On Plan Clerkships 2011 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is it too late to apply?

[nleefer]

My school's CDO suggests that if we have interviews with judges our recommenders haven't called yet it is a good idea to have one call before the interview. Does anyone have thoughts on how helpful this would be? If it is helpful, when might be the best time to call? Day before the interview? Morning of?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from the SDFL?

[Citizen Genet]

For the person asking about 11th, Hull hires VERY late. Like Christmas late.

To be honest, I'm not so sure I could work for a judge who signed that healthcare opinion. Not so much the result, which one could reasonably, I suppose, arrive at, but the reasoning, which was kind of a tortured mess. I'm having similar problems with one of the judges I'm interviewing with, although the opinion that's troubling me there isn't quite as bad - but bad enough that when I saw it I and everyone else I know who read it was pretty livid. Generally though, he's a thoughtful judge and he may have just missed the ball in that case.

ITT: Pompous law student ruminates on why certain judge's reasoning faculties are below his/her own.

[treant985]

For the person asking about 11th, Hull hires VERY late. Like Christmas late.

I remember that one of the judges I tried to parlay said that she doesn't hire til at least October and I should call back then if I didn't get another job. Must've been Hull--I couldn't remember til now. And don't forget that Frank Hull is a woman.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from the SDFL?

I'm interested in this as well.

[Anonymous User]

My school's CDO suggests that if we have interviews with judges our recommenders haven't called yet it is a good idea to have one call before the interview. Does anyone have thoughts on how helpful this would be? If it is helpful, when might be the best time to call? Day before the interview? Morning of?

There's two schools of thought to this. The first is that the absolute best time is the next day, when they can say "so and so really enjoyed meeting you and would love to come work for you." The second is that the next day could be too late if the judge decides the day of interviews. Your choice as to which gamble you take. (My own $0.02 is that I did it both ways and ended up clerking for the judge where I chose the riskier path.)

[Anonymous User]

To those that parlayed, how soon after you called did you hear back?

[Anonymous User]

Question bump: Anyone heard from judge Pregerson on the 9th circuit?

[Anonymous User]

Just asked my faculty recommender to make a post-interview call to chambers. Fingers crossed.

[Anonymous User]

For the person asking about 11th, Hull hires VERY late. Like Christmas late.

To be honest, I'm not so sure I could work for a judge who signed that healthcare opinion. Not so much the result, which one could reasonably, I suppose, arrive at, but the reasoning, which was kind of a tortured mess. I'm having similar problems with one of the judges I'm interviewing with, although the opinion that's troubling me there isn't quite as bad - but bad enough that when I saw it I and everyone else I know who read it was pretty livid. Generally though, he's a thoughtful judge and he may have just missed the ball in that case.

ITT: Pompous law student ruminates on why certain judge's reasoning faculties are below his/her own.

The cause is genetics, I imagine. Or the genetics of her clerks; she didn't write that 200-page monstrosity.

[Anonymous User]

I had thought that Pregerson was hiring much earlier in the summer...

[Anonymous User]

From what I can tell he usually follows the plan or even hires late, and he still has oscar postings open. But maybe he changed his method this year.

[Anonymous User]

My parlaying didn't get me anything (so far?) but it went very pleasantly.

In my anecdotal experience (which was a few LCHP cycles ago), parlaying is an effective tactic at least at the district court level. I got three additional interviews that way, from E.D. Va. (two) and N.D. Cal. (one), out of the ~ ten chambers total I called for parlaying purposes. (I didn't try parlaying in the hiring cycle in which I focused on COAs, when I was lucky to receive and accept a local COA offer swiftly as an alum, well ahead of the LCHP dates.) BTW, for folks' later reference, you should feel free to draw on your newly-developed parlaying skills in other contexts. I did a successful interview for a post-clerkship public sector position via parlay -- the employer actually allowed me to interview ahead of other candidates, whose resumes had not yet even been reviewed.

To inject some humor, some students take the concept of parlaying too far. At HLS my 3L year, one student attempted to "parlay" a Boston-based D. Mass. interview with other D. Mass. and 1st Circuit judges in whose chambers were located in downtown Boston. This was not well-received.

