So I am currently going through the clerkship app process and looking at another thread prompted me to ask about district court clerkships specifically since that is far and away my highest possible reach. Anyways... from a T20 school, what are the likely minimums in terms of GPA/Journal/Publication or not/Board position that will still give you a chance in any of the circuits.... from least to most competitive. Any info would be great, just trying to gauge if I should bank much more heavily on a state appellate or not.
Thanks.
Fed Clerkships - District Courts Forum
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
-
dood
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:59 am
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
...
Last edited by dood on Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
ScaredWorkedBored
- Posts: 409
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:39 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
Journal is effectively mandatory for federal clerkships.
Board & publication preferred because you will be going up against people that have both with *any* federal clerkship.
GPA - Should be ~ 3.5. Top 10% better, top 10 people even better.
The reason you need this stuff is that, unless you have some "in" with the judge, you need to get through the initial application sorting to even be considered. This is a very large number of applications even in big square states. As per the other thread, there is some flexibility to GPA but that's some interplay with the specific school/judge.
Board & publication preferred because you will be going up against people that have both with *any* federal clerkship.
GPA - Should be ~ 3.5. Top 10% better, top 10 people even better.
The reason you need this stuff is that, unless you have some "in" with the judge, you need to get through the initial application sorting to even be considered. This is a very large number of applications even in big square states. As per the other thread, there is some flexibility to GPA but that's some interplay with the specific school/judge.
Last edited by ScaredWorkedBored on Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
AttractiveNuisance
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:59 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
okay, so top 25%/journal/no board or publication (but resubmitting using Espresso and whatnot) kinda means I am screwed for fed?
I am a transfer so my possible upside from this semester is massive, but I figure I should be hitting the state courts pretty hard.
I am a transfer so my possible upside from this semester is massive, but I figure I should be hitting the state courts pretty hard.
-
ScaredWorkedBored
- Posts: 409
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:39 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
Top 25% is not unforgivable. No journal is. Maybe with a stratospheric GPA + clinicals + co-authoring something with a professor - but if someone would do all that, why would they not at least do a secondary journal?
Want to continue reading?
Register now to search topics and post comments!
Absolutely FREE!
Already a member? Login
-
AttractiveNuisance
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:59 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
Sorry if I was unclear, I am on a journal.
Additionally, I am doing one of our most prestigious clinics this fall.
Additionally, I am doing one of our most prestigious clinics this fall.
-
AttractiveNuisance
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:59 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
Bump for any new perspective?
-
BradyToMoss
- Posts: 259
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:00 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
+1 for bumping a thread after seven hours when it's the 6th thread listed on legal employment.AttractiveNuisance wrote:Bump for any new perspective?
-
AttractiveNuisance
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:59 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
BradyToMoss wrote:+1 for bumping a thread after seven hours when it's the 6th thread listed on legal employment.AttractiveNuisance wrote:Bump for any new perspective?
Most of the people I know who read TLS view through "active topics" and not based on individual categories.
-
the pecan sandies
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:04 pm
Re: Fed Clerkships - District Courts
When you say T20 I assume near the 20 mark. So -- from that range, you are going to need to be looking at top 10%, editorial board on journal, if not law review, with a really solid writing sample. Not to get you down, but you are going to have trouble without those stats. However, think about federal magistrate judges; much more leeway, especially in secondary markets.
