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Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:52 pm
by reaisan
Hello!

Even TTT schools claim they're a great foot-in-the doors for state clerkships. :( So, I wanted to ask where others have looked to determine schools with good clerkship prospects. I can't seem to find much reliable stuff unless its about biglaw.

Is it really as simple as excelling in the top school in your state?

I'd like to be in Georgia (so Emory or UGA) or near DC (So MD, VA schools too) ideally.

Lastly, does one still shoot for the strongest school in your region if a federal position is your end goal? Seems like HYS or bust in the number of clerkships offered. How else do you get federal offers?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:11 am
by nosaj123

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:49 am
by vamedic03
If you want to clerk for a federal judge, go to the best school you can get into and do as well as possible.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:15 pm
by francisConn
reaisan wrote:Hello!

Even TTT schools claim they're a great foot-in-the doors for state clerkships. :( So, I wanted to ask where others have looked to determine schools with good clerkship prospects. I can't seem to find much reliable stuff unless its about biglaw.

Is it really as simple as excelling in the top school in your state?

I'd like to be in Georgia (so Emory or UGA) or near DC (So MD, VA schools too) ideally.

Lastly, does one still shoot for the strongest school in your region if a federal position is your end goal? Seems like HYS or bust in the number of clerkships offered. How else do you get federal offers?

Thanks in advance.
Luckily for you, op, Georgia apparently places unusually well in federal clerkships.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:54 pm
by vamedic03
francisConn wrote:
reaisan wrote:Hello!

Even TTT schools claim they're a great foot-in-the doors for state clerkships. :( So, I wanted to ask where others have looked to determine schools with good clerkship prospects. I can't seem to find much reliable stuff unless its about biglaw.

Is it really as simple as excelling in the top school in your state?

I'd like to be in Georgia (so Emory or UGA) or near DC (So MD, VA schools too) ideally.

Lastly, does one still shoot for the strongest school in your region if a federal position is your end goal? Seems like HYS or bust in the number of clerkships offered. How else do you get federal offers?

Thanks in advance.
Luckily for you, op, Georgia apparently places unusually well in federal clerkships.
Probably not so well ITE.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:59 pm
by reaisan
Thanks, Francis!

Touche, Vamedic! ITE, the numbers may go down, but that's still good news.

14% of UGA 2009 got a judicial clerkship. Not sure how much faith to put in to it, or if that's a decent number.

This school would definitely be great for state clerkships.

As for federal placement, I'd still like people's opinions on schools.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:33 pm
by reversejinx
nosaj123 wrote:2008 clerkship placement:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... iii_clerks
I'm not sure these stats are actually helpful. Is it really because Duke (not a top 10 school) places better in Art. III clerkships than NYU (a T6)? Or is it because fewer NYU grads apply for a clerkship in the first place? The same for Vandy and Georgia compared to Michigan and Berkeley. Along with percentages of graduating classes, we'd need to see percentages of applications. Or even knowing what percentage of all Art. III clerks come from each school would be more helpful.

Re: Schools/Paths for Clerkships

Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:08 pm
by RPK34
reversejinx wrote:
nosaj123 wrote:2008 clerkship placement:
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... iii_clerks
I'm not sure these stats are actually helpful. Is it really because Duke (not a top 10 school) places better in Art. III clerkships than NYU (a T6)? Or is it because fewer NYU grads apply for a clerkship in the first place? The same for Vandy and Georgia compared to Michigan and Berkeley. Along with percentages of graduating classes, we'd need to see percentages of applications. Or even knowing what percentage of all Art. III clerks come from each school would be more helpful.
Well NYU grads probably apply to more competitive districts as well. Duke probably does very well in the south with federal clerkship placement, and a federal judge in that district might even favor a Duke grad over an NYU grad.