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Hi everyone. I am applying for a staff attorney position with the third circuit in Philadelphia. I have read a few other threads on here about staff attorney positions with circuit courts, but couldn't find anything about the third circuit specifically (if something exists, please point me that way and I apologize for the repeated inquiry).

I am currently working in a lower state court judicial clerkship in a mid-size PA city. I graduated from a T2 school in the top 15% of my class, was a high ranking editor on the main law review, published, worked from my 1L summer until graduation at a public interest office on campus, and spent my 2L summer in Philadelphia at a public interest organization. I want to work in public interest or at a non-profit, and eventually would like to work at a large university (in a general counsel capacity or otherwise).

Do I have a chance at this job? If anyone has any information on what the job is like in the 3rd circuit, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

OP here - since I haven't gotten any feedback on the third circuit specifically, does anyone have any idea of my chances in general? The posting says that new graduates and judicial clerks are encouraged to apply, but are these jobs probably going to people from T1 schools?

Anonymous User wrote:OP here - since I haven't gotten any feedback on the third circuit specifically, does anyone have any idea of my chances in general? The posting says that new graduates and judicial clerks are encouraged to apply, but are these jobs probably going to people from T1 schools?

Because Staff Attorneys often get the work the other clerks don't want (2255 appeals, employment discrimination, pro se, etc.) you don't see the positions being filled with T14, Top 5%, Law Review, etc. and will see people from lower-ranked schools. That said it's a federal clerkship so it's not going to be easy. But you should apply.

That may have been true a few years ago, but the Third Circuit SAO (and I imagine some of its sister offices in big, desirable locations) gets a lot of high-powered applicants. The hiring there is definitely less snobbish than clerkship hiring in general, though; nobody's screening based on law-review editorial-board memberships.

Anonymous User wrote:That may have been true a few years ago, but the Third Circuit SAO (and I imagine some of its sister offices in big, desirable locations) gets a lot of high-powered applicants. The hiring there is definitely less snobbish than clerkship hiring in general, though; nobody's screening based on law-review editorial-board memberships.

Is there anything you recommend I do to make my application stand out? Anything I should emphasize on my resume or in my cover letter?

I think we're talking to each other on two separate threads. Confining my responses to here for now: the office does immigration, habeas, and pro se work, so if you have experience in any of those three areas, it's best to emphasize it. Public interest bona fides help. But given the flood of applicants, there's some luck of the draw.

If you get an interview, take the writing test seriously. They do.

Hi,
Does anyone know any specifics about the writing test?