Too late to apply for clerkship? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just finished my summer at a NYC biglaw firm and after that experience I've decided that I want to clerk after graduation. It looks like the clerkship process is in full-swing and most students put their applications together over the summer. Is it pointless for me to even try to apply this late in the process?

[kalvano]

Can you get everything together in the next three days? Letters of rec will be the hard part.

[Anonymous User]

Can you get everything together in the next three days? Letters of rec will be the hard part.

I need the actual letters of rec or simply just the names of recommenders?

[kalvano]

Can you get everything together in the next three days? Letters of rec will be the hard part.

I need the actual letters of rec or simply just the names of recommenders?

The floodgates open on Tuesday. If you don't have finalized and full apps ready to go, you're probably not going to get anything, barring insanely competitive stats.

[Anonymous User]

Can you get everything together in the next three days? Letters of rec will be the hard part.

I need the actual letters of rec or simply just the names of recommenders?

The floodgates open on Tuesday. If you don't have finalized and full apps ready to go, you're probably not going to get anything, barring insanely competitive stats.

Okay, but other than my letters of recommendation is it that difficult to get my apps ready? I just need my resume and cover letters and that won't take too long. I have a job already lined up after graduation so I have nothing to lose by applying this late, correct?

Also, do you know if the cycle and deadline for state court judges is different from OSCAR?

[kalvano]

No, of course there isn't anything to lose. It will take a while to enter your grade sheets, though.

[forza]

You need to get started, like, yesterday.

You need cover letters (you can use the mail merge, but if you are applying regionally or to judges with whom you have ties, you'll want to customize the letters--and that requires you to upload each of them in PDF form through OSCAR's clunky system). I underestimated the amount of time this takes.

You also need a brief, polished writing sample for most judges. Some even require two. This is often the most important and most time-consuming part of an application. Are you ready here?

The grade sheets also take a while to fill out, especially the undergraduate one (I had to call my UG and have a transcript sent to me so I could do it, and that took about a week).

Good luck!

[Bumi]

The grade sheets also take a while to fill out, especially the undergraduate one (I had to call my UG and have a transcript sent to me so I could do it, and that took about a week).

You need to fill in your UG grades to clerk?

I will not be clerking, then. Good to know that's settled.

[nevdash]

The grade sheets also take a while to fill out, especially the undergraduate one (I had to call my UG and have a transcript sent to me so I could do it, and that took about a week).

You need to fill in your UG grades to clerk?

I will not be clerking, then. Good to know that's settled.

Are you worried that your UG grades might keep you out of the running, or are you just too lazy to get a transcript? If it's the former, I've heard that judges are not nearly as critical of UG grades as LS grades. At least I hope so; I was on academic probation my freshman year of college.

[LawIdiot86]

The grade sheets also take a while to fill out, especially the undergraduate one (I had to call my UG and have a transcript sent to me so I could do it, and that took about a week).

You need to fill in your UG grades to clerk?

I will not be clerking, then. Good to know that's settled.

It depends on the judge. Some require an UG grade sheet and some make it an optional attachment.

[Bumi]

Every law firm that has seen my UG grades sent a prompt rejection letter. I only got into the splitterest of the splitter schools. They are awful. (Sorry for the thread hijack).

[LawIdiot86]

Every law firm that has seen my UG grades sent a prompt rejection letter. I only got into the splitterest of the splitter schools. They are awful. (Sorry for the thread hijack).

Then only apply to judges who don't require UG grades...

[nevdash]

You can always try to submit a makeshift addendum. On the UG grade sheet, they have a "narrative" space after every semester that they say is for anything like leave of absence, honors, etc. that would normally go on a transcript. My grades were so bad my freshman year that I figured I had to explain them, so I was basically like, "Yo, my mom died during my freshman year and I had to move home and help take care of my little sister and began working 40 hours a week. Woops." I looked at it the same way as you; any judge that cares about UG grades in the slightest would auto-ding me for my performance freshman year, so I had to try and explain it.

[kalvano]

Every law firm that has seen my UG grades sent a prompt rejection letter. I only got into the splitterest of the splitter schools. They are awful. (Sorry for the thread hijack).

It seems to be mainly COA judges that want to see UG grades.

So if you want a district court clerkship, plenty don't ask for UG grades.

[nevdash]

Every law firm that has seen my UG grades sent a prompt rejection letter. I only got into the splitterest of the splitter schools. They are awful. (Sorry for the thread hijack).

It seems to be mainly COA judges that want to see UG grades.

So if you want a district court clerkship, plenty don't ask for UG grades.

Hmm, really? It seemed like about half of the district court judges required UG grades. Maybe my perception is just skewed because I let out an audible "damnit" every time I saw that they were required, so those instances might stick out more in my mind.

[Anonymous User]

You need to get started, like, yesterday.

You need cover letters (you can use the mail merge, but if you are applying regionally or to judges with whom you have ties, you'll want to customize the letters--and that requires you to upload each of them in PDF form through OSCAR's clunky system). I underestimated the amount of time this takes.

You also need a brief, polished writing sample for most judges. Some even require two. This is often the most important and most time-consuming part of an application. Are you ready here?

The grade sheets also take a while to fill out, especially the undergraduate one (I had to call my UG and have a transcript sent to me so I could do it, and that took about a week).

Good luck!

Some of the district court judges that I'm looking into have a deadline of 9/30. Does this give me more time or should I still have everything in by labor day?

Also, is there a different process for state court judges?

[forza]

Some of the district court judges that I'm looking into have a deadline of 9/30. Does this give me more time or should I still have everything in by labor day?

Also, is there a different process for state court judges?

Honestly, I don't think that gives you any more time. Judges will start scheduling interviews after September 4, and typically will hire in mid-September. Even if your app gets in by 9/30 and the Judge is still considering applicants, your competitors will have submitted their apps earlier and perhaps already interviewed. You'll thus be at a huge disadvantage.

Do your best to get everything finalized by September 4, impossible as that may be.

[kalvano]

Also, is there a different process for state court judges?

Yes. It varies by state, and you're too late for a number of them. See the Vermont Guide.