Law Clerk

POSITION : Law clerk for Judge Adam Tanenbaum, for a term running from August 2026 to August 2028.

SALARY : Law clerks are paid according to the Florida State Court System Appellate Law Clerk Pay Plan, which currently provides as follows :

Entry Level Law Clerk-$5,769.90, monthly.

Senior Law Clerk (at least 2 years' experience in the practice of law, subsequent to passing Florida's bar exam)-$6,543.32, monthly.

Applicants must anticipate graduating from law school by May 2026. Strong academic performance (or some meaningful alternative) required. Law journal, moot court, classical liberal arts education, and / or practical, real-world employment experience preferred. Willingness to challenge appellate conventions from a conservative perspective considered a plus.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES :

Expected :

Willingness to work hard, to think deeply, and to fundamentally reexamine concepts taught (or omitted) in the modern law school curriculum.

Knowledge of how to conduct legal research using real books like Corpus Juris Secundum , West's Florida Digest 2d , Laws of Florida , and Blackstone's Commentaries .

Skill in the efficient and effective use of Westlaw, and a supportable position on whether a Boolean or natural language search is better.

Skill in proofreading and use of the Bluebook.

Knowledge and appreciation of (if not a passion for) grammar rules and parts of speech.

Ability to explain the merit behind commas (including the Oxford and conventional ones), semicolons, colons, and em-dashes; the difference between the use of "that" and "which"; and the proper use of a participial phrase, a gerund phrase, and an appositive.

Ability to read a court opinion, to identify the holding in that decision, and to explain how that holding may guide the disposition of a related case.

Skill in understanding the legal arguments made in briefs, analyzing the legal principles in play in a case, and reducing all of that into an easy-to-understand summary-between eight and ten times a month.

Commitment to high-quality written and oral legal analysis.

Skill in timely handling a persistent and heavy caseload without ever sacrificing quality.

Suggested :

Ability to explain why a book dictionary is far superior to an online dictionary and to discuss whether there are shortcomings associated with using a dictionary at all when interpreting a law text.

Understanding of legal principles like originalism, separation of powers, and judicial restraint.

Ability to explain the limitations of the judicial power relative to the legislative and executive powers.

Knowledge of which of the following is truly the "law" : constitutional and statutory texts; procedural rules; court doctrines and traditions; or court opinions.

Ability to discuss the origin of the "prior panel precedent rule" and why it might not really be a binding rule.

Understanding of the origins of and history behind the development of common law in Florida and in England.

Knowledge of the relationship between an action in assumpsit and a cause of action for breach of contract, between a writ of error and an appeal, and between a trial court adjudication and an appellate court mandate.

Appreciation of the difference between the scope of a trial court's authority and that of an appellate court.

Knowledge of the number of constitutions that have governed the Territory and State of Florida, an understanding of how they relate, and an ability to explain the purpose of article twelve in the 1968 Revision of the Florida Constitution.

• Of course no applicant will possess even a majority of items listed in the following. Everything that follows, however, should spark some intellectual curiosity in a qualified applicant.

Submit a cover letter, resume, completed State of Florida Employment Application, law school transcript (copy accepted), writing sample, and references to : 1dca_jobs@flcourts.org .

THIS POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

IF YOU NEED AN ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE APPLICATION / SELECTION PROCESS, PLEASE CALL (850) 488-8136 IN ADVANCE. THE FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, SEX, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR DISABILITY. THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL BE SUBJECT TO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK.

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