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Graduate of a lower T14 (10-14 range), solid but not stellar stats. I managed to get a clerkship on 1/3/5 for two years out and would like to try to do a dist. level clerkship in the mean time within that circuit. Would the mere fact that I have the COA clerkship in hand give me a meaningful boost?

Meaning you have a 2013-14 COA, or 2014-15?

If its 2013-14, I think you'd be very hard pressed to find any district judges that haven't hired for 2012-13. Maybe someone who is a brand-new confirmation, maybe a magistrate somewhere, but that's it. If you're 2014-15, then maybe your chances are better, but you still need to get apps out soon.

OP here - it's for 2014-15.

Anonymous User wrote:Graduate of a lower T14 (10-14 range), solid but not stellar stats. I managed to get a clerkship on 1/3/5 for two years out and would like to try to do a dist. level clerkship in the mean time within that circuit. Would the mere fact that I have the COA clerkship in hand give me a meaningful boost?

Yes, I think it would give you a meaningful boost. Unless you were really lucky to get the coa clerkship, I think you should be able to get something within the circuit. Of course, the First is pretty small and MA, I gather, is fairly competitive.

traydeuce wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Graduate of a lower T14 (10-14 range), solid but not stellar stats. I managed to get a clerkship on 1/3/5 for two years out and would like to try to do a dist. level clerkship in the mean time within that circuit. Would the mere fact that I have the COA clerkship in hand give me a meaningful boost?

Yes, I think it would give you a meaningful boost. Unless you were really lucky to get the coa clerkship, I think you should be able to get something within the circuit. Of course, the First is pretty small and MA, I gather, is fairly competitive.

I wasn't top 10% and did a secondary journal instead of LR, so I was pretty lucky to get one - if anyone who gets one these days isn't really lucky by default!

Anonymous User wrote:

traydeuce wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Graduate of a lower T14 (10-14 range), solid but not stellar stats. I managed to get a clerkship on 1/3/5 for two years out and would like to try to do a dist. level clerkship in the mean time within that circuit. Would the mere fact that I have the COA clerkship in hand give me a meaningful boost?

Yes, I think it would give you a meaningful boost. Unless you were really lucky to get the coa clerkship, I think you should be able to get something within the circuit. Of course, the First is pretty small and MA, I gather, is fairly competitive.

I wasn't top 10% and did a secondary journal instead of LR, so I was pretty lucky to get one - if anyone who gets one these days isn't really lucky by default!

Yeah, that is pretty lucky... but not all that incommensurate with what district judges expect from T10 students anyway. If your judge has good relationships with district judges in his circuit, you ought to be able to end up with one of them.

Good luck. It should be a boost, but my experience is that judges still want similar grades and school that would have landed you an interview in the first place. I was lucky to land my COA clerkship, and I was sure I could turn it into a SDNY/DDC/NDCA/NDIL/EDVA - type district court clerkship for afterwards. I was wrong, and I didn't land any interviews that I wouldn't have landed without the COA clerkship. In my expericne, it's a plus factor instead of something that would get you into an interview you have no business being in. Obviously my situation wasn't exactly analogous, but I think the same lesson applies.

OP- I'm hoping to be in a similar position to you but am struggling a bit in the process. Could you PM me? I'd like to discuss your approach to the clerkship hunt because I'm floundering.

vyelps wrote:OP- I'm hoping to be in a similar position to you but am struggling a bit in the process. Could you PM me? I'd like to discuss your approach to the clerkship hunt because I'm floundering.

Done.