California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Clerkships Forum

Post by **TLS** » Mon Oct 19, 2026 3:34 am

Directory: Clerkship Directory home | Specialized clerkships hub | Judicial Clerkships forum | TLS Judicial Clerkships hub

California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Clerkships

Short answer: California's appellate courts hire more like employers than one-year clerkship programs. A Supreme Court chambers law clerk posting for Justice Kruger listed three pay levels, $8,569 to $10,889 a month, with a hybrid schedule (California Courts). Court of Appeal chambers and central staff jobs are posted on the careers site (Courts of Appeal careers), and appellate court attorney jobs require California bar membership (Appellate Court Attorney posting).

Fast facts

Supreme Court chambers law clerk: Levels A/B/C at $8,569, $9,731 and $10,889 a month; posted June 20, 2025; online application (California Courts).
Court of Appeal: recent postings include a law clerk for Justice Lamar Baker, Second District, Division 5 (position 6731) (Courts of Appeal careers).
Appellate Court Attorney: Level A $6,886 a month; posted May 20, 2026; a temporary 3% reduction applies; bar membership required (Appellate Court Attorney posting).
Central staff: senior chambers and central staff attorney openings posted Aug. 26, 2026 (California Courts).

How to search

Watch the Courts of Appeal careers page and the California Courts job listings.
The Supreme Court careers page (supreme.courts.ca.gov) does not list clerk details, so rely on job postings.
Read each posting for its level, experience and bar requirements.
Compare with federal options in CA Supreme Court vs. CD CA.

What TLS members ask

Application timing and prestige: Questions about California Supreme Court and How to apply for a CA Supreme Court clerkship?.

Discuss on TLS

FAQ

Q: Does California hire one-year term clerks?
The postings we found are for regular chambers and staff attorney positions (California Courts) (California Courts). Term-clerk practice by chambers: n.a..

Q: Do I need the California bar?
For appellate court attorney jobs, yes (California Courts).

Q: Where are openings posted?
On the California Courts job listings and the Courts of Appeal careers page.

Related guides

Last verified: September 26, 2026, against the official court pages linked in this guide (older or secondary sources are labeled). Hiring status changes often, so confirm on the court or chambers page before you apply. Spot an error? Reply in the linked discussion thread or PM a moderator.