{"id":35,"date":"2025-10-29T22:07:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T22:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nmrji.nmcourts.gov\/?page_id=35"},"modified":"2026-03-27T21:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T21:26:46","slug":"rural-judicial-clerkship-rjc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nmrji.nmcourts.gov\/program-components\/rural-judicial-clerkship-rjc\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC) offers selected law school graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in rural communities under the guidance of state judicial district Chief Judges for 1 to 2-year clerkships. Clerks receive a fixed salary. Judges supervising judicial clerks are expected to provide legal research, writing, and court observation opportunities to the clerk; introduce the clerk to members of the legal community; attend local community, pro bono, and bar association events with the clerk; and provide professional mentorship and guidance to the clerk.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Eligibility and Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Eligibility:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Candidate must be a graduate of an ABA-accredited law school<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One (1) year of experience performing legal research, analysis, writing, and editing while employed or as a student<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selected clerks may be subject to criminal background check(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Requirements:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The clerkship opportunity is available for up to 2 years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Law clerks are full-time, at-will positions, and are hired directly by the Judicial District Court in the rural area, serving at the pleasure of the chief district court judge. Duties include working for the chief district court judge on assigned cases, and performing legal research, analysis, writing and editing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Placement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Relocation to the rural area is required for the duration of the externship. Daily commuting to the rural area from a non-rural location is allowed on a case-by-case basis<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Placements will be in New Mexico counties demonstrating the most need for legal services. No placements will be made in Bernalillo, Do\u00f1a Ana, or Santa Fe Counties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Compensation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fixed salary of $78,000 per year, plus all judicial branch benefits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Application<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The application for this opportunity is currently open: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>11th Judicial District (Gallup, NM): <a href=\"https:\/\/jobselection.nmcourts.gov\/JobsEditor\/jobInfo?update&amp;new_id=15505\">https:\/\/jobselection.nmcourts.gov\/JobsEditor\/jobInfo?update&amp;new_id=15505<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5th Judicial District (Roswell, NM): <a href=\"https:\/\/jobselection.nmcourts.gov\/JobsEditor\/jobInfo?update&amp;new_id=15721\">https:\/\/jobselection.nmcourts.gov\/JobsEditor\/jobInfo?update&amp;new_id=15721<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div >\n\t<div class=\"row list-layout open-accordion\" data-sort=\"\" data-order=\"desc\" id=\"accord-799469226\">\n\t\t<h2>Resources<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\"  data-title=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)\" class=\"card \" data-date=\"October 29, 2025\" data-order=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Vector.svg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"card-title h3\">New Mexico Courts<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-description\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-action\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn btn-round icon-arrow\">View More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/@newmexicocourts?si=jrYDq0_CFpFhL-_i\"  data-title=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)\" class=\"card \" data-date=\"October 29, 2025\" data-order=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Vector.svg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"card-title h3\">New Mexico Courts YouTube<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-description\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-action\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn btn-round icon-arrow\">View More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsc.org\/\"  data-title=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)\" class=\"card \" data-date=\"October 29, 2025\" data-order=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Vector.svg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"card-title h3\">National Center for State Courts<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-description\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-action\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn btn-round icon-arrow\">View More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/7003975\"  data-title=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)\" class=\"card \" data-date=\"October 29, 2025\" data-order=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Vector.svg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"card-title h3\">National Center for State Court\u2019s Tiny Chats<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-description\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-action\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn btn-round icon-arrow\">View More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnm.org\/\"  data-title=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)\" class=\"card \" data-date=\"October 29, 2025\" data-order=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nmcourts.gov\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Vector.svg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"card-title h3\">State Bar of New Mexico<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-description\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-action\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"btn btn-round icon-arrow\">View More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC) offers selected law school graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in rural communities under the guidance of state judicial district Chief Judges for 1 to 2-year clerkships. Clerks receive a fixed salary. Judges supervising judicial clerks are expected to provide legal research, writing, and court observation opportunities to&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/nmrji.nmcourts.gov\/program-components\/rural-judicial-clerkship-rjc\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":24,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page_fixed_width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-35","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC) - Rural Justice Initiative<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nmrji.nmcourts.gov\/en\/program-components\/rural-judicial-clerkship-rjc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC) - Rural Justice Initiative\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Rural Judicial Clerkship (RJC) offers selected law school graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in rural communities under the guidance of state judicial district Chief Judges for 1 to 2-year clerkships. 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Clerks receive a fixed salary. 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