Legal Research Fellow​/Attorney

legal research fellow/attorney (0676/0677) in san francisco, ca |  page has loaded.

superior court of california, county of san francisco

location

full-time temporary

job number

legal resources

opening date

12/02/2025

closing date

1/26/2026 at 12:00 pm pacific time (us & canada); tijuana

open only to graduating law school students & law school graduates.

one-year appointments.

the superior court of california, county of san francisco, is actively seeking third-year law students and law school graduates interested in a temporary one-year law clerk position with the court.the court law clerk position provides a great opportunity to sharpen research and writing skills while being exposed to a wide variety of legal issues and offers insight into the judicial process.

Law clerks perform legal work, legal research, and legal consultation for court judicial officers and staff and perform other job-related duties as required.

final filing date: 12:00 pm, january 26, 2026

compensation: $88,554 annually ($3,405.94 biweekly)*

the court offers a generous benefits package including a variety of health and dental insurance plans, paid sick leave, floating holidays, and holiday pay.

* appointments are made at the first step of the salary range with subsequent increases annually up to the top step of the salary range. All salaries are subject to payroll deductions.

legal research fellows/attorneys are generally assigned as law clerks in the criminal division or civil division (including the departments of the presiding judge, probate, family, law and motion, asbestos, complex litigation, general civil, the housing court, and the appellate division). Incumbents provide legal research, briefing memos, and statements of decision to applicable bench officers.

work is performed in an office environment; continuous contact with judges and other staff; may have contact with the public or attorneys appearing before the court.

physical requirements: sit for extended periods; frequently stand and walk; normal manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination; lift and move objects weighing up to 25 lbs.; corrected hearing and vision to normal range; verbal communication; use of office equipment, including computer, telephone, calculator, copiers, and fax.

required qualifications

applicants must be in their third year of law school with the expectation of graduating from law school prior to june 30, 2026, or otherwise be a law school graduate by that date. Applicants must take the july 2026 california bar exam or be an active member of the state bar of california. Applicants must be skilled in legal writing and research;

and should be able to type, use computer equipment, and be familiar with the use of lexis and westlaw.

how to apply

interested individuals must apply online and include a valid email address where the applicant can receive future correspondence regarding the position. To be considered for the position, applicants must submit all the following required documents:

• superior court of california, county of san francisco, online employment application (fully completed).
• resume, including law school activities and related work experience.
• law school transcripts.
• three letters of recommendation.
• a writing sample of not more than five pages in length.

the required documents are very important to the selection process. It is recommended that applicants review the information in this announcement and on the application very carefully. Once the application has been submitted, it cannot be corrected, changed or resubmitted. All applications must be submitted online by the final filing date and time indicated in this announcement.

law school transcripts and letters of recommendation that must be submitted separately from the application package can be emailed to cstrand. All documents must be submitted electronically.

selection process

initial screening:

applications received by the final filing date and time will be evaluated to determine if the application package is complete, as required, and that the applicants meet the minimum qualifications. Only those applicants who submit a complete…