Clerkships

Perhaps the most valuable financial resource for law students in our ideal urban location is the law clerkship. The legal experience obtained is a distinct advantage when our graduates seek permanent professional positions. Additionally, these paid positions can help cover much of the cost of attending law school while enriching the learning experience.

Part-time and full-time clerking positions are available with large and small law firms, corporations, the federal defender’s office, public defenders in the Portland metropolitan area, public agencies, and judges.

Lewis & Clark Law School has an enviable position with respect to clerkships because of its strong ties with the Portland-area legal community. After the first year or year and a half of law school, almost any student in good standing who wants a clerking position can find one.

Students clerk not only in summer months but during the school year as well. The law offices and courtrooms of downtown Portland are only a few minutes’ drive from the campus. Moreover, the flexibility afforded students through the school’s Day and Evening Divisions allows students to arrange a clerking schedule consistent with their educational responsibilities. Most of the firms and agencies hiring law students as clerks are sensitive to the students’ need to give primary attention to their academic commitments and allow students to arrange work hours around their school schedule.