Internships are unpaid part-time positions. Some schools give credit for internships. Interns can expect to work on a variety of assignments similar to those of judicial clerks, including general legal research, preparation of bench memos, opinion drafting and special projects. Each judge has different needs and expectations. The cover letter should specify the time period for which the applicant is applying.
Some judges are willing to take interns for brief periods of several months.
Clerkships are full-time paid positions on the judge's staff. Most clerkships begin in late August of each year. Clerkships for active circuit judges are generally two-year positions, although some judges will accept clerks for only one year. Many judges try to stagger their clerks' terms so that there is always one new clerk and one experienced clerk in the chambers. Clerkships for senior judges are for only one year.