Clerkship w/ grades at Top 1/3rd?

[Anonymous User]

So, I'm a 2L who just got my grades back, and after a surprisingly good semester (by far my best yet) I've gone from middle-of-the-class to just about the top 1/3rd mark (I'm at the 33rd percentile cut-off). I'm at a T14.

What are my chances at a clerkship in either Southern Dist. of CA or the Dist. of Arizona? As far as my recommendations, I've got a fed judge willing to make calls to judges she knows well in those two districts.

Anyway, what are my chances in either of those two district courts? I know sitting at the 33rd percentile isn't great, so what do you guys think?

Thanks!

[ggocat]

If the judge will make phone calls on your behalf, then yes. I wouldn't expect much (if anything) to come out of an OSCAR-bomb.

[iagolives]

If the judge will make phone calls on your behalf, then yes. I wouldn't expect much (if anything) to come out of an OSCAR-bomb.

[Anonymous User]

Yes, the judge has offered to make calls to several judges she personally knows very well.

So I guess basically I know that Top 1/3rd at a UT/UCLA/Vandy/USC isn't stellar, but I'm just trying to decide whether I should bust a** this semester (my 2nd 2L semester) for either a District Judge clerkship or even a magistrate clerkship in one of the districts I mentioned.

If my clerkship chances are too slim, I see no reason in busting a** for what can only be a minimal improvement in my grades at this late point.

[Anonymous User]

bump

[Anonymous User]

How important is taking classes like fed courts, compared to getting high grades in easy stuff?

[bob sacamano]

So, would I have any better shot at state CoA's in those areas, or even with a federal magistrate?

[XxSpyKEx]

Clerkship w/ grades at Top 1/3rd?

LOL.

I think the two people who hit "yes" on the poll must have been drunk and accidentally hit "yes" when they actually meant "no" (or, alternatively, they haven't gone through the clerkship hiring cycle this last year or two and have no clue as to how competitive federal clerkships are now).

[Anonymous User]

I'm not too sure, but while a district court judge may be pretty iffy with those grades, I wouldn't think that a magistrate would be necessarily out of the question with real help from the federal judge.

Couple district-specific factoids:

1. Dist. of Ariz. is far less competitive than S. D. of Cal. Think about it. Someone who clerks in Arizona is likely either from there or only went there because it was the best clerkship he/she got (and he/she was totally committed to clerking). S.D. Cal. is probably going to involve competition with a lot more HYS types, given that it's a far more popular place for a young person to live.

2. Both districts have HUGE criminal dockets. Given their proximity to the border (and the resultant border-related crimes) this isn't at all surprising. I know of at least one judge in the area that asked specifically whether his clerk applicants were interested in working on those kinds of cases, since most clerks have top grades and most people with top grades don't want to wallow around in that kind of non-glamorous stuff.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Sorry if I'm derailing this thread at all, but was curious on the opinion of those with experience on what percentile is needed from UT to have a shot at a federal clerkship in TX? Top 15%? Top 10%?

[ggocat]

Sorry if I'm derailing this thread at all, but was curious on the opinion of those with experience on what percentile is needed from UT to have a shot at a federal clerkship in TX? Top 15%? Top 10%?

Decent shot in Texas with top 15%. Law review? Even better.

[Anonymous User]

So, 3.6 @ UT is 25%, what are good guesses at 20%, 15%?

[romothesavior]

I'm at a lower T-15.

What is this I don't even

[PriyaRai]

He's at UT and aced a class with Dan Rodriguez.

[Anonymous User]

He's at UT and aced a class with Dan Rodriguez.

Or Matt Spitzer.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not too sure, but while a district court judge may be pretty iffy with those grades, I wouldn't think that a magistrate would be necessarily out of the question with real help from the federal judge.

Couple district-specific factoids:

1. Dist. of Ariz. is far less competitive than S. D. of Cal. Think about it. Someone who clerks in Arizona is likely either from there or only went there because it was the best clerkship he/she got (and he/she was totally committed to clerking). S.D. Cal. is probably going to involve competition with a lot more HYS types, given that it's a far more popular place for a young person to live.

2. Both districts have HUGE criminal dockets. Given their proximity to the border (and the resultant border-related crimes) this isn't at all surprising. I know of at least one judge in the area that asked specifically whether his clerk applicants were interested in working on those kinds of cases, since most clerks have top grades and most people with top grades don't want to wallow around in that kind of non-glamorous stuff.

Although I think a lot of SD California's criminal docket goes through the El Centro courthouse, so maybe that lessens the crim load in San Diego. Although they only have like one or two magistrates in El Centro, so I dunno how much that really reduces San Diego's crim caseload

[Veyron]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

P.S. Love the Texas is T-14 trolling.