2012 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just got a District Court offer, I am done!

Congratulations! Willing to say what court?

MDNC

can I ask which judge? Through OSCAR? Stats/how you got the interview?

Another poster but, even if you don't want to give the judge, how about a city?

[Anonymous User]

Curious if anyone on here interviewed in Western Dist. of TN and received an offer?

Accepted 2013 offer in W.D. Tenn.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from outside of the continental US?

[Anonymous User]

Curious if anyone on here interviewed in Western Dist. of TN and received an offer?

Accepted 2013 offer in W.D. Tenn.

Congrats. Would you mind saying with which judge?

[the lantern]

Probably a dumb question, but I've been absolutely slammed with work lately (over the summer I was working 1 full time job & 2 part time jobs and I'm currently working 2 part time jobs, going to school, and teaching a couple of classes a week) and I haven't submitted my clerkship applications yet. Should I even bother? I go to a good school, have good grades, am an editor on the law review, and want to clerk more than any other job, but I just haven't had time. I can possibly get everything in by Wednesday or Thursday. Part of me says there is nothing to lose here (except some time/stress), but it sounds like the judges look at their OSCAR applications right away, which I wasn't expecting. Thoughts? And sorry if this is disrupting your nuts/bolts discussion on judge hiring.

[Anonymous User]

Probably a dumb question, but I've been absolutely slammed with work lately (over the summer I was working 1 full time job & 2 part time jobs and I'm currently working 2 part time jobs, going to school, and teaching a couple of classes a week) and I haven't submitted my clerkship applications yet. Should I even bother? I go to a good school, have good grades, am an editor on the law review, and want to clerk more than any other job, but I just haven't had time. I can possibly get everything in by Wednesday or Thursday. Part of me says there is nothing to lose here (except some time/stress), but it sounds like the judges look at their OSCAR applications right away, which I wasn't expecting. Thoughts? And sorry if this is disrupting your nuts/bolts discussion on judge hiring.

There will always be a handful of judges who hire after the plan for the term. Further, there will probably be a small smattering of district court confirmations, and they'll need to hire clerks quickly (although they often have a strong preference for previous clerks/alumni). Otherwise, you'll have to wait and apply in the spring as an alumni for 2014 clerkships and 2015 clerkships.

A final point, and one that bears frequent repeating here, the hiring plan, while still in existence, continues to deteriorate every year. I would be surprised if much more than 50% of district court judges or 1/3 of COA judges wait until the plan to hire. Applications need to be submitted in the Spring and Summer, and certainly not after the plan.

-DoubleClerk

[the lantern]

Yeah I know that. I had my LORs ready to go in March, but I just couldn't find the time to get everything ready to go. There were weeks on end where all I did was work every day all day, and I just had no time/energy to write hundreds of cover letters/lick envelopes/modify my LR note subsequent to a late SCOTUS decision that changed a part of my analysis, etc. Thanks for the information. I think I'm a pretty good candidates for other jobs (i.e. I'm not going to be unemployed/homeless), I just could see myself being a career clerk and possibly a judge someday. I'll try to get my applications in this week, and see what happens.

[Anonymous User]

Another poster but, even if you don't want to give the judge, how about a city?

If you post under an actual name, I'll PM you.

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

Different Anon interested in any insights as well.

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

Different Anon interested in any insights as well.

third

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

Personally, I lined up my 2013-2014 D.Ct. clerkship early this summer (between 2L and 3L), and then got my 2014-2015 COA clerkship on plan this past week.

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

Different Anon interested in any insights as well.

I got my district court clerkship in the spring of 2011 (12-13 clerkship). I sent out a handful on applications on plan in fall of '11 for '13-'14 clerkships. I then sent out a packet of applications in the Spring of 2012 (I think late March, early April). I did interviews in May and June and accepted a '13 clerkship in mid June. I didn't start my 12-13 clerkship until end of July. I talked to my district court judge prior to applying and got some good advice. My judge also let me make it clear in my cover letters that s/he would be happy to speak with any judges about me.

-DoubleClerk

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

Different Anon interested in any insights as well.

I got my district court clerkship in the spring of 2011 (12-13 clerkship). I sent out a handful on applications on plan in fall of '11 for '13-'14 clerkships. I then sent out a packet of applications in the Spring of 2012 (I think late March, early April). I did interviews in May and June and accepted a '13 clerkship in mid June. I didn't start my 12-13 clerkship until end of July. I talked to my district court judge prior to applying and got some good advice. My judge also let me make it clear in my cover letters that s/he would be happy to speak with any judges about me.

-DoubleClerk

So your advice would generally be to talk to your District judge before sending out any COA apps? Did you use the same recommendation letters that you used when applying to the D. Ct. clerkships?

