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. Court of Common Pleas

Judicial Clerkships


Message to Prospective Judicial Law Clerks

The Judges of the Court of Common Pleas 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 Court’s judicial law clerks gain valuable writing experience, drafting bench memoranda, orders, and opinions. Judicial law clerks also review pleadings, complete legal research assignments, observe and actively participate in trials, motions hearings, conferences, and other proceedings.

The Court of Common Pleas for the State of Delaware has criminal jurisdiction throughout the State over misdemeanors and motor vehicle offenses, including DUI offenses, as well as preliminary hearings in felony cases. The Court also has statewide concurrent jurisdiction over civil actions where the amount in controversy does not exceed $75,000.00.

There are nine Judges of the Court of Common Pleas statewide: five in New Castle County, two in Kent County, and two in Sussex County. The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center (or New Castle County Courthouse), a state-of-the-art multi-court facility, is located in Wilmington's Christina Gateway section. The Kent County courthouse is a new, multi-million-dollar facility located on the pre-Revolutionary War Green of Dover, the state's capital. In Sussex County, the Court of Common Pleas sits in a fully renovated historic courthouse building on Georgetown's Circle, just 25 minutes from the Delaware beaches. Judges’ chambers and the courthouses are outfitted with the most up-to-date office and courtroom technology.

We are proud of our Court and the outstanding new attorneys who begin their legal careers as our judicial clerks.

Judicial Clerkships-How to Apply

The current application period commenced on July 1, 2023, and will close on October 31, 2023.

We welcome interested students and recent law school graduates to apply for these judicial clerkship positions. The Court of Common Pleas’ judicial clerkship term runs from September 1 to August 31 each year. To be considered, you must be set to graduate from an accredited law school before the clerkship begins. The starting salary is available upon request.

Eligible applicants interested in a clerkship in the Court of Common Pleas should submit a resume, writing sample and current transcript to the Court’s staff attorney, Whitney L. Frame, Esq., via e-mail at Whitney.Frame@delaware.gov. To apply to one specific county only, please specify the county in your cover letter.