“Within the legal community, there are power dynamics that can make it very challenging for people to speak out, especially about a sitting judge,” Ms. Murphy, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, wrote in an email. “As an educator, I owe the next generation of lawyers a better version of the legal profession.”

Judge Kozinski, who is known for his libertarian views and his lively opinions, was appointed to the appeals court by President Ronald Reagan in 1985.

In statement emailed on Saturday, he said: “I have been a judge for 35 years and during that time have had over 500 employees in my chambers. I treat all of my employees as family and work very closely with most of them. I would never intentionally do anything to offend anyone and it is regrettable that a handful have been offended by something I may have said or done.”

He told The Los Angeles Times that he was unaware of any formal complaint against him. “If this is all they are able to dredge up after 35 years, I am not too worried,” he said.

Judge Kozinski declined to comment beyond his statement. A spokesman for the court did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

At the federal appeals level, clerkships usually last one year, sometimes two. They allow recent law school graduates to work closely with a judge, who in many cases becomes a mentor and a valuable reference.

But a clerk who wishes to report harassment is in a unique bind. Those outside the judiciary who want to address sexual harassment claims can turn to the courts to seek justice, but the process is murkier when the accused party is a sitting judge.