New online portal to expand recruitment for law clerks, interns, externs
June 14, 2023 - Courts hiring law clerks, interns and externs can now turn to a new national resource to bolster their recruitment efforts. CORA, which stands for Court Opportunity Recruitment for All, is a free, online portal that matches court opportunities with interested candidates.
“CORA is designed to provide a national exchange to announce and market internship, externship, and law clerkship opportunities across the country,” said Marcia Meis, director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and co-chair of the Blueprint for Racial Justice working group that created the portal. “In this way, CORA will give state courts outreach to a larger, national pool of talented candidates when opportunities arise.”
NCSC Senior Court Management Consultant Lindsay Hafford said courts are experiencing challenges connecting with candidates from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. They are also looking for more geographic diversity in their applicant pools.
“Just as a career in the courts presents opportunities for great professional growth, courts need diverse voices and viewpoints,” added Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the DC Court of Appeals and Blueprint for Racial Justice workgroup co-chair. “We built CORA to provide a way to make these connections and see a lot of promise in its use.”
Hafford said CORA provides a forum for many court opportunities to be posted in a single place.
“CORA was created specifically with courts in mind with the focus on allowing courts to connect with talented applicants from a broader pool – in every sense – in a more direct way,” she said.
NCSC has been working with several pilot states for the project launch but is eager to bring more states on board. Opportunities can be paid or unpaid and with or without credit.
Courts can visit the CORA webpage to get started or email the team at cora@ncsc.org for assistance.
Register now for NCSC, NAPCO mental health webinar
Join NCSC and the National Association of Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers (NAPCO) on Thursday, June 15, for the second in a three-part mental health series that takes a closer look at how the nation’s mental health crisis is impacting courts and ways court leaders can respond. The second installment, Mental Health Cases II: Crisis and Opportunity for State and Local Trial Courts, will be a deep dive into the current state and local trial court landscape involving litigants with mental illness and substance abuse, often co-occurring, and sometimes generically labeled “behavioral health disorders.” A panel of judicial experts with “hands-on” experience will explore programs and techniques that have proven successful (and unsuccessful) in addressing mental health cases. Topics will include resource allocation, options for individuals with behavior or substance abuse problems who don’t qualify for treatment courts, and effective ways to help defendants with violent felony backgrounds. The webinar begins at 3 p.m. ET. Register today!
Time is running out to nominate jurist for 2023 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence
Don’t delay nominating an extraordinary judge for the prestigious William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence. The award honors judges who are taking bold steps to address the most pressing issues in their communities. Nominees must currently hold a judicial office other than sitting chief justice, possess significant experience serving state courts, demonstrate promotion and implementation of innovation in the management of state courts, and provide leadership at the national and/or state level to improve state systems of justice. For more information on the nomination process, visit the Rehnquist Award page on the NCSC website. Nominations must be received by Wednesday, June 21.