USD School of Law Hosts Panel on Judicial Clerkships Featuring Judge McKeown

SAN DIEGO (March 13, 2025) – The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) hosted an insightful panel discussion on the Nuts & Bolts of Judicial Clerkships on Wednesday, March 12. The event featured the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown, Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and USD School of Law’s Jurist-in-Residence.

Law Clerks Michael Menna, Sarah Fix ʼ22 (JD), and Kimball Pahl ʼ25 (JD Expected) joined Judge McKeown, sharing their experiences and emphasizing the importance of building professional relationships.

The panel provided students with essential guidance on securing judicial clerkships, with a focus on the upcoming application cycle. Many clerkship postings are on the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review (OSCAR) website.

Moderated by Professor of Practice Kimberly Gosling, a former law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, the discussion offered practical advice on the clerkship process, from application strategies to career benefits.

Judge McKeown opened the discussion and offered the following takeaways:

• Judicial clerkships are a journey, not a sprint: Unlike in the past, clerks are not typically hired immediately after law school, making judicial externships an invaluable stepping stone
• Apply broadly: Students were encouraged to expand their search beyond the West and East Coasts and consider a variety of courts and locations
• Courses to consider: Administrative Law and Federal Courts were recommended as beneficial for those pursuing clerkships
• Faculty support is crucial

The discussion underscored the significant career impact of clerkships. Professor of Law Stephen Ferruolo, a former clerk for the First Circuit Court of Appeals, noted the lifetime relationships formed with judges as formative experiences in a legal career.

Professors Ferruolo and Gosling provide guidance throughout the application process. Judge McKeown and Professor Ed Ursin oversee USD Law’s Judicial Externship course, which allows students to earn academic credit while working with judges in state or federal trial or appellate courts. Externships were highlighted as an excellent pathway to securing clerkships.

With respect to the Nuts & Bolts for applying to judicial clerkships, applicants should be prepared with the following materials:

• Organize applications with a spreadsheet (to keep track of deadlines, requirements, and responses)
• Cover letter (avoid overly flowery language, highlight commonalities with the judge, share unique things about yourself, and ensure there are no grammatical or punctuation errors)
• Resume
• Up to two writing samples
• Two or three letters of recommendation (secure strong faculty recommendations)
• Up to three references 

Cory Schaller, Associate Director of  Law School Career Services & Professional Development,  supports students and graduates seeking judicial externships and clerkships.

About the University of San Diego School of Law

Each year, USD educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law and taxation.

USD School of Law is one of the 88 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 34th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 37th nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.