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I held a judicial internship last year with a judge who has a personal policy of not writing recommendation letters (as stated in the intern manual; it wasn't just me). However, he said that he'd be more than willing to act as a reference at any time and that my work was more than excellent.

Now that I'm applying for clerkships, would it be appropriate to send him a quick email? At best, if I'm really lucky, I'm hoping that he might mention my name to one of his colleagues, but if that's too much to hope for, maybe he can give me valuable advice in general.

How would I go about drafting such an email? I don't want to appear too demanding, but at the same time, I would like to get something other than a mere "I'm glad your experience in my chambers inspired you to pursue a clerkship. Best of luck."

Anonymous User wrote:I held a judicial internship last year with a judge who has a personal policy of not writing recommendation letters (as stated in the intern manual; it wasn't just me). However, he said that he'd be more than willing to act as a reference at any time and that my work was more than excellent.

Now that I'm applying for clerkships, would it be appropriate to send him a quick email? At best, if I'm really lucky, I'm hoping that he might mention my name to one of his colleagues, but if that's too much to hope for, maybe he can give me valuable advice in general.

How would I go about drafting such an email? I don't want to appear too demanding, but at the same time, I would like to get something other than a mere "I'm glad your experience in my chambers inspired you to pursue a clerkship. Best of luck."

You might want to check with one of the judge's current clerks for advice.

Or email the judge and ask if he'd be available to chat briefly sometime about clerking. (Explain that the internship in his chambers motivated you to pursue a clerkship, you'd appreciate his advice about the process, etc.)

Come straight out and ask the judge all of this. Tell him that you're applying for clerkships, and ask if he has insight or advice for you. Often judges will accept calls, but won't write letters, so you can ask if he would be willing to do so in your case.