The professional background for judges can shape how they approach cases. Former prosecutors may weigh different factors in their decisions than former public defenders, bringing distinct perspectives to questions of criminal justice, sentencing, and constitutional protections.

Federal clerkships are where nearly all appellate careers begin. These prestigious positions provide the training, credentials, and connections that open doors to appellate practice and eventually judicial leadership.

Courts derive their legitimacy from the trust of the people they serve. When entire communities see themselves completely excluded from their state's highest court, that trust can erode and raise fundamental questions about equal justice.

Appellate careers often depend on networks and mentorship. When talented lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds lack access to these connections, even the most qualified candidates can find themselves on the outside.

State supreme courts often provide the final word on cases affecting families, workers, and communities across the country. When these benches don't reflect the people they serve, critical perspectives are missing from decisions that shape daily life.

Transforming who sits on our appellate benches isn't just about fairness—it's about the quality and legitimacy of our legal system itself.

Join ACS and @theappellateproj.bsky.social for a panel discussion designed for law students of color and first-generation law students that will demystify judicial clerkships and highlight them as an attainable pathway. Register here: getinvolved.acslaw.org/component/ev...

Aspiring appellate leaders, especially those who are first-generation or from underrepresented backgrounds, often face gaps in obtaining:

Too often, access to appellate law can depend on who you know rather than what you can do, leaving talented law students and early career lawyers with appellate aspirations on the outside looking in.

TAP is searching for our next legal intern for a paid, remote position! This isn't your traditional legal internship. This is a hands-on opportunity in a start-up nonprofit environment to use your legal research skills in non-traditional ways.

Demystifying the appellate field is crucial to providing a new generation of appellate leaders access to these elite legal spaces. Without access to mentorship, community, and insider knowledge, appellate law can feel opaque and impenetrable to those on the outside.

At The Appellate Project (TAP), we believe justice depends on representation.

TAP’s most popular resource of 2025? State Court Clerkship Myths, Debunked.

Next on the list of TAP’s most popular resources of 2025: our dive into the facts and figures of the current state of representation in our highest courts.

To close out the year, we’re resharing our most popular resources of 2025. Coming in at #3 is our law school roadmap, preparing students for appellate practice.

The appellate system reaches into nearly every aspect of daily life—shaping how constitutional rights are protected, how criminal justice operates, what healthcare access looks like, how voting rights are enforced, and more.

In her recent ABA Sound Advice interview with TAP alum and host Damonta Morgan, our Founder and CEO Juvaria Khan spoke about what legal professionals can do right now to keep equity work moving forward, especially when navigating an environment that feels more uncertain than it did a few years ago.

Our theory of change is straightforward: lasting change starts with opening doors and ensuring people have the tools and support to walk through them.

Representation at every level strengthens our legal institutions. It deepens public trust and expands access to justice. And it's essential to a healthy democracy—ensuring our courts better serve and include the full diversity of our nation.

As a TAP mentee, Justin Lam first connected with the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area (APABA-DC) at a conference early in his legal career. In September 2025, APABA-DC honored him with its 2025 Rising Star Award.

For many emerging lawyers from underrepresented communities, stepping inside the U.S. Supreme Court to observe oral arguments remains out of reach.

Appellate courts shape the meaning of our laws and the rights that protect us. Who gets to be in those rooms matters. Since 2019, your support has helped The Appellate Project provide mentorship, resources, and community to more than 600 law students like Samantha from 108 law schools.

Even in a challenging moment for the legal profession, there are real reasons to feel optimistic about the years ahead.

This Native American Heritage month, we acknowledge the legal landscape for tribal communities varies from state to state—and those differences have real consequences.

The intersection of tribal and state legal systems creates unique interpretive challenges—especially when judges must apply constitutional provisions written decades ago.

This Native American Heritage Month, we're recognizing the need for greater representation in our courts.

TAP Founder and CEO Juvaria Khan recently joined the ABA’s Sound Advice podcast to talk about staying the course in a moment when equity work in the legal profession is being tested, and to share what’s ahead for TAP as we enter our next chapter.

Our highest courts shape the laws that affect everyone. We're working to ensure those courts reflect the communities they serve.

To our mentors, volunteers, students, funders, alumni, and partners: We are so grateful for you. As we work toward building a more just and representative future, you make this critical work possible.

When Josh Mathew's commander shared this about the Army's diversity, it captured something fundamental: strength comes from inclusion.

West Point taught Alex Porter, clerk at the Southern District of Indiana, to approach every matter with neutrality and an open mind. That training reflects what our judiciary needs: more perspectives shaped by experiences outside the traditional legal pipeline.

This Veterans Day, we're recognizing Alex Porter and Josh Mathew—two Army veterans whose mentorship story demonstrates why representation matters in the legal profession.

For Maya Stevenson, appellate counsel at the Center for Appellate Litigation, the draw to appellate law was clear from the start: it's where her love of reading, writing, and helping others converged with the opportunity to create change at scale.

During TAP's Seventh Circuit visit, Berenis Ibarra López saw proof that diverse voices are shaping appellate law at every level.

TAP alumni spent a day inside the Seventh Circuit observing oral arguments, meeting with judges and staff, and witnessing firsthand how appellate decisions take shape.

For Maya Stevenson, appellate counsel at the Center for Appellate Litigation, her path to appellate law wasn't defined by a single moment; it was shaped by consistently saying yes to opportunities as they appeared.

Representation in appellate spaces isn't an abstract ideal. It can have real consequences for how law affects communities.

A state court clerkship can be a powerful stepping stone towards diverse, high-level legal careers.

State court clerkships involve deeply engaging work on critical legal questions. Today in our series debunking state court clerkship myths, we’re addressing another common myth about state court clerkships:

State supreme & appellate court clerkships carry enormous influence and prestige. Last week, we shared resources that explain the influence and impact the state courts have on issues affecting people’s rights.

State Court Report recently shared several articles full of essential facts about state courts and constitutions that reveal how the legal system really operates.

State appellate judges hold more power than most people realize, a concept State Court Report explored in a recent article.

Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr. speaks from experience about the power of intentional career planning.

Visibility can change everything. Chief Justice Monica Márquez understands that representation on the bench creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond any individual case or decision.

When Judge Reyes talks about strength through diversity, he's speaking from his own personal experience.

Representation on the bench isn't just symbolic—it's practical. Chief Justice Monica Márquez's words about building public confidence in our legal system highlights this truth: courts that reflect their communities make better decisions for everyone.

Clerkships offer unmatched training for appellate advocates, from offering experience on a breadth of legal issues to understanding how judges weigh complex arguments.

Clerkships are valuable, but they come with real challenges that can disproportionately affect students without financial cushions or built-in support systems.

When it comes to judicial clerkships, there are certain skills that most judges look for: strong research skills, demonstrated writing ability, and attention to detail among other things.

The clerkship application process is full of unwritten rules: when to apply, how to choose judges, what actually goes into a strong cover letter, how to prepare for interviews, and more.