Charlotte Legal Clerkship Program

Note:
Applications for the 2026 summer program will be accepted on a rolling basis until January 16, 2026. Application materials can be submitted using a form on the MBA website: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).-students

The Charlotte Legal Clerkship Program (CLCP) seeks high-performing, first-year law students for a 10-week on-site summer clerkship position with a law firm and corporate legal department in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Mecklenburg Bar Association (MBA) seeks to eliminate biases, barriers, and prejudices within the legal profession by creating and promoting environments that treat all individuals with respect and dignity. The CLCP program is a part of the Mecklenburg Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. The Committee’s goal is to foster an equitable and inclusive environment within the Bar where every member can feel respected, valued, and culturally enriched;

to recognize the individuality of each person and the collective strength of our differences.

The CLCP is an inclusive program that seeks to attract individuals with diverse perspectives, without limitation to, age, race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, nationality, disability, socioeconomic status, veteran status, first generation university graduate or law school attendee, and marital and parental status. We acknowledge that the varied perspectives and backgrounds of our members are central to the MBA’s success as an organization and are valuable to the public we serve.

The purpose of the Charlotte Legal Clerkship Program is to facilitate and maintain a legal talent pipeline in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County through a collaboration of the Mecklenburg Bar Association, supporting law firms, and corporate legal departments. Through this partnership, the CLCP attracts high-performing first-year law students to Charlotte by offering a comprehensive split-summer clerkship between law firms and legal departments.

The CLCP also provides clerks with event-based programming, alumni outreach, networking opportunities, as well as exposure to various organizations and government entities.

From 2006 to this date, the CLCP has hosted 193 students from law schools around the country. The CLCP program has a strong Charlotte alumni base and continues to grow each year by clerks either returning for 2L summer employment opportunities or as full-time attorneys.

Charlotte Legal Clerkship Program clerks are chosen from law schools across the country as part of a very competitive selection process. Each applicant provides a resume highlighting legal and undergraduate academic achievements and other professional experiences and grades, along with a statement explaining why the applicant would like to practice law in Charlotte. CLCP firms and corporate employers select candidates to interview from the initial applicant pool.

From there, the clerks who accept employment offers become part of the Charlotte Legal Clerkship Program.

• Strong academic performance
• First-year law school student expected to graduate Spring 2028

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Undergraduate college transcript (an unofficial copy is acceptable)
• Written statement (one to two pages) explaining who you are and why you would like to practice law in Charlotte
• Sample of writing from the first semester of law school
• First semester law school transcript (an unofficial copy is acceptable)

Note:

GPA and transcript information from 1L fall semester is integral to the selection process. Employment offers may be contingent upon grades based on employers’ hiring criteria. Applicants should be prepared to provide first-semester transcripts to prospective employers as soon as transcripts are available.

Employers will work directly with students to schedule and conduct interviews from December 2025 through January 2026. Following interviews and transcript review, employers will send candidates offers for the 2026 CLCP program and candidates will have a minimum of THREE days to decide whether to accept or decline the offer.

The…