UChicago's Bigelow Fellowship Forum

[Anonymous User]

It's a ways away but I would like to apply for this one day: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/bigelow/apply

I was wondering if anyone had a sense of how competitive it is (how many apply each year).

Thanks

[Emma.]

It's a ways away but I would like to apply for this one day: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/bigelow/apply

I was wondering if anyone had a sense of how competitive it is (how many apply each year).

Thanks

I don't know the numbers but I think it is pretty damn competitive. Seems like a cool program, past Bigelows have done really well for themselves.

[Dany]

Seems like a cool program, past Bigelows have done really well for themselves.

Yeah I just found a list of what all the Fellows' first assignments were after the program and where they are now. Really neat.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah that's at the bottom of the link. If you are interested in legal academia it does seem like the best bet. I think it is one of those things where it might take a few years to get in, just reapply every year until you get it. You'll just have more realworld experience and more publications so youll become more and more attractive each time. But who knows.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe not surprising, but it's worth noting that of the 6 bigelows for this year, 3 went to Harvard, 2 Yale, and 1 Chicago. It also looks like all 6 had an appellate level clerkship.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe not surprising, but it's worth noting that of the 6 bigelows for this year, 3 went to Harvard, 2 Yale, and 1 Chicago. It also looks like all 6 had an appellate level clerkship.

How difficult is it to get a clerkship like that? Say someone at a T6 school.

[Emma.]

Maybe not surprising, but it's worth noting that of the 6 bigelows for this year, 3 went to Harvard, 2 Yale, and 1 Chicago. It also looks like all 6 had an appellate level clerkship.

How difficult is it to get a clerkship like that? Say someone at a T6 school.

Depends on the circuit. Apparently to get a 7th Cir. position coming from UChicago you need to be in the top 5ish percent of the class.

[ndirish2010]

Maybe not surprising, but it's worth noting that of the 6 bigelows for this year, 3 went to Harvard, 2 Yale, and 1 Chicago. It also looks like all 6 had an appellate level clerkship.

How difficult is it to get a clerkship like that? Say someone at a T6 school.

Depends on the circuit. Apparently to get a 7th Cir. position coming from UChicago you need to be in the top 5ish percent of the class.

Really? That surprises me, you would think at least top 10-15% would be competitive for the non-feeder 7th Circuit judges.

[Emma.]

Maybe not surprising, but it's worth noting that of the 6 bigelows for this year, 3 went to Harvard, 2 Yale, and 1 Chicago. It also looks like all 6 had an appellate level clerkship.

How difficult is it to get a clerkship like that? Say someone at a T6 school.

Depends on the circuit. Apparently to get a 7th Cir. position coming from UChicago you need to be in the top 5ish percent of the class.

Really? That surprises me, you would think at least top 10-15% would be competitive for the non-feeder 7th Circuit judges.

Yeah, that might be true. The comment might have only been referring to the big names, since I guess that is what anyone with law review grades is shooting for. And actually the number mentioned was a 181 average, which would be more like top 2-3%.

I think for the purposes of the Bigelow program you can assume you need to be near the top of the class at a top school (or have published something really amazing) to have a decent shot.