Summer Law Clerk Program

Summer for Strengthening Families Law Clerk Program

Children’s Law Center of California (CLC) selects the top 35-40 candidates from law schools around the nation to participate in our full-time 10-week program. Summer clerks learn about the Los Angeles or Sacramento County dependency court systems while developing crucial legal skills and learning to think critically about a wide range of child and family welfare issues.

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Program Overview

Law clerks are assigned to work one-on-one with licensed attorneys on matters involving children and families within the Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer County child welfare systems. This is a unique, hands-on learning opportunity for law clerks to assist attorneys with both client engagement and trial preparation, including witness interviews, legal research, and the preparation of motions and other court documents. Law clerks will attend juvenile court proceedings on a daily basis and witness how this system addresses the needs of families in crisis. Qualified law clerks are also encouraged to become certified through the California State Bar’s Practical Training of Law Students (PTLS) program to make court appearances on behalf of young clients.

The CLC Summer for Strengthening Families Law Clerk Program features a comprehensive orientation and training schedule, including weekly internal and external opportunities and field trips to engage with our work beyond the courtroom. The summer law clerk position offers $21/hour and three paid sick days. Successful candidates will need to provide full Covid-19 vaccination status, have a California address at the time of onboarding, and be able to come into their assigned office for in-person work as needed.

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