The Delaware State Courts will be closed Wednesday, December 25, 2024 for Christmas Day. Justice of the Peace Court 11 (New Castle County) and Court 7 (Kent County) will remain open 24 hours and Justice of the Peace Court 3 (Sussex County) will be open from 6AM – 12AM (no new cases after 11:00PM).

  1. Delaware Courts
  2. Family Court

Family Court Law Clerks


Message to Prospective Judicial Law Clerks

 Recruitment for new Law Clerks begins in April for the following year’s term that begins on September 1st.

The Judges of the Family Court of the State of Delaware invite highly motivated and qualified law students or recent law school graduates to apply for the judicial law clerk positions available in our Court.

The Family Court has extensive jurisdiction over all areas of Family and Juvenile Law. Family Court Law Clerks serve Judges who preside over juvenile delinquency, child dependency, neglect and abuse, adult misdemeanor crimes against juveniles, child and spousal support, paternity, custody and visitation, adoptions, terminations of parental rights, divorces and annulments, property divisions, specific enforcement of separation agreements, guardianship, minor name changes, imperiling the family relationship, orders of protection from abuse and intra-family misdemeanor crimes. Family Court also has misdemeanor jurisdiction over offenses committed between former spouses, persons cohabitating together holding themselves out as a couple, and persons living separate and apart with a child in common. Family Court Judges also review and rule on all Commissioner’s Orders that have been appealed.

The Family Court bench is comprised of seventeen judges. The Chief Judge has statewide administrative responsibilities and has offices in all three counties. Ten Judges are assigned to New Castle County, three Judges are assigned to Kent County and three Judges are assigned to Sussex County.

Delaware is one of the few states to have unified Family Court. Since the Court’s comprehensive jurisdiction covers all areas of Family and Juvenile Law, Law Clerks have the opportunity to observe attorneys and staff from many agencies involved with Family Court’s unique caseload, including the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Families, the Department of Justice, Office of Defense Services, and Office of the Child Advocate. We are proud of our Court and the outstanding new attorneys who begin their legal careers as our judicial law clerks.


Judicial Clerkships—How to Apply

We invite interested students and recent law school graduates to apply for these Law Clerk positions.

  • The Family Court's judicial clerkship term runs from September 1 to August 31 each year.
  • To be considered, you must be at least a third-year law student set to graduate before the clerkship begins.
  • You must possess excellent research and writing skills.
  • The starting salary for the term beginning September 1, 2025, is $59,480.00.

Interested applicants should send a resume, unofficial law school transcript, writing sample, and a list of references with phone numbers to fc_apps@delaware.gov. Application deadline for the 2025-2026 clerkship is September 20, 2024 at 4:00pm.