2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

Probably answered elsewhere, but when applying as a 2L who has accepted an offer, do you include that on the resume as a prospective job?

[Anonymous User]

does greenaway (3rd) generally post on oscar? I would have expected him to have moved for 2017 already.

[lawschool22]

Probably answered elsewhere, but when applying as a 2L who has accepted an offer, do you include that on the resume as a prospective job?

Yep

[Anonymous User]

does greenaway (3rd) generally post on oscar? I would have expected him to have moved for 2017 already.

He's in the process of considering applicants/offering interviews.

[Anonymous User]

I can confirm that non-feeder district courts have begun receiving (and reviewing) unsolicited applications. Things are moving early.

[Anonymous User]

i got a clerkship offer today. Message left and I'm supposed to call back. How long can I ask to sit on the offer normally? like I know some want it instantly and others don't care--i get each judge is different--but whats the longest that would even sound reasonable/ the longest you've heard allowed?

[Emma.]

i got a clerkship offer today. Message left and I'm supposed to call back. How long can I ask to sit on the offer normally? like I know some want it instantly and others don't care--i get each judge is different--but whats the longest that would even sound reasonable/ the longest you've heard allowed?

You should call back no later than tomorrow morning. From there it is going to depend on the judge. Some might expect you to accept on the spot, some might be happy to give you a few days to think about it -- maybe more if you have another interview coming up in the next week or so. More than a few days is going to be pushing it unless the judge tells you otherwise.

[Anonymous User]

Advice please. Say there is a judge who in past years has been on OSCAR. And in those years, he usually opens officially for applications in November (say 2014 for 2016 start). Your school has some direct lines into the judge -- enough to put in strong support after the app is in, but not enough to say "Hey judge it's professor x, stop your search before it starts, we have a clerk for you."

Do you (a) wait until judge officially opens for business on OSCAR or (b) send in a paper app unsolicited? (I guess I'm just generally confused about unsolicited. Like I could see why it's done because who wants to miss the chance, but could also see why it could backfire.)

[Anonymous User]

Advice please. Say there is a judge who in past years has been on OSCAR. And in those years, he usually opens officially for applications in November (say 2014 for 2016 start). Your school has some direct lines into the judge -- enough to put in strong support after the app is in, but not enough to say "Hey judge it's professor x, stop your search before it starts, we have a clerk for you."

Do you (a) wait until judge officially opens for business on OSCAR or (b) send in a paper app unsolicited? (I guess I'm just generally confused about unsolicited. Like I could see why it's done because who wants to miss the chance, but could also see why it could backfire.)

Call chambers and ask. If they tell you that they'll trash any unsolicited apps, wait until he posts on OSCAR. If not, go ahead and send it in, then get your school/profs/recommenders to call on your behalf as soon as the OSCAR post goes up.

[emkay625]

Advice please. Say there is a judge who in past years has been on OSCAR. And in those years, he usually opens officially for applications in November (say 2014 for 2016 start). Your school has some direct lines into the judge -- enough to put in strong support after the app is in, but not enough to say "Hey judge it's professor x, stop your search before it starts, we have a clerk for you."

Do you (a) wait until judge officially opens for business on OSCAR or (b) send in a paper app unsolicited? (I guess I'm just generally confused about unsolicited. Like I could see why it's done because who wants to miss the chance, but could also see why it could backfire.)

Just call chambers and ask. I've already had this call a few times.

[Anonymous User]

Advice please. Say there is a judge who in past years has been on OSCAR. And in those years, he usually opens officially for applications in November (say 2014 for 2016 start). Your school has some direct lines into the judge -- enough to put in strong support after the app is in, but not enough to say "Hey judge it's professor x, stop your search before it starts, we have a clerk for you."

Do you (a) wait until judge officially opens for business on OSCAR or (b) send in a paper app unsolicited? (I guess I'm just generally confused about unsolicited. Like I could see why it's done because who wants to miss the chance, but could also see why it could backfire.)

You use the direct lines to get your app into chambers. If nothing happens, you apply again on OSCAR.

Perhaps other have had other experiences, but in my chambers (2d/9th/DC Cir), if we are not looking at apps yet, that means we're not looking at them. Accordingly, no one is going to remember that you applied early and hold it against you or some such thing. The biggest challenge in getting hired, as far as I can tell, is getting your app pulled out of the massive pile of apps. You're 100x more likely to get looked at through a direct line than through OSCAR. And if you get pulled through a direct line and don't get hired, you were never going to get hired through OSCAR anyway.

