Judicial Clerks

What We Offer

• Competitive bonus for former clerks joining us directly from federal or state and appellate courts
• Development year credit for clerkship experience
• Network of clerks with shared experience at the firm. More than 200 of our attorneys have served as judicial clerks, including for the Supreme Court, U.S. courts of appeal, U.S. district courts and state supreme courts.
• Challenging, sophisticated legal work for top clients
• Opportunity to work on dynamic, collaborative teams
• Time for family and outside interests
• Support to develop community involvement. Up to 100 hours of pro bono time and up to 50 hours of diversity and inclusion activities can be counted toward an associate’s annual creditable hours expectation.

Who We’re Seeking

Faegre Drinker is looking for judicial clerks to join directly from federal courts or state appellate and supreme courts.

Who We Work With

We serve top clients, including many Fortune 500 companies, and focus on client service and results. Our multidisciplinary industry teams provide clients with a deep understanding of their business processes and needs across services.

Associate Development Program

Faegre Drinker offers a four-week immersive training program for entry-level associates and those joining directly from a clerkship without prior law firm experience. The program provides two weeks of orientation and professional skills training followed by two weeks of practice-focused substantive training. Our First Year Associate Development Program gives new associates the unique opportunity to fully engage in training before they begin discharging billable work. 

Once associates complete this four-week program, they begin work on billable matters and participate in the firm’s apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program provides entry-level associates the opportunity to shadow more senior lawyers while receiving hours credit (apprentice hours) for participating in such activities. Shadow activities may include court appearances, hearings, depositions, client meetings, negotiations, closings, drafting sessions, and conference calls with clients.

Building Your Career

We support our associates’ career development through meaningful work experiences, technical and business development training, mentorship, service to communities, and other opportunities for professional growth and advancement. We also have an in-house writing coach who is here to help you enhance your writing skills. They host presentations and work individually with associates on writing assignments.