[traydeuce]

Well, I went 0-12 in parlaying on the district court level, even though the interview I did get was from one of the choosier judges in the district, and even though I have 3 COA interviews in 3 different circuits. Probably the trouble is that my resume is entirely appellate; there's really no reason, outside of my grades, to think I have either the ability or the desire to be a good district court clerk.

[Anonymous User]

Well, I went 0-12 in parlaying on the district court level, even though the interview I did get was from one of the choosier judges in the district, and even though I have 3 COA interviews in 3 different circuits. Probably the trouble is that my resume is entirely appellate; there's really no reason, outside of my grades, to think I have either the ability or the desire to be a good district court clerk.

That's interesting. How is your resume geared toward appellate so much more than district?

[traydeuce]

Well, I went 0-12 in parlaying on the district court level, even though the interview I did get was from one of the choosier judges in the district, and even though I have 3 COA interviews in 3 different circuits. Probably the trouble is that my resume is entirely appellate; there's really no reason, outside of my grades, to think I have either the ability or the desire to be a good district court clerk.

That's interesting. How is your resume geared toward appellate so much more than district?

By never having had an SA position and interning for COA judges both summers. Also by my courseload, things my recommenders said about me, the sort of research I did, note topic, etc.

[Anonymous User]

I just got a D.D.C. call. Unfortunately, I had COA interviews on the 2 days they wanted, so I had to push it to Tuesday... cancel a flyover COA interview and try to take a Friday/Monday spot? I do really want DC.

[Anonymous User]

Received call from a clerk for judge in same courthouse where I'm interviewing tomorrow. One successful parlay out of ~20 calls made yesterday. Good enough for me. More might come.

[Anonymous User]

So, wait - did we decide the protocol on thank-you notes?

[Anonymous User]

How do you (or do you never) postpone an interview? I got a call from a D.D.C. judge whose Thursday was booked and wanted to put me on Friday or Monday. Friday was impossible because I was seeing a flyover COA judge who says I'm his first choice, and Monday was also impossible because I'm seeing another regional COA judge. It'd be crazy to cancel a guy who says you're his first choice, or even to move him, but as to the Monday regional COA judge (whom I actually like a good deal, but not as much as anyone on D.D.C.), can I attempt to postpone? He's interviewing all week, so I won't lose him. What do you say, if that's considered acceptable?

[Anonymous User]

How do you (or do you never) postpone an interview? I got a call from a D.D.C. judge whose Thursday was booked and wanted to put me on Friday or Monday. Friday was impossible because I was seeing a flyover COA judge who says I'm his first choice, and Monday was also impossible because I'm seeing another regional COA judge. It'd be crazy to cancel a guy who says you're his first choice, or even to move him, but as to the Monday regional COA judge (whom I actually like a good deal, but not as much as anyone on D.D.C.), can I attempt to postpone? He's interviewing all week, so I won't lose him. What do you say, if that's considered acceptable?

Delicate question. I think this is one for a faculty advisor, as I can see it going both ways. One option: go to the Monday COA interview but decline to accept any offers before you get a chance to complete all your interviews.

The trouble is that the Friday guy is likely to give me an offer. And that offer may not stay open until Tuesday. It might not even stay open until Monday. The D.D.C. judge is conducting interviews on Thursday, Friday and Monday for 2 spots, and I fear I have no chance if I wait until Tuesday. Then again, I'm not sure what chance I have at all. He booked his whole Thursday before he called me. At best I'm his 5th or 6th choice - though surely, some of his top choices may get offers from the Lamberths of the world.

[Anonymous User]

I went on an interview with a dist. ct. judge last Friday, off plan. He said he was interviewing around 12 people for 2 slots. I believe Friday was the first day of interviews.

I know at least 4 interviews were conducted last Friday (my day). I am wondering when I will hear back, as they surely must be close to finished with the 8 other interviews by today, or at the latest by tomorrow.

Will I hear back by this Friday, Sept. 16th?? Or do they take time after interviews and sit on apps for a while?????????

Getting anxious.. thanks in advance

[Anonymous User]

I just read through the entire thread and didn't see any mention of any S.D. Cal judges, which are my first choice.

Anyone?

[Anonymous User]

Where is a good place to find information on judges in secondary markets? I have some interviews coming up with Delaware bankruptcy and state judges and they aren't well covered in the usual web gossip sites.