[Anonymous User]

...no one is going to remember that you applied early and hold it against you or some such thing.

Can others confirm? (Probably just being a neurotic 2L, but I do worry about this.)

[Anonymous User]

...no one is going to remember that you applied early and hold it against you or some such thing.

Can others confirm? (Probably just being a neurotic 2L, but I do worry about this.)

Recently departed COA (feeder) clerk here. I agree with the prior poster. No harm in sending the app early.

[apa80]

...no one is going to remember that you applied early and hold it against you or some such thing.

Can others confirm? (Probably just being a neurotic 2L, but I do worry about this.)

Recently departed COA (feeder) clerk here. I agree with the prior poster. No harm in sending the app early.

It seems like you would also want to reach out to those "direct lines." If someone at the school has a strong connection and has placed clerks there before, they probably know how to get an application in front of the judge.

[Anonymous User]

I sent in an unsolicited app to a newly confirmed COA judge. The judge wrote me back personally to say they weren't reviewing apps yet but appreciated my interest. It wouldn't surprise me if that played a big part in bumping me to the front of the line when the judge started reviewing apps, and I ultimately got one of the first interviews and an offer on the spot.

As others have said, it can't hurt, and it may help you stand out a bit.

[Anonymous User]

does greenaway (3rd) generally post on oscar? I would have expected him to have moved for 2017 already.

He's in the process of considering applicants/offering interviews.

Do you have a sense of the number of interview invitations he extends?

[Anonymous User]

does greenaway (3rd) generally post on oscar? I would have expected him to have moved for 2017 already.

He's in the process of considering applicants/offering interviews.

Do you have a sense of the number of interview invitations he extends?

[Anonymous User]

I've had multiple interviews recently and no responses (nothing "yes" or "no" yet). Why do they do this to us? just interview people in a confined time period....

[Emma.]

I've had multiple interviews recently and no responses (nothing "yes" or "no" yet). Why do they do this to us? just interview people in a confined time period....

Believe it or not, judges actually have better things to do than hire clerks. Interviews are time consuming and it isn't all that easy to fit them into a judge's busy schedule.

[Anonymous User]

When does Fuentes (3rd) generally move? Anyone have any info?

[CourCour]

I've had multiple interviews recently and no responses (nothing "yes" or "no" yet). Why do they do this to us? just interview people in a confined time period....

Believe it or not, judges actually have better things to do than hire clerks. Interviews are time consuming and it isn't all that easy to fit them into a judge's busy schedule.

Students are busy too amd have to actually travel on their own dime to interviews. Also students have to do a balancing act because of all of the rules around accepting offers. Its not all that ridiculous to ask for a somewhat prompt response.

[codyoneill]

I've had multiple interviews recently and no responses (nothing "yes" or "no" yet). Why do they do this to us? just interview people in a confined time period....

Believe it or not, judges actually have better things to do than hire clerks. Interviews are time consuming and it isn't all that easy to fit them into a judge's busy schedule.

Students are busy too amd have to actually travel on their own dime to interviews. Also students have to do a balancing act because of all of the rules around accepting offers. Its not all that ridiculous to ask for a somewhat prompt response.

I think this is a pretty accurate assessment of the inefficiencies and frustrations (of future clerks and judges) of the current system.

http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/ ... _economics

[Anonymous User]

I've had multiple interviews recently and no responses (nothing "yes" or "no" yet). Why do they do this to us? just interview people in a confined time period....

Believe it or not, judges actually have better things to do than hire clerks. Interviews are time consuming and it isn't all that easy to fit them into a judge's busy schedule.

Students are busy too amd have to actually travel on their own dime to interviews. Also students have to do a balancing act because of all of the rules around accepting offers. Its not all that ridiculous to ask for a somewhat prompt response.

I think this is a pretty accurate assessment of the inefficiencies and frustrations (of future clerks and judges) of the current system.

http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/ ... _economics

[A. Nony Mouse]

Waiting does suck, but candidates can't always interview in the same timeframe, and if it's district court, trials can grind everything to a halt (I'd imagine that oral argument can have a similar effect at the COA level, especially if the judge is traveling.