2014-2015 Clerkship Application Thread - OP Updated 04/19/13 Forum

[ph14]

OP updated: Gruender has finished hiring for 2014.

[Anonymous User]

What are my chances with any of the courts I'm applying to?

School range: Rutgers Newark, Seton Hall, Villanova, Temple
Rank: Top 10%. Trying to keep it that way.
LR?: Yes, EIC.
Published?: Hopefully by the end of next year
Recs: I'll have 3 Professors, all of which are well known in the area and 2 employers, one a former clerk.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: D. NJ (Newark), SDNY, EDNY, EDPA, 3rd Cir., NJ State Supreme, NY 1st Department and COA Flyovers?
Any other factors: 2 Years Paralegalling in biglaw, summering in big law.

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure that Judge Smith on the 5th Cir is now full.

[Anonymous User]

What are my chances with any of the courts I'm applying to?

School range: Rutgers Newark, Seton Hall, Villanova, Temple
Rank: Top 10%. Trying to keep it that way.
LR?: Yes, EIC.
Published?: Hopefully by the end of next year
Recs: I'll have 3 Professors, all of which are well known in the area and 2 employers, one a former clerk.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: D. NJ (Newark), SDNY, EDNY, EDPA, 3rd Cir., NJ State Supreme, NY 1st Department and COA Flyovers?
Any other factors: 2 Years Paralegalling in biglaw, summering in big law.

You've got a fighting shot with EIC and top 10%. If you can get your grades up to top 5% or higher I would bet on you to land one of the courts you've listed. With the caveat that I know nothing about NY/NJ state court clerkships, I would say your best bet is with the local district court. Top 10% from those schools just seems a little low for SDNY and 3d Cir, and possibly EDNY as well. If you have personal connections to the COA "flyovers" (EG you grew up in one of them), you may have a better shot there as well. Prepare thoroughly for your interviews, as you may be in the position of having to convert just 1 or 2 into an offer. Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

What are my chances with any of the courts I'm applying to?

School range: Rutgers Newark, Seton Hall, Villanova, Temple
Rank: Top 10%. Trying to keep it that way.
LR?: Yes, EIC.
Published?: Hopefully by the end of next year
Recs: I'll have 3 Professors, all of which are well known in the area and 2 employers, one a former clerk.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: D. NJ (Newark), SDNY, EDNY, EDPA, 3rd Cir., NJ State Supreme, NY 1st Department and COA Flyovers?
Any other factors: 2 Years Paralegalling in biglaw, summering in big law.

You've got a fighting shot with EIC and top 10%. If you can get your grades up to top 5% or higher I would bet on you to land one of the courts you've listed. With the caveat that I know nothing about NY/NJ state court clerkships, I would say your best bet is with the local district court. Top 10% from those schools just seems a little low for SDNY and 3d Cir, and possibly EDNY as well. If you have personal connections to the COA "flyovers" (EG you grew up in one of them), you may have a better shot there as well. Prepare thoroughly for your interviews, as you may be in the position of having to convert just 1 or 2 into an offer. Good luck!

Thank you for the insight!

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts on my chances to land AIII?

School range: Lower T14
Rank: Top 15%. MAY break in to top 10% after this semester.
LR?: Yes. Also Moot Court Exec.
Published?: Not note, yes thesis.
Recs: 4 professors and an employer available. All very good.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: Everywhere. Would prefer Northeast, but I will go anywhere for a year.

[Holly Golightly]

Oscar is back! Guess I should get back to applying now...

[Anonymous User]

Black on 11th Circuit is done.

[ph14]

Black on 11th Circuit is done.

OP updated. Please post any changes that you might find on OSCAR now that it is back up.

[Anonymous User]

Per Oscar Murphy is done.

[ph14]

Per Oscar Murphy is done.

Circuit?

[Arbiter213]

Per Oscar Murphy is done.

Circuit?

8th

[Flips88]

Per Oscar Murphy is done.

Circuit?

I think they mean Diana Murphy of the 8th. On Oscar it now says: "I have hired all but one clerk on the hiring plan. In August 2013 I have three law clerks starting from Georgetown, Harvard, and St. Thomas. In August 2014 I have two law clerks starting from Harvard and one law clerk starting from University of Chicago."

So is there one spot left but she's not filling it till the Plan?

[Anonymous User]

Gorusch is filled, according to Oscar.

[Anonymous User]

Per Oscar Murphy is done.

Circuit?

I think they mean Diana Murphy of the 8th. On Oscar it now says: "I have hired all but one clerk on the hiring plan. In August 2013 I have three law clerks starting from Georgetown, Harvard, and St. Thomas. In August 2014 I have two law clerks starting from Harvard and one law clerk starting from University of Chicago."

So is there one spot left but she's not filling it till the Plan?

I believe all four of Judge Murphy's 2014-2015 spots have now been filled. As for 2015-2016, according to OSCAR "I have three openings for clerkships beginning in August 2015, but I am not currently interviewing for those positions."

[Anonymous User]

Per Oscar Tashima (9th) is full.

[Anonymous User]

I'd be curious as to what people thought of my chances:

School range: T25
Rank: Top 25%.
LR?: Secondary journal. Elected to Exec. Board. Moot court and a competition at former law school
Published?: Comment selected for publication
Recs: 2 professors from current law school, 1 from former.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: I blanketed the southeast as best as I could, applying to District and Circuit Courts in AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, & WV

Obviously, I am a transfer student from a TTTT, where I was first in my class in the part-time section. I know its a long shot, but would like other people's opinion.

[nevdash]

I'd be curious as to what people thought of my chances:

School range: T25
Rank: Top 25%.
LR?: Secondary journal. Elected to Exec. Board. Moot court and a competition at former law school
Published?: Comment selected for publication
Recs: 2 professors from current law school, 1 from former.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: I blanketed the southeast as best as I could, applying to District and Circuit Courts in AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, & WV

Obviously, I am a transfer student from a TTTT, where I was first in my class in the part-time section. I know its a long shot, but would like other people's opinion.

It's gonna be rough, man.

[Anonymous User]

Also interested in hearing chances, applied for a number of obvious reaches back in Feb and no calls; trying to figure out what to expect come June.

School range: CCN
Rank: Top 25%
LR: Exec. board of secondary journal, moot court
Published: no
Recs: Three from well-reputed profs; two of them strong, one less personal
2L/3L/alum: 2L
Where applying: Considering just about anywhere, preferably I'd do circuit now and district 2015-16
Other: For what it's worth to conservative judges, also a Federalist Society board member

[Anonymous User]

Since we're doing this, I'd also be interested in hearing chances:

School range: HYS
Rank: Top 25%? Hard to tell, but no class prizes
LR: Yes
Published: not yet, but have a paper I submitted to a large national writing competition pending as a finalist; if it won it'd be published
Recs: Two recommendations from very well known profs, which should both be strong, one recommendation from a slightly less well known prof who's something of a rising star and also knows me well enough to write a very strong letter. They have all expressed willingness to make calls and the latter prof already has.
2L/3L/alum: 2L
Where applying: Everywhere, circuit and district
Other: EDIT: I took this template from an earlier poster--not actually FedSoc board member although am a regular member.

I have had one COA interview so far but have heard nothing back.

Thoughts on my chances to get a COA somewhere? DC Cir. is surely out but I wonder if I could pick up a non-major-city 9th Cir. I'd also be interested in my chances to get a district...

[Anonymous User]

Since we're doing this, I'd also be interested in hearing chances:

School range: HYS
Rank: Top 25%? Hard to tell, but no class prizes
LR: Yes
Published: not yet, but have a paper I submitted to a large national writing competition pending as a finalist; if it won it'd be published
Recs: Two recommendations from very well known profs, which should both be strong, one recommendation from a slightly less well known prof who's something of a rising star and also knows me well enough to write a very strong letter. They have all expressed willingness to make calls and the latter prof already has.
2L/3L/alum: 2L
Where applying: Everywhere, circuit and district
Other: For what it's worth to conservative judges, also a Federalist Society board member

I have had one COA interview so far but have heard nothing back.

Thoughts on my chances to get a COA somewhere? DC Cir. is surely out but I wonder if I could pick up a non-major-city 9th Cir. I'd also be interested in my chances to get a district...

It's relevant here which of HYS you go to. Also, keep in mind that clerkships are more about individual judges than circuits, and also to a degree where you plan to practice, so just be aware of that, since your mention of "non-major-city 9th Cir." and "D.C. Cir is surely out" has the feel of US News style rankings.

[Anonymous User]

I thought about not including that because it had shades of the US News-ness to it. I don't care about alleged "circuit prestige"--it's just that I'd like to be in DC so if I had had the grades, I'd have wanted D.C. Cir. And I only mentioned "non-major-city" 9th Cir. Judges because the ones in major cities like SF seem to tend to lean more towards being super grade conscious than ones elsewhere.

[Anonymous User]

Since we're doing this, I'd also be interested in hearing chances:

School range: HYS
Rank: Top 25%? Hard to tell, but no class prizes
LR: Yes
Published: not yet, but have a paper I submitted to a large national writing competition pending as a finalist; if it won it'd be published
Recs: Two recommendations from very well known profs, which should both be strong, one recommendation from a slightly less well known prof who's something of a rising star and also knows me well enough to write a very strong letter. They have all expressed willingness to make calls and the latter prof already has.
2L/3L/alum: 2L
Where applying: Everywhere, circuit and district
Other: For what it's worth to conservative judges, also a Federalist Society board member

I have had one COA interview so far but have heard nothing back.

Thoughts on my chances to get a COA somewhere? DC Cir. is surely out but I wonder if I could pick up a non-major-city 9th Cir. I'd also be interested in my chances to get a district...

It's relevant here which of HYS you go to. Also, keep in mind that clerkships are more about individual judges than circuits, and also to a degree where you plan to practice, so just be aware of that, since your mention of "non-major-city 9th Cir." and "D.C. Cir is surely out" has the feel of US News style rankings.

(not OP)

I think it's fairly common knowledge that the SF and LA judges are generally more grade sensitive and competitive than the rest of the 9th (and that DC judges are nearly impossible). It's more about supply and demand than it is about US News style ranking (e.g. consensus is that Judge Thomas in Montana is at least the equal to any SF/LA judge in terms of his reputation, but far fewer of the "top" students at HYS are willing to clerk in Billings). But OP should apply to the few of those positions still available - a stamp is cheap, judges are peculiar, and there's always a chance that something in your application will garner their interest.

To OP: What are your chances? Who knows. I had very similar stats to you (though w/o the LR) and just recently landed a COA clerkship in a major "flyover" city. But I also got several rejections. I think candidates like us are in a very good, but not sure, spot.

The things on my resume that impressed the judge were not things that I thought would be impressive to a COA judge (he didn't care about my aversion to black letter law classes and he loved my "low-prestige," but slightly unusual, 1L summer job).

Which is to say, these things aren't very predictable for those of us who are on the cusp. Apply widely, use your school network to contact current clerks in chambers or recent grads and figure out what judges are looking for, and make sure to have your professors make calls to judges you are particularly interested in - I'm 99% sure that my conversation with a current HYS clerk in chambers got my application put in front of the judge and that a call from a professor before my interview sealed the deal.

[Anonymous User]

Per OCS email, Judge Berzon (9th Circuit) is done hiring for 2014.

[Anonymous User]

Since we're doing this, I'd also be interested in hearing chances:
[helpful response from other HYS student omitted]

Thanks so much for this. Quite helpful, and it's what I've been doing--I understand that I'm not a lock anywhere and am applying broadly and leaning on what connections I have.