American Bench; Judges of the Nation. Published annually, this resource includes concise descriptions of each federal court's origin, composition, and jurisdiction, as well as biographical information for approximately 17,000 state and federal judges. a directory of over 18,000 judges. (KF8700.A19 A47)
Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships:. This book includes updated information and resources as your go-to source on judicial clerkships, focusing on what clerkships are, what kind of work clerks do, why you should apply, how to find and apply for the type of clerkship that would be right for you, how to give a strong interview, and why clerkships give you stellar credentials that prospective employers will actively seek out. (Full text available to UNC-Chapel Hill Law School with password) (KF8771 .S85 2002)
BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks. This directory provides contact information for judges and judicial officials in state and federal Courts in the US. (KF8700.A19 B53)
Directory of Minority Judges in the United States. Contains contact information for federal and state African-American, Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American judges. New editions published infrequently. (KF8700.A19 D573 2008)
In Chambers: A Guide for Judicial Clerks and Externs. This text addresses the key concepts and basic skills clerks and externs need to have on day one. (KF8807 .S527 2012)
Judicial Clerkships: A Practical Guide. This text explains the role and duties of clerks and serves as a writing handbook. It includes extensive information about applying to clerkships, including what judges look for, the application and interview process, etc. (KF8807 .D86 2010)
Law Clerk Handbook: a Handbook for Law Clerks to Federal Judges (HeinOnline Congress and the Courts Collection - Full text available via the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries)
The All-Inclusive Guide to Judicial Clerking. This book explores the purpose and function of a law clerk, the nature and structure of the judiciary, how to apply for and obtain a clerkship, and most importantly, how to perform it well. (Full text available to UNC-Chapel Hill Law School with password)
Almanac of the Federal Judiciary. Updated semi-annually, this resource contains extensive biographical information about federal judges, including education, professional background, and professional associations. It also includes sections on media coverage, noteworthy rulings, and attorney evaluations of judges. (KF8700.A19 A4)
A digital version is available through VitalLaw for the UNC law community. To access, sign into VitalLaw with your ONYEN and find the "My Solutions" tab at the top right hand side of the homepage. Select "Almanac of the Federal Judiciary."
Bloomberg Law Litigation Analytics lets you find information on all sitting federal district court judges, including the judge’s career history, most cited opinions and recent news about the judge. You can also see how a judge rules on motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and motions for class certification. Judge Analytics can show you how often a judge is affirmed, reversed or affirmed/reversed in part. You can then look at the judge’s decisions that were appealed and filter those opinions by legal topic. You can also see how long cases generally take before a judge, and how the judge's data compares to other federal district court judges.
LexisNexis Litigation Profile Suite provides analytics for judges from material filed in state and federal courts nationwide. To access, click the "Litigation Analytics" button on the left hand side of the homepage when signed into Lexis+. Search for a judge’s name to retrieve a basic profile of the judge; charts showing the types of cases and motions they have handled; and links to relevant dockets, cases, and news.
LexisNexis has also incorporated a preview of Lex Machina into academic subscriptions, which provides information on judges, law firms, and attorneys.
Once you click a Lex Machina link, you will be taken to the Lex Machina service where you can view a free preview of Legal Analytics for the judge, law firm, or attorney.
This capability is not yet available for all case types or courts, but you can view federal district court judges and selected other judges.
Finally, Lexis+ provides Context, which examines case law documents to pinpoint the language, precedents and even other judges that a judge references most often. Context analyzes 100 motion types from U.S. and state trial courts so you can view information on a judge’s decision to grant or deny.
Westlaw Litigation Analytics provides information on a judge's background, experience, types of cases, outcomes of cases, how they have ruled on motions, what precedent they cite most frequently, and how their cases are handled on appeal. You can access this content through the "Litigation Analytics" button on the right hand side of the Westlaw Edge homepage.
Alliance for Justice. Runs a website that contains demographic lists and tables of sitting federal judges based on categories such as appointing president, ethnicity, and gender. You can also get updates on judicial nominations and the confirmation process.
Federal Judicial Center. Among this site’s many useful features is a database of biographical information on members of the federal judiciary, searchable on parameters such as ethnicity, gender, appointing president, and date commissioned.
Federal Magistrate Judges Association. A site which describes the work of federal magistrate judges and includes information about selected clerkships with federal magistrate judges. http://www.fedjudge.org
JudicialClerkships.com. Information and advice on clerkships, links to key web resources, and a discussion forum for students and law clerks. The website is put together by Debra Strauss, author of Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships mentioned above.
National Center for State Courts. There’s a link on their web site which provides judicial branch links for each state, focusing on the administrative office of the courts, the court of last resort, any intermediate appellate courts, and each trial court level. These pages usually include biographical information on the judges, and may include hiring information.
Online System for Clerkship Application & Review (OSCAR). This is the primary hub for submitting your federal clerkship applications electronically. OSCAR's website is designed and maintained by Symplicity, resembling the same program used by the Career Development Office. You will need to register an account to get started. OSCAR is navigated by tabs which guide you through the application process, including locations to upload your various documents and search for specific judges within the federal judiciary.
State and Local Government on the Net. A directory of official state, county, and city websites. Includes links to most state judicial systems, with a great deal of information about their jurisdiction, judges, and dockets.
U.S. Courts. The federal judiciary home page, maintained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Includes selected clerkship openings with federal courts, links to all federal court websites, press releases, information about newly appointed federal judges, and a variety of other information.
The U.S. Senate’s website has a listing of recent nominations and confirmations for all posts, including the judiciary. Click on “Legislation & Records,” then “Nominations.”
