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Please utilize this thread to post news regarding the 2015-2016 clerkship term, including: rumors regarding when judges will or did being interviewing, rumors regarding which judges have completed hiring, general and specific information regarding judges and the clerkship process, questions regarding the application process, and any other application information relevant to the 2015-2016 term.

Note: This thread is for all federal clerkship news, not just COA.

Also please be aware that some judges listed as having completed hiring may be unconfirmed. Further, keep checking as sometimes that status can change.


Judges That Have Been Reported to Have Completed Hiring for the 2015 Term
(I will update periodically and include the source next to the name)

Second Circuit
Sack (per OSCAR)
Calabresi (per OSCAR)
Cabranes (confirmed)

Third Circuit
McKee
Smith
Greenaway

Ninth Circuit
Milan Smith (per OSCAR)

DC Circuit
Silberman

DDC
Boasberg (per OSCAR)
Bates (per OSCAR; also confirmed via call to chambers)

SDNY
Baer
Batts
Cote
Furman
McMahon
Ramos
Torres
Forrest

I understand that some feeders have begun moving:

Sack: Done (per OSCAR)
McKeown: Listed on OSCAR that she would begin reviewing on August 1
Kavanaugh: Already hired one maybe

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Anyone else have any other news?

Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

Firstly, I am in the southeast, so take this advice FWIW. I sent district and COA applications in March of this year for 2014; applying to all district judges across the southeast. I received positive feedback for the most part, with the most calls coming in June and July, and several others coming in May. In hindsight, I wished I had applied late January, early February instead of in March. And I would assume judges in the northeast may move even earlier than those in the southeast.

McKee and Smith on the 3rd are done for 2015.

Anonymous User wrote:McKee and Smith on the 3rd are done for 2015.

Source?

Per Oscar, Calabresi is done.

Per Oscar, Milan Smith on the 9th is done.

Anonymous User wrote:Per Oscar, Calabresi is done.

On the 2nd.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

Firstly, I am in the southeast, so take this advice FWIW. I sent district and COA applications in March of this year for 2014; applying to all district judges across the southeast. I received positive feedback for the most part, with the most calls coming in June and July, and several others coming in May. In hindsight, I wished I had applied late January, early February instead of in March. And I would assume judges in the northeast may move even earlier than those in the southeast.

Did you apply as an alum? When did you ask your professors for LORs? Did you ask your employer?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

Firstly, I am in the southeast, so take this advice FWIW. I sent district and COA applications in March of this year for 2014; applying to all district judges across the southeast. I received positive feedback for the most part, with the most calls coming in June and July, and several others coming in May. In hindsight, I wished I had applied late January, early February instead of in March. And I would assume judges in the northeast may move even earlier than those in the southeast.

Did you apply as an alum? When did you ask your professors for LORs? Did you ask your employer?

I applied as a 2L (so all my apps were paper since I could not send via OSCAR).

I began giving a heads up to professors about LORs in the fall, roughly November, before fall exams. That way they had time to prepare. Also, you want to talk to professors early to get at the front of the line since presumably there will be other students applying as well.

I did not ask my law firm employers for recommendations, although it does seem like a few judges here and there request professional recommendations. I did get a recommendation from a COA judge I had previously externed for. But this is only because he offered (from what I understand, most judge will not write rec letters and will at most allow you to put them on a references list).

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

I agree with the person above that Jan/Feb isn't out of line. (I applied as an alum and mailed stuff right after graduation, but the plan deadline was still Labor Day at that point, and I think judges are hiring earlier and earlier.)

There are rumors if interviews in the third circuit thread. Can anyone confirm or provide more information?

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

I agree with the person above that Jan/Feb isn't out of line. (I applied as an alum and mailed stuff right after graduation, but the plan deadline was still Labor Day at that point, and I think judges are hiring earlier and earlier.)

Just to clarify, you applied right after graduation for the following year, right?

Anonymous User wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Going to apply as an alum (I'll be one year out of law school by the this cycle clerkship would start), so when should I aim to have my apps out by for district court judges in the Northeast. (Sorry if this is somewhat off the topic of rumors/confirmed hires)

I agree with the person above that Jan/Feb isn't out of line. (I applied as an alum and mailed stuff right after graduation, but the plan deadline was still Labor Day at that point, and I think judges are hiring earlier and earlier.)

Just to clarify, you applied right after graduation for the following year, right?

Yup, sorry to be unclear. Applied May 2011 for 2012-13 clerkship (got hired in July 2011).

Anonymous User wrote:I understand that some feeders have begun moving:

Sack: Done (per OSCAR)
McKeown: Listed on OSCAR that she would begin reviewing on August 1
Kavanaugh: Already hired one maybe

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Anyone else have any other news?

Kavanaugh has hired two and Tatel has hired one. Both have posted some information about this on OSCAR. On DDC, Boasberg and Bates are full through '15.

Clerkship quest says Kethledge (6th) is done, but I have no personal knowledge of that.

Anonymous User wrote:Clerkship quest says Kethledge (6th) is done, but I have no personal knowledge of that.

All I could find on there was a poster confirming 2 spots have been filled for 2015-2016. Do you a link to the info? I only want to update the top page if I have a reasonable certainty that a judge is done, as opposed to rumor.

jrsheppa wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Clerkship quest says Kethledge (6th) is done, but I have no personal knowledge of that.

All I could find on there was a poster confirming 2 spots have been filled for 2015-2016. Do you a link to the info? I only want to update the top page if I have a reasonable certainty that a judge is done, as opposed to rumor.

I would just hold off until someone with inside information can confirm or deny.

Cabranes (2d Cir.) is also full for 2015-'16 and has hired at least two for 2016-'17. (Close, and 100% trustworthy, secondhand knowledge.)

you can change to OP for Bates to "confirmed," I contacted chambers a few weeks back and was told so.

ZyzzBrah wrote:you can change to OP for Bates to "confirmed," I contacted chambers a few weeks back and was told so.

My experience is that if a judge has updated on OSCAR that a position is filled, its usually pretty ironclad (please correct me if I am wrong though).

Very interested in any district court judges moving.

Anonymous User wrote:Very interested in any district court judges moving.

In general, its usually EDNY, SDNY, and DDC that lead the early charge if I am not mistaken. Not that many judges outside those districts should be hiring until a little later in the year or next year.

I'm curious about which judges have been moving recently? Interviews, reviewing applications, etc?