Law Clerk for the Tax Court's Magistrate Division

Initial Posting Date:
10/22/2026
Application Deadline:
11/23/2026
Agency:
Judicial Department
Salary Range:
$7,042 - $8,152
Position Type:
Employee
Position Title:
Law Clerk for the Tax Court's Magistrate Division
Job Description:
Law Clerk for the Oregon Tax Court’s Magistrate Division
NOTE: Effective January 1, 2027, the Oregon Judicial Department will implement a cost-of-living salary increase of 4%.
Interviews: Initial interviews will be set for the week of December 7, 2026.
Anticipated start date is January 2027 but negotiable.
Oregon Judicial Department
Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) serves the public, and the people we serve may be facing challenging life circumstances, high levels of stress, or confusion about their next steps. The work you will do in this role affects members of our community who come to the court to have their cases resolved. We need people who want to impact their communities, value OJD’s efforts to remove barriers to access justice services, and welcome interacting with the public.
We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive team and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We consider relevant work experience, education, and any transferable skills and abilities that may meet our qualifications or the skills and attributes we need for this position. We welcome all candidates who are inspired by our work and mission.
Benefits to you
We pay 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums for full-time employees, including mental health coverage.
The annual salary ranges from $84,501 - $97,822
10 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays, 3 personal business days, separate sick and vacation paid leaves (prorated for part-time employees), and other employee benefits such as optional insurances and flexible spending plans.
Law Clerks who are members of the bar may also be eligible for bar dues payments up to the cost of bar dues for the Oregon State Bar.
OJD will pay you a 5% allowance for bilingual skills (including ASL) if you can pass a skills test and are assigned to use those skills on the job.
Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate’s education and experience.
Position Highlights
The Oregon Tax Court, in Salem, Oregon is hiring a post-graduate Law Clerk for the Magistrate Division. This position is full-time and limited duration, typically for a period of two years.
Law Clerk positions within the Oregon Judicial department provides a unique opportunity for law school graduates to both employ and improve their analytical, research, and writing skills, while working closely with judges, staff attorneys, and other staff to resolve all manner of cases that come before the courts. Our work is complex, interesting, and ever-changing, and it is a critical component of our state's judicial branch operations. Law clerks participate in many different and important steps in the case-resolution process.
In this role with the Tax Court’s Magistrate Division, the law clerk will work with all three of the court’s magistrates and potentially with the judge and/or the Regular Division staff counsel. The position also involves some projects for the benefit of the court as a whole, such as updates to the court’s rules of procedure and assistance with the court’s externship program.
The Experience You Gain as Law Clerk
Legal research and writing. The magistrates and the judge publish reasoned decisions on complex legal issues that directly affect people's lives. You will spend significant time helping them with this, by researching and writing memos and decision drafts. You will discuss legal issues with and receive feedback from the court’s staff counsel and judicial officers.
Editing. You will spend significant time assisting the court to publish high-quality, reasoned decisions. You will edit draft decisions to ensure that facts are accurate and legal analysis is clear, concise, and supported. You will use court style guides and Bluebook to ensure proper citation format.
Exposure to litigation. Because we are a trial court, you will have exposure to all stages of litigation. You may serve as bailiff and observe arguments and trials first-hand. You will see how highly experienced lawyers represent their clients and you also will learn how unrepresented taxpayers, taxing agencies, and the court strive to communicate with each other about complex issues.
Court administration. We are a small court, and we function as a team. You will be asked to assist with projects such as rulemaking or research on court procedures. You will likely assist with the court’s law student externship program, which the court maintains for the benefit of the Oregon tax bar. You will gain insight into the administrative processes of a trial court and see how staff and judicial officers work together to do ensure everyone has access to justice.
Most importantly, you will be furthering our mission of providing justice in a fair, thorough, and timely manner.
Who We Want and Need
We are looking for a law clerk who loves to learn and apply the law, has critical thinking skills, writes well, and is excited about developing strong legal research skills. Law clerks are expected to safeguard information that may be controversial or confidential, and to uphold the highest standard of ethics. We are looking for candidates who have the ability to co