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What kinds of background is needed to be competitive for boutiques like Selendy & Gay, Greenberg Gross, etc.?

Almost always: federal clerkship, T14, high grades

Associate at "top" boutique here: A3 COA clerkship, major market A3 D. Ct. clerkship, or SSC clerkship with certain reputable judges/justices. Generally, the schools and grades will follow. After that, it's how you interview.

The two examples you provided are not really in the same tier of selectivity, FWIW. For really elite boutiques (Susman, Kaplan & Company, Wilkinson Walsh, etc.), you need a well-regarded federal clerkship and the type of credentials that would land you a well-regarded federal clerkship. But there are plenty of less selective boutiques (and I would put Greenberg Gross in this tier) where good grades at a good school will make you competitive and a federal clerkship is not necessarily required.

Just go on their websites and click through associate bios. For example, looks like roughly half of Selendy's ASOs have clerked?

Selendy is not a “prestigious boutique.” We don’t know what it is yet. Right now its mostly just former Quinn associates with a few laterals drawn from other V20 firms.

Sorry to hijack the thread slightly, but does anyone know what kinds of grades are needed at HYS to be competitive at the top/non-Susman lit boutiques in TX (McKool, etc)?

Anonymous User wrote:Sorry to hijack the thread slightly, but does anyone know what kinds of grades are needed at HYS to be competitive at the top/non-Susman lit boutiques in TX (McKool, etc)?

Strong TX ties plus grades that aren’t completely bottom of the barrel at HYS could possibly get you in the door with McKool, but you’ll probably want at least a district court clerkship and requisite grades to have a really good shot.

Anonymous User wrote:Associate at "top" boutique here: A3 COA clerkship, major market A3 D. Ct. clerkship, or SSC clerkship with certain reputable judges/justices. Generally, the schools and grades will follow. After that, it's how you interview.

Would someone who networked into an A3 COA clerkship but otherwise have credentials that would normally be insufficient (top 20% at a T30) have a shot?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Associate at "top" boutique here: A3 COA clerkship, major market A3 D. Ct. clerkship, or SSC clerkship with certain reputable judges/justices. Generally, the schools and grades will follow. After that, it's how you interview.

Would someone who networked into an A3 COA clerkship but otherwise have credentials that would normally be insufficient (top 20% at a T30) have a shot?

Original anon from above: Yes, but it's not likely. Realistically, you would need to be among the top 1-5 students in your class. You would want your judge to affirmatively send a raving recommendation along with your application, and possibly to call the firm before we call her/him. With maybe one or two exceptions, everyone at the firm is T14.