Summer Law Clerk

Description

The 1L Summer Law Clerk Program gives first-year law school students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience at a unique institution. Through dynamic, project-based work assignments and professional development activities, students get:

• Real‑world experience that helps them build strong skills and knowledge in the legal field
• The chance to contribute to meaningful work that makes an impact on the lives of all Americans
• Opportunities to meet, network with, and work alongside our mission‑driven, curious colleagues—all of whom are happy to share their experiences and advice
• An experienced professional mentor to support them throughout the program
• Access to learning events with senior leaders from the New York Fed and other notable institutions, giving them direct insight into the public service and financial services world

The Legal Function of the New York Fed hires first-year law students each summer for a 10‑week paid clerkship program. Law clerks receive challenging, diverse assignments from the two divisions of the Legal Function, described in the “Overview of the New York Fed’s Legal Function” section below. The assignments frequently involve legal research and writing and are typical of the assignments given to junior attorneys in the Legal Function.

Law clerks are paired with mentors for the summer to provide guidance on a personal and professional basis.

Contribute to the execution of various activities that support Legal & Compliance Group projects and programs which may include:

• Document Review and Analysis (assistance with review of documents maintained within the Division to determine whether they should be maintained or destroyed in accordance with Records Management Policy)
• Review of agreements/contracts (review compiled agreements and discuss relevant provisions)
• Case Law Update (review summary document of cases and descriptions; confirm each case has not been overturned)
• Drive initiatives to meet business goals and implement operational efficiencies

• Academic record
• Research and writing skills
• Interest in and commitment to public sector employment
• Personal maturity
• Personal achievement

The application portal on the New York Fed’s public website will open on Monday, January 5, 2026, by 12:00 noon ET. Positions are filled on a rolling basis. The Final date to receive applications is February 27, 2026 (11:59 PM EST), although if all positions are filled, the application portal may be closed prior to February 27, 2026.

Only first‑year law school students will be considered. The program requires that applicants complete their first year of law school by the beginning of the clerkship, which is ordinarily in late May.

Candidates must supply a cover letter and resume with their on‑line application.

The cover letter should address the following questions:

In addition, all applicants must submit law school transcripts as soon as they are available. If a law school GPA is not yet available when applying, please enter “0.0” as a GPA. Since the process is rolling, applicants should apply with a resume and cover letter; the law school transcript may be submitted or emailed separately after the application has started.

A writing sample is required from candidates invited to interview.

Applicants must generally be available for web‑based video conference interviews during January and February of 2026. Please note, summer housing is not provided.

At the Bank, we work full‑time onsite with our teams. We believe being physically together allows us to draw on our collective strengths, while recognizing that the ability to work flexibly from time to time remains important to achieving our mission.

Summer law clerks must remain in the United States for certain aspects of the pre‑employment & background check process, which will start approximately 6 weeks prior to the first day of the internship. In addition, all candidates must comply with information handling rules.

For any questions regarding the Summer Law Clerk Program, please write to Cristina Fajardo at .