[ClerkAnon]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

I did not do back-to-back DCt --> COA, partly for the reason you named. Here was my reasoning: I wanted to clerk specifically on the Ninth Circuit, ideally for an active judge in order to experience the court's robust en banc process fully. I felt that I wasn't a lock with active judges based on my grades (just outside of top ten percent) and my lack of law review. I didn't test that theory by applying to the Ninth Circuit my first time around; I applied exclusively to DCt judges in that cycle. But I felt that I'd have the best shot at nailing down the circuit clerkship that I wanted if my application was supported by my district judge once he was able to comment on my whole clerkship. So I decided to wait and apply as a law firm associate.

The advantages of this approach were:
- I was invited to interviews with judges who (1) preferred more than one year of work experience post-LS or (2) had worked at my biglaw firm.
- I was able to pay down the vast majority of my loans before leaving my firm.
- I started my second clerkship higher on the JSP scale because I was credited for my first clerkship and work experience, so that slightly eased the financial blow of leaving the firm - though the blow is immense, period.
- I wanted to move from biglaw to the public sector, and a clerkship is a time-honored way to leave a firm without really burning bridges.

The main disadvantage was a choppier first few years out of law school: clerkship 1 --> firm --> clerkship 2 --> non-firm job is a lot of career movement, even though I was lucky to remain in the same region throughout. For people with significant others or dependents, this might be much less feasible - especially if the clerkships require relocating out of region.

[Anonymous User]

Question for those who went from District to Circuit clerkships: did you start applying for the next term even before you started your D. Ct. clerkship? I'm starting in late August and that is really close to the on-plan application date, isn't that too late for a lot of Circuit judges when applying for 2014? And it also seems too early because the D. Ct. judge could not recommend you after working with you for a week or so.

I did not do back-to-back DCt --> COA, partly for the reason you named. Here was my reasoning: I wanted to clerk specifically on the Ninth Circuit, ideally for an active judge in order to experience the court's robust en banc process fully. I felt that I wasn't a lock with active judges based on my grades (just outside of top ten percent) and my lack of law review. I didn't test that theory by applying to the Ninth Circuit my first time around; I applied exclusively to DCt judges in that cycle. But I felt that I'd have the best shot at nailing down the circuit clerkship that I wanted if my application was supported by my district judge once he was able to comment on my whole clerkship. So I decided to wait and apply as a law firm associate.

The advantages of this approach were:
- I was invited to interviews with judges who (1) preferred more than one year of work experience post-LS or (2) had worked at my biglaw firm.
- I was able to pay down the vast majority of my loans before leaving my firm.
- I started my second clerkship higher on the JSP scale because I was credited for my first clerkship and work experience, so that slightly eased the financial blow of leaving the firm - though the blow is immense, period.
- I wanted to move from biglaw to the public sector, and a clerkship is a time-honored way to leave a firm without really burning bridges.

The main disadvantage was a choppier first few years out of law school: clerkship 1 --> firm --> clerkship 2 --> non-firm job is a lot of career movement, even though I was lucky to remain in the same region throughout. For people with significant others or dependents, this might be much less feasible - especially if the clerkships require relocating out of region.

That's really helpful and makes a lot of sense. I really kind of want to avoid the choppiness, but I'm also not dead set on doing a COA clerkship. I think I'd love it, but I plan on applying for firm jobs next year also. Wasn't sure firms would want to hire if they knew that I would likely leave for a COA clerkship in a year or two.

[Anonymous User]

Any offers received from S.D. Cal?

[Anonymous User]

Any offers received from S.D. Cal?

Huff/Moskowitz made offers and are now full.

[Anonymous User]

If a judge said he would make decision by Monday, does that mean we will know if it's a yes or a no either way, or only if we get an offer?

Also, should we assume we would've heard already today if it was an offer?

[Anonymous User]

If a judge said he would make decision by Monday, does that mean we will know if it's a yes or a no either way, or only if we get an offer?

Also, should we assume we would've heard already today if it was an offer?

Bump. I have the same question, which makes me think we might have interviewed with the same judge.

[Anonymous User]

If a judge said he would make decision by Monday, does that mean we will know if it's a yes or a no either way, or only if we get an offer?

Also, should we assume we would've heard already today if it was an offer?

I interviewed with a couple of judges who said they would let me know either by the end of the week (2 weeks ago) or by the end of the next day (about 5 days ago) regardless of whether I got the job or not. Both judges have since hired all their clerks and have told me absolutely nothing, which leads me to believe that you'll only find out by the judge's "deadline" if you actually get the job. (Of course, there are always going to be exceptions, and this is only my experience.)

[Anonymous User]

I was told the judge would definitely decide by EOD Friday. Heard the good news this morning!

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the info to the unfortunate poster who has gotten the shaft. I think I'm in same boat.

To poster with offer - tell us the judge? Court?

[Anonymous User]

Judge Hegarty (Mag-Denver) hired for 2013-2015.

[Anonymous User]

I was told the judge would definitely decide by EOD Friday. Heard the good news this morning!

Congrats! That gives me some hope.