Clerks Taking Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

Apologies if this has already been asked. I am a 3L who will be clerking for a district judge for 2012-2013. I am currently gearing up to apply to COA judges for 2013-2014. Is it normal to include the upcoming district court clerkship on your resume as "anticipated August 2012" despite it not having started yet? I already mention it in my cover letter.

Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Article written and accepted for publication prior to the clerkship, but scheduled to be published during the clerkship. Do I need to get permission from the judge before accepting the publication offer?

[Anonymous User]

Apologies if this has already been asked. I am a 3L who will be clerking for a district judge for 2012-2013. I am currently gearing up to apply to COA judges for 2013-2014. Is it normal to include the upcoming district court clerkship on your resume as "anticipated August 2012" despite it not having started yet? I already mention it in my cover letter.

Thanks.

I applied to Prior (11th Cir.) last month and was told they are already full for 2013-14.

[Citizen Genet]

Apologies if this has already been asked. I am a 3L who will be clerking for a district judge for 2012-2013. I am currently gearing up to apply to COA judges for 2013-2014. Is it normal to include the upcoming district court clerkship on your resume as "anticipated August 2012" despite it not having started yet? I already mention it in my cover letter.

Thanks.

I applied to Prior (11th Cir.) last month and was told they are already full for 2013-14.

Others who chambers report as being full for 2013-2014: Gregory (4th), Ikuta (9th), Milan Smith (9th), Paez (9th), Silverman (9th).

A few in the 5th and 11th (like Pryor) seem to be moving faster. Scramble has been up-to-date on who is accepting apps right now. But there are still plenty of judges who are just barely starting or who haven't even begun to think about applications.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the heads up on some of these judges going early. I need to get moving so I don't miss any more of these opportunities.

I hate this process. My disgust with it is why I put off applying for a second clerkship until now.

[Anonymous User]

Couple of related questions -- I looked around a bit, but sorry if they have already been answered.

1) Do judges give on-the-spot offers?
2) If so, what if you have an interview later that day? Do you have to accept on-the-spot offers if you already have another interview lined up? (If you don't have to accept at that very moment, what do you say?)

Thank you!

[peter2009]

Last application cycle I interviewed with a bankruptcy judge, but did not receive an offer from him. I am clerking for another bankruptcy judge next year but would still like to apply again with the judge I did not receive an offer from.

A few questions: 1. Are judges receptive to people they interviewed applying again with them for the next term? 2. Do judges like to see clerkships on the same type of court (such as bankruptcy in my case)? 3. Should I apply early, even though I know this judge hires on the plan?

[Doritos]

Thanks for the heads up on some of these judges going early. I need to get moving so I don't miss any more of these opportunities.

I hate this process. My disgust with it is why I put off applying for a second clerkship until now.

Samesies

[Anonymous User]

For anyone who has applied to a judge before receiving spring semester grades, how did you handle the GPA/class rank thing on your resume? (i.e. leave your first year rank on and just state that is the first year rank, not mention rank at all, etc.)

[Anonymous User]

Anonymous User wrote:
Article written and accepted for publication prior to the clerkship, but scheduled to be published during the clerkship. Do I need to get permission from the judge before accepting the publication offer?

Best practice is to do so, yes.

Done, and got a nice note from the judge saying how much he liked the article. So thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Does one need to apply to all the judges in that particular circuit/district if applying to some of them? One of my recommenders said in his day,this was a must. Not only was this the proper way but also when the judges all talk amongst themselves & find you did not apply to them it is an insult & can ruin your chances with the ones you did apply to. I mean it just seems silly to have to apply to judges I have absolutely no chance with (ie feeders). But he insisted that even if that judge was looking for a specific skill & you didn't have it, you still had to apply to them....Is this true today &/or is this recommended?

Thank you for all the help!

[kalvano]

One of my recommenders recommended me for an "internship" with a judge as opposed to a "clerkship." He did say that if anything was amiss, to let him know and he would be happy to correct it. Is that worth having him re-do it?

[GertrudePerkins]

Is there anything problematic or awkward about clerking for a district court judge within Circuit X the year after clerking for a CoA judge within Circuit X? I imagine a district court judge might very much appreciate a clerk with that kind of firsthand experience, but maybe there are other aspects of this scenario I'm overlooking. Might it depend on which circuit we're talking about, whether the two judges are located in the same courthouse, etc.?

[Anonymous User]

How do you ask recommenders to get their recommendation directly to you & not to the Judge chambers? Some of the Judges I am applying to say that all application material-including recommendations- must come in one packet, anything coming later will be discarded.

Do I ask the recommender to give me ~50 sealed recommendations that I will mail with my other items? Or do I have them give a copy of the recommendation-not sealed- hence my seeing the recommendation where I'll make as many copies as I need?

Also, how does this work if the packet needs to be emailed where the recommendation is an attachment? Can I avoid seeing the recommendation is this case?

Is it understood that I will see the recommendation? I just feel uncomfortable approaching my recommenders with this....

Thanks to all of you for all your help!!

Love this thread!

