Top Law Schools

So I am currently going through the clerkship app process and looking at another thread prompted me to ask about district court clerkships specifically since that is far and away my highest possible reach. Anyways... from a T20 school, what are the likely minimums in terms of GPA/Journal/Publication or not/Board position that will still give you a chance in any of the circuits.... from least to most competitive. Any info would be great, just trying to gauge if I should bank much more heavily on a state appellate or not.

Thanks.

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Journal is effectively mandatory for federal clerkships.

Board & publication preferred because you will be going up against people that have both with *any* federal clerkship.

GPA - Should be ~ 3.5. Top 10% better, top 10 people even better.

The reason you need this stuff is that, unless you have some "in" with the judge, you need to get through the initial application sorting to even be considered. This is a very large number of applications even in big square states. As per the other thread, there is some flexibility to GPA but that's some interplay with the specific school/judge.

okay, so top 25%/journal/no board or publication (but resubmitting using Espresso and whatnot) kinda means I am screwed for fed?

I am a transfer so my possible upside from this semester is massive, but I figure I should be hitting the state courts pretty hard.

Top 25% is not unforgivable. No journal is. Maybe with a stratospheric GPA + clinicals + co-authoring something with a professor - but if someone would do all that, why would they not at least do a secondary journal?

Sorry if I was unclear, I am on a journal.

Additionally, I am doing one of our most prestigious clinics this fall.

Bump for any new perspective?

AttractiveNuisance wrote:Bump for any new perspective?

+1 for bumping a thread after seven hours when it's the 6th thread listed on legal employment.

BradyToMoss wrote:

AttractiveNuisance wrote:Bump for any new perspective?

+1 for bumping a thread after seven hours when it's the 6th thread listed on legal employment.

Most of the people I know who read TLS view through "active topics" and not based on individual categories.

When you say T20 I assume near the 20 mark. So -- from that range, you are going to need to be looking at top 10%, editorial board on journal, if not law review, with a really solid writing sample. Not to get you down, but you are going to have trouble without those stats. However, think about federal magistrate judges; much more leeway, especially in secondary markets.