About OSCAR

OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, is a web-based system for federal law clerk and appellate staff attorney recruitment. OSCAR’s extensive set of features allows users to easily manage every aspect of the hiring process. Using OSCAR, applicants can easily apply to federal clerkships (chambers, pro se, death penalty, and bankruptcy appellate panel) and staff attorney positions; law school administrators and recommenders can help students, graduates, and law professionals advance their careers; and judges, chambers staff, and staff attorney offices can find the candidates most suited to their needs.

OSCAR also serves as an informational portal for applicants and law schools to research judges and staff attorney offices hiring practices, preferences, and timelines.

The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) manages the OSCAR program. The AO established the OSCAR Working Group of federal judges and law school representatives who provide recommendations to the AO on OSCAR program policies, system enhancements, and law clerk hiring best practices.

For more information on using OSCAR, download the OSCAR brochure.

Using OSCAR

The OSCAR Program Office creates and provides accounts to federal judges, staff attorney offices, court staff, law schools, and recommenders. If you need help accessing your account, contact the Program Office.

Law school graduates or students with two years of law school grades who want to search and apply for federal clerkships and staff attorney positions can register for an OSCAR account.

Learn more about the various uses for OSCAR below.

• Judges
  Judges maintain a profile that informs applicants of hiring practices and schedules, post positions online to find law clerks who fit their exact needs, accept online applications, and communicate with applicants and law schools to advertise clerkship vacancies.
• Staff Attorney Offices
  Staff attorney offices maintain a profile that informs applicants of hiring practices and schedules, post positions online to find staff attorneys who fit their exact needs, accept online applications, and communicate with applicants and law schools to advertise available vacancies.
• Law Schools
  Law schools stay informed of current law clerk and staff attorney openings and recruitment practices; assist applicants and faculty recommenders on law clerk and staff attorney recruitment; upload letters of recommendation on behalf of faculty to expedite the application process; and utilize unique reports to track and manage applicants, recommenders, and hiring data.
• Applicants
  Applicants search for clerkship and staff attorney positions that fit their specific career goals, research judges, hiring practices and schedules, create and submit applications all in one location, and easily generate electronic requests for recommendations letters with each application.
• Recommenders
  Recommenders easily submit confidential letters of recommendation for applicants and save templates that automatically update for each judge or staff attorney office that the applicant applies to.
• Court Unit Administrators
  Court unit administrators manage the application process for judges and run reports to track and manage law clerk hiring.