SAN FRANCISCO — Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overwhelming support a new national plan for a more orderly process of hiring law clerks.

Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas announced today that the great majority of his Ninth Circuit colleagues have agreed to follow the new plan, which sets out the earliest date that applications will be accepted and requires applicants to have finished their second year of law school.

“There is very strong support among our judges for establishing a more stable and methodical approach to law clerk hiring,” Judge Thomas said.

The plan applies to students who entered law school in 2017 and thereafter. For 2017 law school entrants (the graduating class of 2020), judges will not accept applications before June 15, 2019. For students who enter law school in 2018 (graduating class of 2021), judges will not accept applications before June 15, 2020.

Participating judges will keep a clerkship offer open for at least 48 hours to allow an applicant sufficient time consider the offer.

The Ninth Circuit consensus in support of the new plan was established by informal polling of the court’s 22 active circuit judges and 17 senior circuit judges.

A number of other circuit courts are also implementing the plan by various means.

– United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit