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How quickly did everyone have their professors call judges after applications were sent? I figure about a week, but maybe that would be too soon if they haven't even had a chance to look at...

elipad wrote:How quickly did everyone have their professors call judges after applications were sent? I figure about a week, but maybe that would be too soon if they haven't even had a chance to look at...

Part of the reason you want professors to call is that if they don't, the judge or her clerks might never look at the application in the first place. Getting your app "pulled from the pile" is one of the big benefits of professor phone calls.

I would have your professors call as soon as you are certain that the application has arrived. So if you sent it via first class mail, I would wait a solid week. The one thing you don't want to do is have a professor call before the application is even there, because then the judge won't have anything to look at.

Does it ever make sense to have a professor that doesn't know the judge call? Or do I have to get lucky and hope my recommenders have a personal connection to the judges to whom I'm applying?

Anonymous User wrote:Does it ever make sense to have a professor that doesn't know the judge call? Or do I have to get lucky and hope my recommenders have a personal connection to the judges to whom I'm applying?

The answer to your first question is yes, it does make sense to have a prof call even if they don't know a judge. Many, though not all, judges will take the time to speak with a random prof. This should at least get your application noticed. How much weight this pulls all depends -- if the prof is exceptionally enthusiastic and puts themselves out there for you, this can carry substantial weight. As a side note, this is often times how a prof gets to know a judge -- by generating a track record of sending strong candidates to the judge.