2012 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

DNJ - Bumb & Wolfson made calls.

[Anonymous User]

Heartland District Judges
Marvin Aspen (NDIL)- Has made calls
Tim Baker (SDIN)
Harold Baker (CDIL)
Sarah Barker (SDIN)- Has made calls
William Bertelsman (EDKY)
Timothy Black (SDOH)- Filled per OSCAR
J. Breen (WDTN)- Filled per OSCAR
Paul Borman (EDMI)
Elaine Bucklo (NDIL)
David Bunning (EDKY)- Filled per OSCAR
James Carr (NDOH)
Ruben Castillo (NDIL) - Has made calls
Paul Cherry (NDIN)
Robert Cleland (EDMI)
Avern Cohn (EDMI)- Filled per OSCAR
Roger Cosbey (NDIN)
Barbara Crabb (WDWis)
John Darrah (NDIL)
Michael Davis (DMN)- Filled per OSCAR
David Doty (DMN)- Sent OSCAR rejection notices
Claire Eagan (NDOK)
Gary Feinerman (NDIL) - Filled per OSCAR
Nancy Freudenthal (DWY)
William Griesbach (EDWI)
James Gwin (NDOH)
Joe Heaton (WDOK)
John Heyburn (WDKY)
James Holderman (NDIL)
Alan Johnson (DWY)
Matthew Kennelly (NDIL)
Harry Leinenweber (NDIL) - Usually interviews very late (March 2013 for fall 2013 term)
Jon McCalla (WDTN)
Joe McDade (CDIL)
John Nixon (MDTN)- Expired per OSCAR
Franklin Noel (DMN)
Rebecca Pallmeyer (NDIL)- Has made calls
Gordon Quist (WDMI)
Danny Reeves (EDKY)
Linda Reade (NDIA)
Gerald Rosen (EDMI)
Charles Simpson (WDKY)
Theresa Springmann (NDIN)- Has made calls
Amy St. Eve (NDIL)- Has made calls, yes?
John Tunheim (DMN)
Joseph Van Bokkelen (NDIN)
James Zagel (NDIL) - Has made calls

Added some judges and updated some statuses

[Anonymous User]

OCD stupid question time. Is there any benefit to being first for interviews or last? Or is completely unimportant?

[Anonymous User]

IME:

For normal interviews, there is either no difference or there is marginal benefit to going later. The latter can be true when the interviewer speaks to a number of candidates before making his or her final decision. A strong, later candidate will be fresh in the interviewer's mind at decisionmaking time.

For clerkship interviews, there is either no difference or there is marginal benefit to going earlier. This is because some judges will make exploding or short-term response offers to early candidates without waiting to talk to later candidates. Thus, in some chambers, a later interview may mean that you get offered a clerkship for a subsequent term - or, in the worst-case scenario, that your interview is cancelled because the judge has extended all of his or her offers. I think it is prudent to ask for the earliest interview times possible for the judges in whom you are most interested. However, also remember that you don't have all that much control over timing considerations: a chambers may unilaterally offer you a specific slot on a specific day, or your other interviews and travel plans may limit your availability to meet with a particular judge. And, many judges are considerate enough to interview all of their candidates before extending offers (in which case my first paragraph about later candidates being fresher in their minds would still hold true.) So don't panic if you are necessarily later on a judge's interview schedule or cannot tell when you are interviewing relative to the other candidates. Just take the interview and do your best.

ClerkAnon

[Anonymous User]

Heartland District Judges
Marvin Aspen (NDIL)- Has made calls
Tim Baker (SDIN)
Harold Baker (CDIL)
Sarah Barker (SDIN)- Has made calls
William Bertelsman (EDKY)
Timothy Black (SDOH)- Filled per OSCAR
J. Breen (WDTN)- Filled per OSCAR
Paul Borman (EDMI)
Elaine Bucklo (NDIL)
David Bunning (EDKY)- Filled per OSCAR
James Carr (NDOH)
Ruben Castillo (NDIL) - Has made calls
Paul Cherry (NDIN)
Robert Cleland (EDMI)
Avern Cohn (EDMI)- Filled per OSCAR
Roger Cosbey (NDIN)
Barbara Crabb (WDWis)
John Darrah (NDIL)
Michael Davis (DMN)- Filled per OSCAR
David Doty (DMN)- Sent OSCAR rejection notices
Claire Eagan (NDOK)
Gary Feinerman (NDIL) - Filled per OSCAR
Nancy Freudenthal (DWY)
William Griesbach (EDWI)
James Gwin (NDOH)
Joe Heaton (WDOK)
John Heyburn (WDKY)
James Holderman (NDIL)
Alan Johnson (DWY)
Matthew Kennelly (NDIL)
Harry Leinenweber (NDIL) - Usually interviews very late (March 2013 for fall 2013 term)
Jon McCalla (WDTN)
Joe McDade (CDIL)
John Nixon (MDTN)- Expired per OSCAR
Franklin Noel (DMN)
Rebecca Pallmeyer (NDIL)- Has made calls
Gordon Quist (WDMI)
Danny Reeves (EDKY)
Linda Reade (NDIA)
Gerald Rosen (EDMI)
Charles Simpson (WDKY)
Theresa Springmann (NDIN)- Has made calls
Amy St. Eve (NDIL)- Has made calls, yes?
John Tunheim (DMN)
Joseph Van Bokkelen (NDIN)
James Zagel (NDIL) - Has made calls

Added some judges and updated some statuses

Cleland made calls on Friday as did Polster (ND Ohio)

[Anonymous User]

DNJ - Bumb & Wolfson made calls.

Today or Friday?

[ndirish2010]

Van Bokkelen (NDIN) rejections today, said he's filled.

