Corps/Tax/Fed Courts??? Forum

[Aberzombie1892]

Yeah but cramming for the bar for a month or so is better than spending a semester on the topic, taking an exam on the topic, and then cramming on the topic in preparation for the bar.

Most of my classmates who have taken Fed Courts say it's the worst class ever. I may not take it for that very reason, but, I haven't yet decided if I want to clerk and so I'm having difficulty in that regard in trying to plan courses to make room for Fed Court related courses (primarily, Fed Courts and Federal Appeals among others).

[nealric]

So, I was looking at the topics tested on the Bar and apparently all three, including Fed Jur, are on there. So, it looks like, for better or worse, I'll be learning all three subjects anyway... heh.... *facepalm*

I suppose it depends on the state, but the federal jurisdiction I learned for the NY bar was a complete joke (and was completely taught in 1L civpro). You could learn it in a hour or two. They didn't even end up testing it on my administration.

[vamedic03]

I don't know about that. They really do seem to have it that much better than the rest of the top schools (HYS). From what I've seen if they're top 1/3 they have a shot at a COA. If it's on the 5th circuit they might not even need that.

LOL at random HLS top 1/3 (or below) people getting 5th Cir. Simply not so. I'm not clerking on the 5th, but I know the hiring process right now is simply not running in a way that people can just waltz into the less desirable circuits and pick up a job, regardless of which school they're from.

Career services has our (UVA's) average GPA listed for 5th circuit clerks at a 3.55........I'm sure that connections and what not play a huge role but I don't think it's as bad as he was making it out to be for a HYS student.

That's old data. All COA's are very difficult now.

[ToTransferOrNot]

I don't know about that. They really do seem to have it that much better than the rest of the top schools (HYS). From what I've seen if they're top 1/3 they have a shot at a COA. If it's on the 5th circuit they might not even need that.

LOL at random HLS top 1/3 (or below) people getting 5th Cir. Simply not so. I'm not clerking on the 5th, but I know the hiring process right now is simply not running in a way that people can just waltz into the less desirable circuits and pick up a job, regardless of which school they're from.

Career services has our (UVA's) average GPA listed for 5th circuit clerks at a 3.55........I'm sure that connections and what not play a huge role but I don't think it's as bad as he was making it out to be for a HYS student.

That's old data. All COA's are very difficult now.

This is right. Just in the last year, the entire process went to hell (there are people high-up in T6 admins wondering whether the hiring plan is, for all intents and purposes, dead). For the first time, more CoA positions went to alumnus candidates than 3Ls, this year.

UChicago got just over 10 CoA clerkships. In prior years, it would have been a much larger number. All schools saw similar drops - including Yale (not to say Yale only placed 10, but that, percentage-wise, Yale's placement went down significantly). The CoA market is just different than it was one (and certainly two) years ago. Part of it may be due to the huge number of laid-off, highly experienced candidates out there. But part of it is because the hiring plan just doesn't work, so judges have turned to the alumni market.

[iagolives]

Yeah, there's no way I'll be clerking at a CoA for any circuit (unless it's in the hypo for an exam, haha).

So, here's a follow up question for y'all since everyone's been so helpful. Since all of these subjects are tested on the barzam (and therefore, you will have to learn the basics anyway over the summer), would it be better to only take, let's say, corps and then take courses that might be helpful to future practice (whatever that practice may be) but aren't bar prep material?

[ggocat]

Yeah, there's no way I'll be clerking at a CoA for any circuit (unless it's in the hypo for an exam, haha).

So, here's a follow up question for y'all since everyone's been so helpful. Since all of these subjects are tested on the barzam (and therefore, you will have to learn the basics anyway over the summer), would it be better to only take, let's say, corps and then take courses that might be helpful to future practice (whatever that practice may be) but aren't bar prep material?

Assuming you already have a job, I would take bar subject courses last so they are fresh.

[iagolives]

Yeah, there's no way I'll be clerking at a CoA for any circuit (unless it's in the hypo for an exam, haha).

So, here's a follow up question for y'all since everyone's been so helpful. Since all of these subjects are tested on the barzam (and therefore, you will have to learn the basics anyway over the summer), would it be better to only take, let's say, corps and then take courses that might be helpful to future practice (whatever that practice may be) but aren't bar prep material?

Assuming you already have a job, I would take bar subject courses last so they are fresh.

Saving all the big-ticket/hard exam courses for last semester seems like a recipe for disaster, haha.