Employment Attorney Consortium

Mistreatment during clerkships creates an access to justice issue for law clerks seeking judicial accountability. Law clerks engaging in Employee Dispute Resolution (EDR) in the courthouses where they work often need to hire attorneys, which can be both prohibitively expensive and logistically challenging.

There are currently no formal structures in place to connect law clerks with employment attorneys who can help. There are more law clerks seeking legal representation than there are attorneys currently offering to help.

One of The Legal Accountability Project’s long-term goals is to create an Employment Attorney Consortium to connect law clerks with attorneys who can help. Law clerks should not face financial barriers to seeking judicial accountability, in addition to the other barriers they face. Law clerks also face particular challenges when considering whether to report. Attorneys participating in the database should recognize and understand those unique considerations. Any law clerk who gathers the courage to file a complaint against the judge who harassed them should receive support from the legal community—and that support includes access to affordable legal counsel.