, although prior state residency is not required. Any offer of employment is contingent upon a criminal background check, employment eligibility verification, and other pre-employment requirements.

For more information, including online application instructions, see the Job Posting at http://tinyurl.com/masupctlc1415. For help with the online application process, visit the Trial Court Jobs Page at http://www.mass.gov/courts/jobs. Inquiries may be directed to Attorney Romeo G. Camba, Manager of Legal Research Services, at romeo.camba@jud.state.ma.us. No telephone inquiries please. Application deadline is Monday, April 7, 2014.