[Anonymous User]

To what extent do on-plan judges engage in off-plan scouting? For example, I know Kavanaugh meets people for lunch or on visits to YLS and HLS well before he hires, and he ostensibly follows the Plan. What about judges like Garland, Fletcher, Tatel...?

[Anonymous User]

To what extent do on-plan judges engage in off-plan scouting? For example, I know Kavanaugh meets people for lunch or on visits to YLS and HLS well before he hires, and he ostensibly follows the Plan. What about judges like Garland, Fletcher, Tatel...?

My sense -- just based on being an HYSer on LR with a few good faculty connections (for whatever all that's worth) -- is that this phenomenon is quite widespread on the DC Circuit. Not sure if they all do it, but certainly a number do. I think many (most?) of the DC Circuit clerkship spots will be unofficially, off-the-record, wink-nod filled long before the Plan dates. Gotta have an inside connection, methinks.

[Anonymous User]

That's a little disconcerting to hear as someone at one of those schools who certainly hasn't gotten on the wink/nod train yet...but perhaps I'll see if GTLR confirms?

[Anonymous User]

One of my 3 recommendations is from a district court judge. I plan to apply to CoA in the same major city then also couple district court judges including this particular judge. Do I need an additional recommender for this Judge since I guess I can't count her own recommendation in the 3 needed for her application?

Thank you!

[Anonymous User]

I'm bewildered as to the read between the lines part, but could you comment at all on these idiosyncratic hiring preferences?

[quiver]

How do you ask recommenders to get their recommendation directly to you & not to the Judge chambers? Some of the Judges I am applying to say that all application material-including recommendations- must come in one packet, anything coming later will be discarded.

Do I ask the recommender to give me ~50 sealed recommendations that I will mail with my other items? Or do I have them give a copy of the recommendation-not sealed- hence my seeing the recommendation where I'll make as many copies as I need?

Also, how does this work if the packet needs to be emailed where the recommendation is an attachment? Can I avoid seeing the recommendation is this case?

Is it understood that I will see the recommendation? I just feel uncomfortable approaching my recommenders with this....

Thanks to all of you for all your help!!

Love this thread!

I'm not the anon but I'd love to see what people have to say about this.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks Quiver for bumping my question!

Kalvano asked a similar question pages ago & never was answered. Like Kalvano, one of my recommenders is a judge & it just doesn't seem right to take up all his time and on top of that tell him what to do & how to do it...unless this is standard procedure....

As simple as this question seems, I'd really appreciate any suggestions esp from those that have gone through the process already. Also is it standard to give your recommenders a list of who you are applying to?

Thanks again!

[Anonymous User]

What do you know about "volunteer" clerkships?
See discussion here

[kalvano]

Thanks Quiver for bumping my question!

Kalvano asked a similar question pages ago & never was answered. Like Kalvano, one of my recommenders is a judge & it just doesn't seem right to take up all his time and on top of that tell him what to do & how to do it...unless this is standard procedure....

As simple as this question seems, I'd really appreciate any suggestions esp from those that have gone through the process already. Also is it standard to give your recommenders a list of who you are applying to?

Thanks again!

My judge who is a recommender just sent me a copy of his letter, signed, and gave me permission to scan it and send that as part of my application package. It's just a "Dear Judge" letter.

Which begs the question, will that matter? Most state court judges require individual applications to their chambers, complete with LOR's. Meaning if there are 7 state Supreme Court judges, each one wants a separate application. Will sending in the letter printed off be a big black mark? Obviously, on electronic applications, it won't matter, but for judges that want paper applications, sending in a printed copy of a scanned letter will be somewhat noticeable.

[NicePete]

If the clerkship cycle is accelerating, does that mean that the recommended clerkship courses should be taken first semester of 2L year?

[kalvano]

Thanks Quiver for bumping my question!

Kalvano asked a similar question pages ago & never was answered. Like Kalvano, one of my recommenders is a judge & it just doesn't seem right to take up all his time and on top of that tell him what to do & how to do it...unless this is standard procedure....

As simple as this question seems, I'd really appreciate any suggestions esp from those that have gone through the process already. Also is it standard to give your recommenders a list of who you are applying to?

Thanks again!

My judge who is a recommender just sent me a copy of his letter, signed, and gave me permission to scan it and send that as part of my application package. It's just a "Dear Judge" letter.

Which begs the question, will that matter? Most state court judges require individual applications to their chambers, complete with LOR's. Meaning if there are 7 state Supreme Court judges, each one wants a separate application. Will sending in the letter printed off be a big black mark? Obviously, on electronic applications, it won't matter, but for judges that want paper applications, sending in a printed copy of a scanned letter will be somewhat noticeable.

It will be noticeable. It would be better for the judge to send you 7 originals. But if that cannot be avoided, well, just suck it up and send what you can. The process is not designed for the comfort and ease of applicants, that's for sure. Just accept that and do the best you can.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I'm applying quite broadly, and would need more like 77 copies of his letter, which is far too much of an imposition for him. I'll just do the highest quality scan I can and put it on nice paper and hope for the best.

As always, you are a gentleman and a scholar, and your help is much appreciated.