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I'm a rising 3L in a secondary market with about as strong of ties to the area as possible. I went to a small liberal arts college in the area of my LS and was mining our database when I stumbled across a senior District Court judge who (a) is an alumni of the school and (b) also played the same varsity sport I did. Is it bad form to try to contact the judge directly? I am interested in clerking, and my stats make a federal district court extremely difficult (T2, published secondary, top 15%) but possible. Is it bad form to try to get in touch with the judge directly? My understanding is that typically all of the hiring is done through the clerks, who probably don't care about the alumni connection. Is there anyway to give myself a better shot by getting onto the judges radar? There aren't too many alumni from my school in the law profession, just as a fyi.

Bold, but if you don't think you'd be noticed without contacting the judge directly, what do you have to lose?

Do not contact a judge directly. They work through their staff for a reason. That said, I would be shocked if you could get to the judge directly.

Believe it or not, there are quite a few fed district court judges that still check their own e-mail and respond to what they want.

OP: If I were you, I would try and get in touch with the judge on a more informal basis than "oh hai, plz hire me thx." Ask him to meet for lunch or coffee some time, stress your shared UG/sport connection, ask if he'd be willing to offer you some career advice or the skinny on the local legal market. Those are totally legit networking concerns, especially in this economy, and I'd be surprised if he blows you off.

In our judicial dist (Midwest, not Illinois), the fed judges and magistrates are pretty willing to meet with law students just to shoot the shit or grab a beer after work some time. Don't be a total aspie and you can ease your way into asking about his clerk situation.

(PS: E-mailing a judge directly and offering application amterials might have constituted an honor code violation for schools on The Plan in the past. Since The Plan is totally in shambles these days, I can't imagine that's a concern, but obviously don't do anything you might get caught and slapped for.)

Anonymous User wrote: (PS: E-mailing a judge directly and offering application amterials might have constituted an honor code violation for schools on The Plan in the past. Since The Plan is totally in shambles these days, I can't imagine that's a concern, but obviously don't do anything you might get caught and slapped for.)

Rather doubtful. If there is such a school, it should be outed ASAP (especially since the "Plan" is not binding on any party).

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: (PS: E-mailing a judge directly and offering application amterials might have constituted an honor code violation for schools on The Plan in the past. Since The Plan is totally in shambles these days, I can't imagine that's a concern, but obviously don't do anything you might get caught and slapped for.)

Rather doubtful. If there is such a school, it should be outed ASAP (especially since the "Plan" is not binding on any party).

Schools haven't been following the plan for a while, and recently, some schools have decided to f*ck the plan. Why not e-mail the judge? Are there such rules against it? I say do it--it shows you really want it, and if it's a way to get in I wouldn't feel guilty at all. It's not even bold in these times.