Clerkship averages Forum

[Anonymous User]

With there now being 400,000 applications for a thousand or so federal clerkship spots, I was wondering if anyone knew if a database existed outlining the averages (class rank, journal, school rank, etc.) for successful applications. I realize you can get a general idea by pulling lots of different sources together, but I am hoping something already exists. My school does provide guidelines and a lot of resources, but I am assuming those are optimistic or outdated.

I am trying to get a read on my own chances and how heavily I should toss out state clerkship apps. (Already have sent a number)

note: I realize it differs by court level and location, but I am looking for the overall picture of success with any fed clerkship.

[TTT-LS]

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[dbt]

Your school should have data on this. At NYU, we have a clerkship packet outlining the average GPAs at most of the more competitive courts.

[Anonymous User]

I am between 20-25% (i know it makes a big difference but I don't know) a school 23-19 (haha, this is fun), on a secondary journal. Any other information needed?

I realize they aren't great stats and I am focusing on magistrate positions and less-competitive clerkships... I just want to know if I have a shot at those even.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone want to give me odds for coa clerkship?

Top 2% at T25, LR, published.

[Anonymous User]

Wow, total thread jacking.

[thesealocust]

edit: n/m

[TTT-LS]

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[TTT-LS]

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[Anonymous User]

What are my odds for bankruptcy clerkship?

Top 10% at T10, no journal. (Also, past 7 years info last says 50% of all bankrupcty clerks from here had no journal, the other 50% were on a secondary journal, 0% were on LR, and judges hiring averaged below median GPA. FWIW, my GPA is higher than the highest GPA for anyone that clerked for a bankruptcy judge in the past 7 years... but I have no idea what this all means for this year -- i.e. will bankruptcy judges now be seeking law review or a journal, and will they be considerably more selective in terms of GPA now that the number of applications jumped 67% in the past year?)

[ggocat]

why are these posts anonymous?

[TTT-LS]

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[PKSebben]

Right. Revealing class rank anonymously to ferret data/chances about clerkships = good. Using anonymous feature to talk about which crim law professor hasn't turned in grades = bad.

[MrKappus]

What level of law school performance would a T30 student need to have to get an Art. III clerkship directly out of law school? Is it pretty much limited to the top 1% (maybe 2%?) who have already been published? Or is it a bit more lax, especially if such students limit their apps to their schools' Jx's?

[PKSebben]

What level of law school performance would a T30 student need to have to get an Art. III clerkship directly out of law school? Is it pretty much limited to the top 1% (maybe 2%?) who have already been published? Or is it a bit more lax, especially if such students limit their apps to their schools' Jx's?

1) The words you are looking for are "Federal District Court" or "COA". Saying "Article III" makes you look like a tool.
2) The last thing you want to do is limit your applications, d00der. Why would limiting your applications to specific jurisdictions help you? Would like to hear the logic on this.
3) Like TTT-LS said, each judge is idiosyncratic with their own criteria. T30 at the top 10% is probably competitive for Fed. Dist. Ct. Publishing a law review article helps.

[MrKappus]

1) The words you are looking for are "Federal District Court" or "COA". Saying "Article III" makes you look like a tool.
2) The last thing you want to do is limit your applications, d00der. Why would limiting your applications to specific jurisdictions help you? Would like to hear the logic on this.
3) Like TTT-LS said, each judge is idiosyncratic with their own criteria. T30 at the top 10% is probably competitive.

1) I'm not interested in magistrates or specialty courts, so Art. III works for me. But I appreciate the direction and will try to refrain from tooldom.
2) "Limiting" was perhaps the wrong word. I meant to ask if "focusing" apps on my home school's Jx made more sense (since other Jx's would be impossible). P.S. Using "d00der" is far more toolish than "Art. III."
3) You actually answered my question here. Muchas gracias.

Edit: typo in #1.

[PKSebben]

2) "Limiting" was perhaps the wrong word. I meant to ask if "focusing" apps on my home school's Jx made more sense (since other Jx's would be impossible)

You should apply to every friggin judge you would possibly work with. You will obvi be more competitive in home jurisdictions because of the recruiting pipeline, but I'm really not sure how a "focus" (whatever that is) would be helpful. The only thing "extra" you can do is have a professor make a phone call for you (which I suppose is more likely to happen closer to home). Otherwise, you should put the same amount of effort into all your clerkship apps. Clerkships are all about taking a couple of snipes with LORs/phone calls to specific judges by professors (if that's available to you) and shotgunning the rest.

And I wouldn't pooh-pooh the specialty courts. Clerkships are hella competitive right now.

