2015-2016 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

I only applied to certain NDCA, NDIL, and SDNY judges (about 2-3 weeks ago). So far, three interviews.

I honestly don't mean this to be snarky, I'm just curious: if these are "mildly competitive" districts, which are the competitive ones?

Not the same OP. Obviously the above poster has applied to the three most challenging districts. I am the original poster who used said I had applied to mildly competitive places. I've applied up and down the east and west coast. Have heard back from two courts in districts like EDNY, EDPA, DNJ, and DMass.

Which DNJ judges have started interviewing?

[Anonymous User]

I only applied to certain NDCA, NDIL, and SDNY judges (about 2-3 weeks ago). So far, three interviews.

I honestly don't mean this to be snarky, I'm just curious: if these are "mildly competitive" districts, which are the competitive ones?

Not the same OP. Obviously the above poster has applied to the three most challenging districts. I am the original poster who used said I had applied to mildly competitive places. I've applied up and down the east and west coast. Have heard back from two courts in districts like EDNY, EDPA, DNJ, and DMass.

Which DNJ judges have started interviewing?

My guess is that poster does not necessarily have interviews in DNJ, and was just trying to qualify his/her statement that s/he had received interview offers in "mildly competitive" districts.

[objctnyrhnr]

I only applied to certain NDCA, NDIL, and SDNY judges (about 2-3 weeks ago). So far, three interviews.

I honestly don't mean this to be snarky, I'm just curious: if these are "mildly competitive" districts, which are the competitive ones?

Not the same OP. Obviously the above poster has applied to the three most challenging districts. I am the original poster who used said I had applied to mildly competitive places. I've applied up and down the east and west coast. Have heard back from two courts in districts like EDNY, EDPA, DNJ, and DMass.

What dmass judge did you hear from?

[Anonymous User]

DNJ judges are hiring. Lots of EDPa judges are hiring.

[Danger Zone]

DNJ judges are hiring. Lots of EDPa judges are hiring.

Would you mind PMing me and letting me know which judges? I'm applying to both of these districts.

[TLSNYC]

DNJ judges are hiring. Lots of EDPa judges are hiring.

Would you mind PMing me and letting me know which judges? I'm applying to both of these districts.

Same here. Would love to know. I also know a couple interviewing and am curious if they are the same you know of.

[Anonymous User]

Have had two 15-16 interviews w/applications I put in early Jan. I'm an alum, though, so your mileage may (and in many cases flat-out will) vary if you're applying as a 2L.

With that said, to give you a sense of how crazy it's gotten, several S.D.N.Y. judges (Forrest, Oetken, Engelmayer, Swain) are done for 15-16 already and have started filling 16-17 slots (Forrest only has one slot left for 16-17). Doesn't seem to be quite the same in N.D. Ill. but N.D. Cal. is trending towards "hire ASAP" too.

[Anonymous User]

Doesn't seem to be quite the same in N.D. Ill. but N.D. Cal. is trending towards "hire ASAP" too.

Not quite to the same extent as SNDY or N.D. Cal., but I can confirm that several N.D. Ill. judges are moving on 2Ls.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not sure if this thread is for fed clerkships only, but just sharing some news from the NJ SSC: the justices will not begin hiring or reviewing apps until the first week of June. Four semesters of grades at a min are required.

[Anonymous User]

Judge Roy W. McLeese III of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals is now accepting applications for three law-clerk positions for the 2015-2016 term. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and Judge McLeese expects to start interviewing second-year students in March or April 2014. Judge McLeese will conduct interviews with alumni and third-year students on a rolling basis. Applicants should submit a cover letter, a resume, an official or unofficial law-school transcript (undergraduate transcript optional), a writing sample, and two or more letters of recommendation. Applicants may send their materials electronically to mcleesehiring@dcappeals.gov.

http://www.dcappeals.gov/internet/docum ... cLeese.pdf

[Anonymous User]

Updates regarding who is interviewing?

[Anonymous User]

Anything from McKeague?

[Anonymous User]

Anybody know whether Cornelia Pillard (D.C. Circuit) has filled her positions for 2015-16?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if Saris (d. mass) has already set up interviews?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if Saris (d. mass) has already set up interviews?

Saris has been doing interviews for at least a couple of weeks.

[bruinfan10]

.

[Anonymous User]

Have had two 15-16 interviews w/applications I put in early Jan. I'm an alum, though, so your mileage may (and in many cases flat-out will) vary if you're applying as a 2L.

With that said, to give you a sense of how crazy it's gotten, several S.D.N.Y. judges (Forrest, Oetken, Engelmayer, Swain) are done for 15-16 already and have started filling 16-17 slots (Forrest only has one slot left for 16-17). Doesn't seem to be quite the same in N.D. Ill. but N.D. Cal. is trending towards "hire ASAP" too.

N.D. Cal judges have always routinely hired years in advance, in large part because they like experienced attorneys more than they like law students. Henderson and (maybe still) Chesney, possibly Seeborg, might be interviewing around now, but Koh/Chen/Breyer/Tigar/etc are waaay done. And good luck getting in there if you're not Stanford, IP-focused, or near the very top of your class. SDNY can be a lot easier to find a gig in than N.D. Cal.

I believe Seeborg has yet to start interviewing.

[Anonymous User]

Anything from McKeague?

+1 Also curious about McKeague or any other Sixth Circuit judges.

[Anonymous User]

Siler is reviewing applications this weekend

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about the district court judges in the 8th Circuit?

[Anonymous User]

Have had two 15-16 interviews w/applications I put in early Jan. I'm an alum, though, so your mileage may (and in many cases flat-out will) vary if you're applying as a 2L.

With that said, to give you a sense of how crazy it's gotten, several S.D.N.Y. judges (Forrest, Oetken, Engelmayer, Swain) are done for 15-16 already and have started filling 16-17 slots (Forrest only has one slot left for 16-17). Doesn't seem to be quite the same in N.D. Ill. but N.D. Cal. is trending towards "hire ASAP" too.

N.D. Cal judges have always routinely hired years in advance, in large part because they like experienced attorneys more than they like law students. Henderson and (maybe still) Chesney, possibly Seeborg, might be interviewing around now, but Koh/Chen/Breyer/Tigar/etc are waaay done. And good luck getting in there if you're not Stanford, IP-focused, or near the very top of your class. SDNY can be a lot easier to find a gig in than N.D. Cal.

Really? At my (HYS) school, SDNY is generally recognized as the most competitive district (as or more competitive than many circuit gigs). Maybe there aren't that many applying for NDCA though.

[Anonymous User]

At Berkeley and Stanford, people talk as if NDCA is harder to get than SDNY. That might just be because there seem to be fewer NDCA judges who will consider law students. But yeah, I don't know if there's a meaningful difference.

[Anonymous User]

RE: 6th Circuit. I'm fairly confident Gilman is done, Gibbons has hired at least 1 clerk and is still interviewing. Not sure on anyone else.

[Anonymous User]

Got a call this morning:

"Hi, this is so and so from the District Court in NYC/LA/CHI. I'm calling about your correspondence with Judge X"

(Me getting my hopes up)

"Judge X has taken Senior status and will no longer be hiring term clerks."

Oh...well, thanks for calling to tell me that.

[Anonymous User]

For those of you that are casting a wide net for clerkships, how do you handle letters of recommendation when you're applying? It seems a little unreasonable to ask a a recommender to prepare 50 or so letters when I can't reasonably expect 50 interviews.