Law Clerk

Who We Are:

Founded in 1907, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is a nonpartisan association that serves as the national forum for the 56 state and territory attorneys general and their staff to collaboratively address issues important to their work and provides resources to support the work they do to enforce state law and the United States Constitution. NAAG fosters an environment of “cooperative leadership,” helping attorneys general respond effectively – individually and collectively – to emerging state and federal issues.  NAAG emphasizes service to one another and our community, a commitment to professional excellence, and quality of life for our team. 

We are looking for a law clerk to join us for a special project through the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice and the National Center on Forensics, via George Mason University.  

The Job Brief:

NAAG’s Law Clerk will be housed in NAAG’s Training and Research (NTR). The NTR provides high-quality, non-partisan, and innovative training, research, and other developmental resources to support state and territorial attorneys general offices (AGOs).  Services offered to NAAG members cover a breadth of subject areas and delivery formats and is a premier national organization for training and research throughout the government legal, law enforcement, and prosecutorial arenas.   

The Law Clerk position is intended to provide law students with substantive opportunities to engage with complex issues relating to government law practice. The law clerk’s primary work assignment will be assisting NAAG’s partnership with the National Institute of Justice and the National Center on Forensics by researching and updating our database of federal and state court decisions issued after the release of the 2016 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).  The PCAST Report, among other things, defined and established guidelines for what its authors termed “foundational validity” and applied those guidelines to certain forensic science disciplines including DNA, latent fingerprints, firearms/toolmarks, footwear, bitemarks, and hair microscopy.    

NAAG’s PCAST database seeks to compile decisions addressing the PCAST Report in a manner that is easy for courts, attorneys, forensic scientists, and others to review.  The database includes cases that have been published in recognized court reporters, cases that have been published by Lexis Nexis, unpublished cases, and oral decisions. Additional information on the PCAST database may be found here.  

The Law Clerk must possess excellent research and writing skills, time management, and organizational skills and a strong familiarity with Lexis Nexis research. Professionalism, the ability to maintain strict confidentiality, and discretion are essential.  

This is an unpaid clerkship. The NAAG Law Clerk reports directly to the Senior Counsel, Criminal Law Liaison.  

Core Competencies: 

• Adaptability: Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible, versatile and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.  

• Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization.  

• Communicate Effectively: Whether in public or within the office, speak, listen, and write in a clear, confident, thorough, and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.  

• Creativity/Innovation: Develop new and unique ways to improve operations of the organization and to create new opportunities.  

• Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness. Treat all others with respect and dignity. 

• Initiative:  Suggest new ideas and then volunteer to move forward with those ideas. 

• Service:  A commitment to public service and providing the best support possible to NAAG stakeholders and constituents.  

Core Qualifications: 

• Undergraduate university degree 

• Rising 2L or 3L student at an accredited law school 

• Excellent research and writing skills 

• Attention to detail   

Timing and Location: 

• The position’s location is flexible and may be fully remote or physically based in Washington, D.C. headquarters, depending on circumstances.  

• The position’s duration is flexible depending on circumstances and law clerk’s availability and office needs.  

• The position is flexible as to the number of weekly hours, ranging from 10-30 hours per week.  

To Apply:

We invite you to apply today! Please click “Apply” below and please be sure to submit a Letter of Interest (seriously, this is important and required) and your resume.

NAAG believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to our success.
We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.