Summer Clerk Program

The Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter offers a paid, eight-week summer clerk program for rising second- and third-year law students. See the application guidelines below to learn more about this outstanding opportunity.

Who Are We?

We are the State’s law office serving Tennessee with principled, independent, and excellent counsel. The Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter represents all State executives, officials, departments, boards, agencies, and commissions in matters arising from their public duties. Such representation includes participation in litigation, transactional matters, and giving day-to-day legal advice to a wide variety of State entities. The Office employs approximately 200 attorneys organized into 17 legal divisions within 5 sections. Our Core Values of Civility, Client-Focus, Collaboration, Discipline, and Integrity coupled with our vision to be the best public law office in the country make this an ideal place to start your legal career.

Summer Law Clerk Program

This paid program gives students an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in public law while making a difference in the lives of Tennesseans.  Our Summer Law Clerks come from law schools throughout the country and bring a range of interests and backgrounds to the program. Law clerks will spend a full summer with one section/division. While clerks are assigned a supervisor in their specific division for guidance and oversight, they will also have a mentor. The mentor would be a less formal arrangement and may be in another division. This allows for a robust and varied learning experience for rising second- and third-year law students.

Annually, applications for the Summer Law Clerk Program open in the fall semester, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The Office additionally participates in a variety of on campus interview (OCI) programs and national job fairs.

How to Apply

  • Application materials should be submitted online (For summer 2025, the application window opens September 15 with priority is given to applications received before February 1, 2025.)
  • The Office also does resume collections with many law schools. Please check with your Career Services Office to apply during those specific timeframes.
  • Applicants should include a resume, law school transcript, 5–10-page writing sample, three professional references, and a cover letter specifically outlining the division(s) of interest and explaining your commitment to public service. All materials must be received before a student will be considered for the program.

Questions?  Contact Lisa Doster, Director of Legal Recruiting and Training - lisa.doster@ag.tn.gov