There are 89 district courts in the 50 states. District courts are also located in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, making a total of 94 district courts. Federal district judges generally hire two clerks. Chief judges may hire three clerks, and senior judges may hire one or two clerks depending on their caseload. While many district judges hire clerks for a one-year term, they increasingly are requiring a two-year commitment from their clerks.
The hallmark of the district court clerkship is variety. District court clerks are in daily contact with attorneys and parties proceeding without counsel. They do many of the things appellate court clerks do (i.e., many trial level cases are decided by dispositive motions that are briefed and argued in much the same manner as are appellate cases). In addition, district court clerks are heavily involved in the discovery process. They often play the leading role in resolving discovery-related motions, and in recommending (and sometimes participating in) pretrial and settlement conferences. In those cases that do reach trial, the clerk will generally attend the trial and all related hearings. If there is a jury, the clerk may be involved in the preparation of jury voir dire and jury instructions. In civil bench trials, the clerk will often draft findings of fact and conclusions of law. The clerk also may be asked to participate in sidebar conferences on disputed evidentiary issues. In criminal cases, clerks are likely to be involved in the evaluation of sentencing recommendations under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
