MJF Summer Clerkship Applications
Applications due Friday, January 19, 2018
Each year MJF raises funds and solicits agencies to support student summer clerkships. This year, they are pleased to offer 17 clerkships – one each at the following participating agencies:
Metro Area
- Central Minnesota Legal Services
- Housing Justice Center
- Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
- Legal Assistance of Dakota County
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid-Minnesota Disability Law Center
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid – Family Law Unit
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid – Youth Law Project
- Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights
- Minnesota AIDS Project
- Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women
- Office of the Public Defender – 10th Judicial District
- Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services-Gov. Benefits
- Tubman
Greater Minnesota
- Anishinabe Legal Services
- Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota
- Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota
- Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, SW Region
Each clerk performs 400 hours of legal service with the agency between the end of the spring semester 2018 and the first day of fall semester 2018 on a schedule that will be determined between the clerk and agency. MJF provides to the agencies a stipend of $4,500 for Metro Clerkships or $5,000 for Greater Minnesota Clerkships. The stipend is paid by the agency to the law clerk over the course of the summer.
For their applications to be considered, law students must be:
- Enrolled at one of the three law schools in Minnesota, and
- Scheduled to graduate no earlier than January 2019.
For more information on how to apply, please read below and access the individual job postings on Symplicity. Applications are due no later than Friday, January 19, 2018. Please see your career counselor or the office of Career and Professional Development (careers@mitchellhamline.edu) with questions or for assistance with your resume, cover letter and other application materials.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- The online application process will open on Friday December 8, 2017
- The online application process will close on Friday January 19, 2018
- The clerkship applications will be posted in your school’s Symplicity system.
- For purposes of the application process, Minnesota Justice Foundation will be the employer name, and the job title will be “MJF Summer Clerkship – [agency name]. “ There will be a separate posting for each of the 17 agencies. See attached list of all opportunities. Address the cover letter to “Dear Supervising Attorney,”
- Contacting the agency directly is not allowed, although thank you notes are permitted following interviews.
- This is a grade-blind application process. Applicants cannot include GPA and/or class rank for law school or undergraduate school, or any other academic honors –see list below
- Note: Applications that include GPA and/or class rank for law or undergraduate school or any other academic honors (such as Dean’s List, Latin honors, etc.) will be rejected. After the deadline to apply passes, there will be no opportunity to revise and resubmit. Please carefully review each resume and cover letter to ensure that prohibited information is not included. If you are uncertain, ask your MJF staff attorney.
It is not OK to include for either law school or undergraduate school:
- Summa Cum Laude
- Magna Cum Laude
- Cum Laude
- References to graduating with “High Distinction” or similar phrasing
- Dean’s List
- References to being in the top X% of class
- Grade information, including
- Grade Point Average
- Dean’s Awards
- Allusions to excelling academically or similar phrasing (i.e. I worked 20 hours/week while excelling academically; I received a scholarship based on my grades; I did very well in the first semester of my 1L year/ my legal writing class etc.)
- Students may bring a writing sample or list of references to the interview, but they are not accepted online or prior to interviews.
- By virtue of applying, students affirm that they have read the Contract and List of Responsibilities (available via Symplicity) and agree to comply should they be offered and accept a clerkship as an MJF 2018 Summer Clerk.
- Each agency makes its own interviewing and hiring decisions. Each is required to interview multiple applicants from all three schools and at least one first-year student.
- Applicants will receive notice of interviews and sign-up instructions via email from Mara Pederson in the Mitchell Hamline Career and Professional Development Office (careers@mitchellhamline.edu) onWednesday, Feb 7th to sign up for slots. Interview slots are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Interviews will take place at Mitchell Hamline School of Law February 20, 2018, February 21, 2018, and February 22, 2018.
- Offers will be made via email from Janine Laird (janine@mnjustice.org) the week of February 26, 2018. An agency’s first-choice candidate will have 2 days from the time of notification to accept or decline the position. Subsequent offer recipients will also have 2 days to accept or decline. Final notification for applicants who do not receive an offer will be delivered by email from Janine Laird (janine@mnjustice.org) after all offers have been accepted.
- Those selected for summer clerkships must attend a training and orientation at Mitchell Hamline School of Law the third week in May 2018.