The Office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla offers law clerkships in our Washington D.C. office. Law Clerks’ responsibilities will include conducting research, drafting memoranda, tracking legislation, preparing for committee hearings, evaluating court decisions and legal trends, and assisting counsel with Senator Padilla’s portfolio on the Judiciary Committee.  Applicants must either be currently enrolled in an accredited JD program or have recently received a JD from an accredited program.

Additional Information on Clerkships

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) is accepting law clerk applications for the Spring 2026 semester. Applicants must either be currently enrolled in an accredited JD program or have recently received a JD from an accredited program. Demonstrated interest in public service is preferred. Senator Padilla offers law clerkships in his Washington D.C. office. Law Clerks’ responsibilities will include conducting research, drafting memoranda, tracking legislation, preparing for committee hearings, evaluating court decisions and legal trends, and assisting counsel with Senator Padilla’s portfolio on the Judiciary Committee. Law clerks must be able to write quickly and clearly, be flexible in adjusting to changing circumstances and legislative priorities, and be self-starters capable of taking responsibility for complicated, ongoing projects. The office is an equal employment opportunity employer in accordance with the requirements of Senate Rules, regulations and applicable federal laws. The office does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, uniformed service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factors.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Please click here to submit your application. All applications must be submitted through the application portal. 

To apply, please submit, as a single PDF and in the following order, a one-page cover letter, a one-page resume, a three-page writing sample, and a current transcript to  lawclerks@padilla.senate.gov indicating in the subject line the semester and year you are applying for (for example: Spring 2024). In your cover letter, please note (1) your approximate start date, (2) your approximate end date, and (3) your approximate weekly hours.

Should you have any questions regarding our clerkships, please do not hesitate to contact us at internship_padilla@padilla.senate.gov.