Legal Clerkship Applications NOW OPEN!

California Tribal Families Coalition is excited to resume semester legal clerkships to 2L and 3L students. We are now accepting applications for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 law clerks, positions made possible by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

We are seeking law students who have lived experience in tribal communities and/or a demonstrated interest in federal Indian/tribal law or child welfare. The clerkships can be paid positions or offered for school credit pending approval from the law school.

The CTFC team focuses on high impact work, community driven needs identification with a focus on high needs stakeholders currently focused on systems change in child welfare, juvenile justice, and developmental disability systems. We are looking for engaged and driven individuals that thrive in a collaborative environment, seek mentorship and learning and enjoy creative problem-solving. The clerkship projects will vary. Past projects have included drafting state court briefs, research and writing an opposition to appellate case de-publication, developing training materials on state law, and drafting legal and policy strategy for legislation. We seek to have the clerkship result in an excellent writing sample and involve opportunities for oral advocacy.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis at clerkapp@caltribalfamilies.org until 11:59 PM Pacific on August 25, 2023. To apply, please send the following materials by the deadline: 

• Resumé
• Cover Letter – the letter should address experience or education relevant to the position that is not reflected in the resumé, especially if there is a unique area of focus within the CTFC mission the applicant is interested in. Please indicate for which semester you are interested in clerking: Fall 2023 or Spring 2024.
• Writing Sample

California Tribal Families Coalition staff will schedule virtual interviews with qualified applicants on a rolling basis. The clerkship positions are remote position with some opportunity to travel if the student is interested. If you have any questions, please reach out to the CTFC team at clerkapp@caltribalfamilies.org.