[MrKappus]

1) The words you are looking for are "Federal District Court" or "COA". Saying "Article III" makes you look like a tool.

Boom, roasted.

+1

Yeah, wow. I'm totally done. Great use of the anonymous feature.

[PKSebben]

1) The words you are looking for are "Federal District Court" or "COA". Saying "Article III" makes you look like a tool.

Boom, roasted.

+1

Yeah, wow. I'm totally done. Great use of the anonymous feature.

Agreed. Tsk Tsk anonymous poster.

[ggocat]

Right. Revealing class rank anonymously to ferret data/chances about clerkships = good. Using anonymous feature to talk about which crim law professor hasn't turned in grades = bad.

I don't read "revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, clerkship, etc." as allowing anonymous "what are my chances" threads. I thought it was reserved for posts in which the poster is revealing information about employersl--like "law clerk taking questions" threads or individuals posts in response to other inquiries that would reveal sensitive information (e.g., a thread about grade cutoffs, and someone responds "Hey, I'm a district court law clerk, and my judge's grade cutoff is X.").

But I'm not a mod, so my $0.02 is worth $0.00.

[MrKappus]

You should apply to every friggin judge you would possibly work with. You will obvi be more competitive in home jurisdictions because of the recruiting pipeline, but I'm really not sure how a "focus" (whatever that is) would be helpful. The only thing "extra" you can do is have a professor make a phone call for you (which I suppose is more likely to happen closer to home). Otherwise, you should put the same amount of effort into all your clerkship apps. Clerkships are all about taking a couple of snipes with LORs/phone calls to specific judges by professors (if that's available to you) and shotgunning the rest.

And I wouldn't pooh-pooh the specialty courts. Clerkships are hella competitive right now.

Apologies for the snark. I guess I was just wondering if applying to other jurisdictions would be a waste of time since I don't attend an elite law school. You obviously know what's up, and I appreciate the responses. Def helps. Thx.

[ggocat]

You should apply to every friggin judge you would possibly work with. You will obvi be more competitive in home jurisdictions because of the recruiting pipeline, but I'm really not sure how a "focus" (whatever that is) would be helpful. The only thing "extra" you can do is have a professor make a phone call for you (which I suppose is more likely to happen closer to home). Otherwise, you should put the same amount of effort into all your clerkship apps. Clerkships are all about taking a couple of snipes with LORs/phone calls to specific judges by professors (if that's available to you) and shotgunning the rest.

And I wouldn't pooh-pooh the specialty courts. Clerkships are hella competitive right now.

Apologies for the snark. I guess I was just wondering if applying to other jurisdictions would be a waste of time since I don't attend an elite law school. You obviously know what's up, and I appreciate the responses. Def helps. Thx.

Guy at my TTT got an interview with a judge in a state he had no connections to. So... apply broadly.

[PKSebben]

Right. Revealing class rank anonymously to ferret data/chances about clerkships = good. Using anonymous feature to talk about which crim law professor hasn't turned in grades = bad.

I don't read "revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, clerkship, etc." as allowing anonymous "what are my chances" threads. I thought it was reserved for posts in which the poster is revealing information about employersl--like "law clerk taking questions" threads or individuals posts in response to other inquiries that would reveal sensitive information (e.g., a thread about grade cutoffs, and someone responds "Hey, I'm a district court law clerk, and my judge's grade cutoff is X.").

But I'm not a mod, so my $0.02 is worth $0.00.

Yeah, I hear ya, but I'm just calling balls and strikes and clerkship data is relevant to my interests.

[PKSebben]

You should apply to every friggin judge you would possibly work with. You will obvi be more competitive in home jurisdictions because of the recruiting pipeline, but I'm really not sure how a "focus" (whatever that is) would be helpful. The only thing "extra" you can do is have a professor make a phone call for you (which I suppose is more likely to happen closer to home). Otherwise, you should put the same amount of effort into all your clerkship apps. Clerkships are all about taking a couple of snipes with LORs/phone calls to specific judges by professors (if that's available to you) and shotgunning the rest.

And I wouldn't pooh-pooh the specialty courts. Clerkships are hella competitive right now.

Apologies for the snark. I guess I was just wondering if applying to other jurisdictions would be a waste of time since I don't attend an elite law school. You obviously know what's up, and I appreciate the responses. Def helps. Thx.

Dude, don't ever take anything I say here seriously. Except for the advice. That I'm serious about. DEADLY SERIOUS. Also, TTT-LS is the resident clerkship d00der here -- check out his prior posts on working off the OSCAR plan for success in the clerkship hunt.

[BunkMoreland]

what is the appeal of clerkships if you already have a BIGLAW offer?