Summer 2026 (1L) Law Clerk

Bond, Schoeneck & King invites 1L law students (Class of 2028) attending ABA-accredited law schools to apply for our M. Catherine Richardson 1L Clerkship Program for the 2026 summer.

The purpose of this program is to provide meaningful law firm experience to aspiring first-year law students whose backgrounds and life experiences bring a needed, particularly unique perspective and/or skill set to the legal profession. Merely by way of example, a first-year student who brings uncommon cultural fluency, has had military or other significant public service experience, is from underprivileged family circumstances or has overcome other barriers, has been deeply involved in charitable or community causes, has worked to create diverse, inclusive and equitable spaces or has achieved uncommon success or recognition in a particular field may bring the kind of unique personal background this clerkship is intended to champion.

The clerkship runs for ten weeks and at least one applicant will be selected for each summer. Law clerks will work a full-time (on-site) schedule of at minimum 40 hours per week.

Office locations hiring for the 2026 program include: Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, NY.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Full-time, first year law student (Class of 2028) in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school.
• Demonstrates strong academic performance, the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively (both in writing and verbally).
• Works well with a team, takes initiative regarding decision-making/guiding others, and is involved in activities that benefit the community.
• Brings a needed, particularly unique perspective and/or skill set to the legal profession as a result of personal background or life experience.

Required Application Materials:

-Official first-year law school transcript* (which may be only the fall semester). If grades are not available when applying, they may be submitted later.

-Current resume (which must include undergraduate GPA or class standing).

-A typed personal statement of 1,000 words or less. The statement should include an explanation of the following:

• professional aspirations as a lawyer;
• a discussion of how the student brings a particularly unique perspective and/or skill set to the legal profession as a result of cultural fluency, resilience, service and/or life experience; and
• the office location(s) of interest as well as a discussion of any connection to the geographic area(s), if any.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of February 2, 2026

*You may submit your application before receiving your 1L fall semester grades and update your application once your 1L fall semester grades are available. Since a transcript is a required document, candidates can upload their undergraduate transcript in its place as needed.

If you have issues updating your application materials, please contact Hannah Retz, Recruiting Coordinator, at hretz@bsk.com.

Selection Criteria

Bond will review applications, conduct interviews, and select the successful applicant. In addition to the eligibility criteria above, an important factor on which selection decisions will be based is the student’s interest in working at Bond. Immediate family or household members of Bond, Schoeneck & King members and employees are ineligible.

Please note, the selected applicant will be responsible for providing their own lodging for the duration of the clerkship. The weekly salary for this position will be $2,115.

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC provides all employees and applicants an equal employment opportunity in the manner required by law in all aspects of employment regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status or any other status protected by local, state or federal law. We thank all applicants for their interest and will contact those candidates who are under consideration.