Appellate Court Clerkships

Law Clerks at the Utah Appellate Courts

Clerkships at the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah Court of Appeals are full-time positions generally for at least one year. The appellate judges hire their own clerks. Please see the information provided below for the details on applying for a clerkship in each chamber. The Law Clerk must have a JD degree, or equivalent, from an accredited law school before beginning employment and must agree to a criminal background check. Hiring decisions will take into account information learned from the background check, and such information may be grounds for rescission of an offer or termination of employment​, in the sole discretion of the hiring judge. The current salary for law clerks is:

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Utah Supreme Court Clerkships

Please address applications to the individual justice at:

Utah Supreme Court
P. O. Box 140210
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0210

Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant

Clerkship positions are filled through July of 2021. Chief Justice Durrant is currently accepting applications for law clerk positions beginning August 2021 and ending August 2022. Applications containing all of the materials listed can be mailed following the instructions on the Supreme Court Clerkship website or emailed to joshc@utcourts.gov.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, writing sample (preferably 10-15 pages), and two or three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters may be sent separately.

Justice John A. Pearce

Clerkship positions are filled through July of 2021. Justice Pearce is not accepting further applications for clerkships in August 2021-2022. Justice Pearce will now be accepting applications for law clerk positions beginning August 2022 and ending August 2023. Applications containing all of the materials listed can be mailed following the instructions on the Supreme Court Clerkship website or emailed to joank@utcourts.gov.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, writing sample, and two or three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately.

Justice Thomas R. Lee

Justice Lee has filled all his clerkship positions for 2020. He accepts applications for later terms on a rolling basis from applicants who have at least 2 semesters of grades. Applications containing all of the materials listed can be mailed following the instructions on the Supreme Court Clerkship webpage or emailed to leechambers@utcourts.gov.

He also accepts applications for internship positions on a rolling basis from students with at least 1 semester of grades.

Application requirements: resume, law school transcript, writing sample, and two or three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately.

Justice Deno G. Himonas

Justice Himonas is currently accepting applications for law clerk positions for August 2021 to August 2022. Applications may be addressed to Justice Himonas and mailed to the Utah Supreme Court address listed above or emailed to doloresmc@utcourts.gov.

Application requirements: resume, law school transcript, writing sample (10-15 pages), and two or three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately

Justice Paige Petersen

No clerkships are presently available.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcripts, writing sample, and two or three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately.

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Utah Court of Appeals Clerkships

Please address applications to the individual judge at:

Utah Court of Appeals
P. O. Box 140230
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0230

Judge Gregory K. Orme

No clerkships are presently available.

Application requirements: resume, law school transcript, unedited writing sample, and three letters of recommendation.

Application deadline: Applications from law students are accepted during the second semester of second year for the two positions to be filled following their graduation. Law school graduates may apply during the same period.

Judge Michele M. Christiansen Forster

No clerkships are presently available.

Application requirements: resume, law school transcript, unedited writing sample.

Judge Kate Appleby

No clerkships are presently available.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, 2-3 letters of recommendation, and unedited writing sample.

Application deadline: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Preference will be given to applications received by June 1 for positions starting in August of the following year and January of the year after that.

Judge David N. Mortensen

No clerkships are presently available.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, writing sample (preferably 10-15 pages), and two or three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters may be sent separately.

Judge Jill M. Pohlman

Judge Pohlman is currently accepting applications for a law clerk position beginning August 2020 and a law clerk position beginning August 2021.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, unedited writing sample, and references. Letters of recommendation are optional and may be sent separately.

Judge Ryan M. Harris

​Currently accepting applications, on a rolling basis, for two clerkships for the 2021-22 year.​

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, unedited writing sample, and references. Letters of recommendation are optional and may be sent separately.

Judge Diana Hagen

Clerkship positions are filled through January of 2022. Judge Hagen is currently accepting applications for a law clerk position beginning January 2022 and ending January 2023. Applications containing all of the materials listed can be mailed to Judge Hagen at the Utah Court of Appeals or emailed to courtofappeals@utcourts.gov.

Application requirements: cover letter, resume, law school transcript, unedited writing sample no longer than 10-15 pages, and references. Letters of recommendation are optional and may be sent separately.

The Utah State Courts mission is to provide the people an open, fair, efficient, and independent system for the advancement of justice under the law.