Federal Judicial Center

Law Clerk Handbook Federal Judicial Center

This is an updated edition of the Law Clerk Handbook, first published by the Federal Judicial Center in 1977. Section 2.2 of this edition was revised in December 2017 in response to recent developments. The handbook provides an overview of chambers operations and the work of the federal courts; it does not provide detailed procedures on every aspect of a law clerk's daily tasks, nor does it review the procedures of each individual court (largely because law clerks' duties vary from judge to judge). Law clerks should familiarize themselves with local court procedures and inquire about a local chambers manual. The Guide to Judiciary Policy, published by the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts, provides more detailed information on administrative, financial, and personnel matters and is available on the website maintained by the Administrative Office on the judiciary's intranet, called the J-Net.