Appellate OCI Interview Advice Forum

[Nebby]

Don't Go Hard for Appellate.

[Nebby]

What draws you to appellate practice so strongly?

[RaceJudicata]

What draws you to appellate practice so strongly?

^^

[Mr. Blackacre]

Paul Clement is very good-looking.

[Anonymous User]

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[zhenders]

OP, you're intolerable. Please don't apply to work at my firm.

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

OP, you're intolerable. Please don't apply to work at my firm.

Okay! Where do you work?

[Nebby]

What draws you to appellate practice so strongly?

I love the law in an abstract sense, the long term plan is to go into academia, much more interested in abstract legal problems and the types of modalities we can use to answer them than in factual disputes, I did debate and a lot of appellate argumentation is a natural extension of things which are second nature to me at this point and make intuitive sense, I've enjoyed at a fairly deep level everything appellate I've done, my interests in the longterm lie in Constitutional Law.

And Paul Clement is good looking.

What you've described is only about 15% of appellate lit. Most of appellate lit is using the record to construct a coherent argument in support of or against the district court opinion. Only when you're suing the government or defending the government do you ever really get to anything resembling what you've described. You should think strategically and long term. Only post-SCOTUS clerks will be able to work on those cases early in their career. That's why I recommended not to gun for Appellate, rather pick a firm where you have the ability to gain exposure and prove yourself elsewhere in order to move exclusively into appellate practice.

[Anonymous User]

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[Nebby]

What draws you to appellate practice so strongly?

I love the law in an abstract sense, the long term plan is to go into academia, much more interested in abstract legal problems and the types of modalities we can use to answer them than in factual disputes, I did debate and a lot of appellate argumentation is a natural extension of things which are second nature to me at this point and make intuitive sense, I've enjoyed at a fairly deep level everything appellate I've done, my interests in the longterm lie in Constitutional Law.

And Paul Clement is good looking.

What you've described is only about 15% of appellate lit. Most of appellate lit is using the record to construct a coherent argument in support of or against the district court opinion. Only when you're suing the government or defending the government do you ever really get to anything resembling what you've described. You should think strategically and long term. Only post-SCOTUS clerks will be able to work on those cases early in their career. That's why I recommended not to gun for Appellate, rather pick a firm where you have the ability to gain exposure and prove yourself elsewhere in order to move exclusively into appellate practice.

Really helpful, thank you!

Yup. Basically, I think the anon poster below really hit on the head what I'm talking about:

When you interview with Gibson, Kirkland, etc., it could make sense to highlight the open market assignment system as a plus and say that you are drawn to that because you want to do appellate litigation as part of your practice. I think it's easier to get staffed on an appeal in a firm with less rigid practice groups/assignment mechanisms. Then, if you do good work, you might get more. I would be clear that you are interested in appellate but be realistic about the fact that your practice will probably also include some trial-level stuff.

Also, I think trial court litigation experience will ultimately make you a better appellate attorney, because there are always abstract legal questions that arise throughout litigation. A trial level case I'm on recently ordered supplemental briefing on a pure question of law and the final product read like an appellate brief since facts did not matter as much in this particular issue.

[Anonymous User]

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