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

Can 3L's that struck out do anything to bolster their application? My grades are good, I had professors/current clerks go to bat, I signaled willingness to clerk in 13-14 and 14-15, and I had a note queued for publication. I can't become EIC of a journal, or make LR, or redo my mediocre first semester at this point. Is anything possible beyond continuing to do well and sending out another 150 apps off plan?

[Anonymous User]

FWIW I'm a little above median at a T14. Not really all that competitive for District Courts. But my clerkship advisor was telling me the other day that I'd be a fairly competitive applicant with a state court clerkship + a couple years of firm work if I wanted to apply again in the future.

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

Can 3L's that struck out do anything to bolster their application? My grades are good, I had professors/current clerks go to bat, I signaled willingness to clerk in 13-14 and 14-15, and I had a note queued for publication. I can't become EIC of a journal, or make LR, or redo my mediocre first semester at this point. Is anything possible beyond continuing to do well and sending out another 150 apps off plan?

Only thing I can think of is getting some work experience. Sounds like you've done everything else you can.

[Anonymous User]

Any updates on Texas judges? Haven't heard of much in this thread, so I'm hoping they are just slow movers.

[Anonymous User]

Any updates on Texas judges? Haven't heard of much in this thread, so I'm hoping they are just slow movers.

Godbey and Fitzwater have called. Not sure about others.

[Anonymous User]

Reade is conducting interviews (NDIA)

[Anonymous User]

About to take a red-eye to Flyover Country, and I'm on the West Coast, so I'll also be interviewing at 6:30am my time. I'm going to look & feel like a bag of assholes tomorrow.

[Anonymous User]

So what are some good questions to ask during an interview?

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

Can 3L's that struck out do anything to bolster their application? My grades are good, I had professors/current clerks go to bat, I signaled willingness to clerk in 13-14 and 14-15, and I had a note queued for publication. I can't become EIC of a journal, or make LR, or redo my mediocre first semester at this point. Is anything possible beyond continuing to do well and sending out another 150 apps off plan?

Who's to say you've struck out already? Don't give up yet.

[Anonymous User]

Any news on O'Grady (EDVA)?

[Anonymous User]

Good luck to everyone interviewing today!

[Anonymous User]

I am a 3L and was offered a clerkship for 2014-2015 verbally by Judge of which I accepted. There is no paperwork between us and since this is so far in the future I'm a little nervous s/he will forget...or is a verbal agreement sufficient for a clerkship 2 years into the future? I did write the Judge confirming our "agreement" and how excited I was.

For those of you that have had clerkship offers, for confirmation of the clerkship, is it verbal or is there paperwork I should be asking for?

What & when would be my next steps? June 2013, call chambers to reaffirm this?

Also Chambers said I need not reapply. Does this mean I don't have to worry about my 3L grades?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous User]

I am a 3L and was offered a clerkship for 2014-2015 verbally by Judge of which I accepted. There is no paperwork between us and since this is so far in the future I'm a little nervous s/he will forget...or is a verbal agreement sufficient for a clerkship 2 years into the future? I did write the Judge confirming our "agreement" and how excited I was.

For those of you that have had clerkship offers, for confirmation of the clerkship, is it verbal or is there paperwork I should be asking for?

What & when would be my next steps? June 2013, call chambers to reaffirm this?

Also Chambers said I need not reapply. Does this mean I don't have to worry about my 3L grades?

Thanks so much!

I also accepted a clerkship verbally earlier this week. The judge said, however, that he/she would send an "official letter" my way. I wouldn't worry if I were you. I doubt your judge is going to forget. I would have suggested emailing the judge, but you already did this.

[Anonymous User]

Today or Friday?[/quote]

DNJ - Bumb & Wolfson made calls.

One Friday, One Wednesday

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

Can 3L's that struck out do anything to bolster their application? My grades are good, I had professors/current clerks go to bat, I signaled willingness to clerk in 13-14 and 14-15, and I had a note queued for publication. I can't become EIC of a journal, or make LR, or redo my mediocre first semester at this point. Is anything possible beyond continuing to do well and sending out another 150 apps off plan?

Who's to say you've struck out already? Don't give up yet.

Even if you did strike out this time around, the fact that you got calls/interviews through the plan is a very strong signal that you have the right stuff and you will get a clerkship if you stick with it for the next round. Also, applying as a 3L gives you the opportunity to apply to the growing number of judges who only consider alums with at least 1 YR post LS work-experience. Keep working your networks (school alums/job contacts), keep your grades up this semester, and keep the faith.

[Anonymous User]

I am more than half-convinced my interview tomorrow is simply for the judge to berate me for wasting his time with my application.

Can 3L's that struck out do anything to bolster their application? My grades are good, I had professors/current clerks go to bat, I signaled willingness to clerk in 13-14 and 14-15, and I had a note queued for publication. I can't become EIC of a journal, or make LR, or redo my mediocre first semester at this point. Is anything possible beyond continuing to do well and sending out another 150 apps off plan?

Who's to say you've struck out already? Don't give up yet.

Even if you did strike out this time around, the fact that you got calls/interviews through the plan is a very strong signal that you have the right stuff and you will get a clerkship if you stick with it for the next round. Also, applying as a 3L gives you the opportunity to apply to the growing number of judges who only consider alums with at least 1 YR post LS work-experience. Keep working your networks (school alums/job contacts), keep your grades up this semester, and keep the faith.

Thanks for the encouragement, except that I didn't receive any calls.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the encouragement, except that I didn't receive any calls.

Oh sorry about that, I misread. But the same advice still holds true - and FWIW I know plenty of strong candidates who didn't receive calls this time around.