DELAWARE STATE BAR ASSOCIATION
2026 Summer 1L and 2L Judicial Clerkship Application
The Delaware State Bar Association (“DSBA”) invites you to apply for its 1L and 2L Judicial Clerkship program.
About the DSBA Judicial Clerkship Program
Delaware state and federal courts are among the elite tribunals in the United States for the resolution of complex business and other disputes. The Supreme Court (highest state appellate court), Court of Chancery, Superior Court (state trial court), and the Complex Commercial Litigation Division of the Superior Court (“CCLD”), together with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, are followed by jurists, lawyers and others around the country as arbiters of cutting-edge legal issues, “bet-the-company” litigation and complex disputes. It is no secret that a predominance of public and private companies find their home in Delaware, and when litigation is necessary those entities (and others) have ready access in Delaware to some of the most experienced business courts in the United States.
-
For more information regarding the Delaware Supreme Court, click here.
- For more information regarding the Court of Chancery: click here.
- For more information regarding the Delaware Superior Court: click here.
- For more information regarding the CCLD: click here.
- For more information regarding the Delaware Family Court: click here.
- For more information regarding the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware: click here.
To apply for this program, applicants must meet the following criteria: (1) be currently enrolled as a first- or second-year student in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school J.D. program; (2) be able to bring a different perspective as a result of your life experiences, cultural fluency or experience in overcoming a physical, social or economic disadvantage or cultural impediment to becoming a law student, or support the DSBA’s goal to address traditional underrepresentation in the legal profession; and (3) have an interest in bankruptcy law, civil litigation, or business litigation and be open to begin your legal career in Delaware. Students from outside of Delaware who are interested in starting their legal careers in Delaware are encouraged to apply for this program.
Clerks will be required to be physically present in New Castle County, Delaware for the entire duration of the clerkship. Clerks must be eligible to work within the United States and complete an I-9 form and provide required documentation. The DSBA cannot sponsor any visa applications or work-study requirements.
Law students selected to participate in the program will receive a stipend of $6,000 for the eight-week clerkship (expected to run between June 1 through July 24, 2026). Law students will be placed with a Judge from one of the following courts (subject to any background check or other requirement required by the Court) located in Wilmington, Delaware:
- Delaware Supreme Court
- Court of Chancery
- Delaware Superior Court Civil Division
- CCLD
- Delaware Family Court
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware (additional criteria for this position is the completion of at least one course in bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, or other insolvency-related course)
Clerks also will have the opportunity to meet and network with other members of the Delaware legal community.
How to apply:
How to apply:
The DSBA Judicial Clerkship program will begin accepting applications on January 1, 2026. Completed applications are to be submitted via email in PDF to clerkship@dsba.org. All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received no later than January 28, 2026. We anticipate conducting Zoom interviews of selected candidates beginning the week of February 9, 2026 and that the selected clerks will be notified beginning the week of February 23, 2026.
The application consists of six primary parts:
1. Completed, Signed Application
2. Resume
3. Two Letters of Recommendation (at least one must be from a law school professor). Letters of recommendation may also be emailed directly from the letter writer to clerkship@dsba.org.
4. Application Essay
5. Writing Sample from Law School
6. Unofficial undergraduate and law school transcripts (if you are selected to be interviewed for the Clerkship, you will be required to submit an official copy of each prior to your interview).
Please submit the materials (without this cover page) as a single pdf document, in the order listed above.
Essay: (double spaced in 14 pt. font)
In a short (750 words or less) essay, please discuss why you are interested in the DSBA Judicial Clerkship Program. In your essay, please provide information sufficient for the Committee to be able to determine the following:
1. What do you hope to gain from this program and how would it influence your future professional goals?
2. Explain your interest in the Court you ranked as your first-choice placement (i.e. why you are particularly interested in bankruptcy law, corporate law, civil litigation, family law and/or family court practice, etc.).
3. Do you have any personal, familial or professional connections to Delaware, and are you open to beginning your professional career in Delaware?
4. How do you otherwise meet the criteria of this program?
Applications are to be submitted to clerkship@DSBA.org. All application materials, including letters of recommendation are due no later than January 28, 2026.