Best and worst judges to clerk for Forum

[Anonymous User]

Our clerkship office can’t sing the praises of Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit enough. Apparently everyone who’s clerked for him says he’s the nicest man on the planet and a fantastic boss. Not tie sensitive but highly grade sensitive.

He is super nice and a great person. Also a big proponent of succinct writing - check out some of his opinions - which a great skill to learn early on.

This.

Judge Bacharach is fantastic in all capacities. And his clerks are constantly reminded they work for a wonderful boss, especially when they communicate with colleagues who work across the hall for Judge Holmes. As has been stated on numerous occasions, a Holmes clerkship is a brutal one. He provides zero mentorship, works you hard, and is prone to insult and demean.

Clerking on the Tenth Circuit in OKC captures the essence of this thread. It is very much a tale of two cities. ForJudge Bacharach clerks, it is the best of times. For Judge Holmes clerks, it is the worst.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight on Third Circuit? Especially the Newark judges.

Current CA3. Chagares is a fantastic boss - true mensch. Matey is interesting -- seems nice, and unusually academic, particularly given his background (Kellogg, AUSA, etc - not a professor like Bibas). If you're interested, read the QI one that came down a few weeks ago.

Seconding re Chagares -- not a CA3 clerk personally, but spent a lot of time with him at an event and he was tremendously nice/engaging.

Bibas is supposed to be brilliant, interested in mentoring, and obsessive about legal writing, but he’s also supposed be one of the most difficult interviews on the federal courts, a tad socially off (as you might expect from someone who went to college at age 15), and demanding.

Anything on Porter, Hardiman, or Fisher?

I didn't clerk on CA3, but I did interview with Judge Fisher and talked to some of his former clerks. The vibes I got from his clerks was that it was a good experience. It seemed like reasonable hours (40 to 50 per week), good culture, and a collegial staff in chambers. I didn't get the vibe that it was an incredible experience, but those are more the exception than the norm. I'd say on the clerkship spectrum, the vibe I got was average to good.

In terms of Judge Fisher himself, he was thoughtful and kind in my limited interactions with him. I could also see him being more on the formal side in terms of relationships with his clerks. The interview itself involved an initial interview with his career clerk and maybe another clerk (typical clerkship questions along with fit). Following that, I met with Judge Fisher and the other clerks. There were the normal clerkship and fit questions (resume, why X, etc.) along with a little bit of substance to gauge how you think about the law. I would recommend brushing up on recent SCOTUS decisions (especially if any noteworthy 3CA cases went recently decided).

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for this. Do you have any specifics on what it's like to work for Godbey or Boyle? Since they've been on the bench for over a decade, I figured there would be some decent information out there. As far as Godbey goes, at least, I wasn't able to turn up much of anything searching on TLS.

I've personally worked with Lynn and Boyle and recommend them highly. As you'd expect, lots of hard work and high expectations but good mentorship both during and after the clerkship. Both of them look out for women and people of color moreso than other ND judges (same is true with Lindsey). I've heard good things about Godbey - recent clerk is a close friend and had a positive experience, and Godbey clerks historically do well advancing on to upper level courts.

Thanks for the information, much appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

Our clerkship office can’t sing the praises of Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit enough. Apparently everyone who’s clerked for him says he’s the nicest man on the planet and a fantastic boss. Not tie sensitive but highly grade sensitive.

He is super nice and a great person. Also a big proponent of succinct writing - check out some of his opinions - which a great skill to learn early on.

This.

Judge Bacharach is fantastic in all capacities. And his clerks are constantly reminded they work for a wonderful boss, especially when they communicate with colleagues who work across the hall for Judge Holmes. As has been stated on numerous occasions, a Holmes clerkship is a brutal one. He provides zero mentorship, works you hard, and is prone to insult and demean.

Clerking on the Tenth Circuit in OKC captures the essence of this thread. It is very much a tale of two cities. ForJudge Bacharach clerks, it is the best of times. For Judge Holmes clerks, it is the worst.

I'm the second quoted anon. I'm actually one of those people who thinks that the Holmes reputation is a little overblown, but I don't want to derail another one of these threads in that direction. Suffice it to say you'd never mistake the Holmes chambers experience for the Bacharach chambers experience (or, for that matter, a Holmes opinion for a Bacharach opinion).

[Anonymous User]

Our clerkship office can’t sing the praises of Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit enough. Apparently everyone who’s clerked for him says he’s the nicest man on the planet and a fantastic boss. Not tie sensitive but highly grade sensitive.

He is super nice and a great person. Also a big proponent of succinct writing - check out some of his opinions - which a great skill to learn early on.

This.

Judge Bacharach is fantastic in all capacities. And his clerks are constantly reminded they work for a wonderful boss, especially when they communicate with colleagues who work across the hall for Judge Holmes. As has been stated on numerous occasions, a Holmes clerkship is a brutal one. He provides zero mentorship, works you hard, and is prone to insult and demean.

Clerking on the Tenth Circuit in OKC captures the essence of this thread. It is very much a tale of two cities. ForJudge Bacharach clerks, it is the best of times. For Judge Holmes clerks, it is the worst.

I'm the second quoted anon. I'm actually one of those people who thinks that the Holmes reputation is a little overblown, but I don't want to derail another one of these threads in that direction. Suffice it to say you'd never mistake the Holmes chambers experience for the Bacharach chambers experience (or, for that matter, a Holmes opinion for a Bacharach opinion).

I've read this "overblown" comment before. I've also read the posts that, for whatever reason, like to say that working for Holmes in't as bad as Kozinski ("Koz"). Even if both statements are true (and the latter is without question), I disagree with the attempt to soften the clear message being offered by those with firsthand experience as a former law clerk to Jerome Holmes. He is a horrible person to work for; I should have reported him when I clerked for him. I'll leave it at that.

[Anonymous User]

I've read this "overblown" comment before. I've also read the posts that, for whatever reason, like to say that working for Holmes in't as bad as Kozinski ("Koz"). Even if both statements are true (and the latter is without question), I disagree with the attempt to soften the clear message being offered by those with firsthand experience as a former law clerk to Jerome Holmes. He is a horrible person to work for; I should have reported him when I clerked for him. I'll leave it at that.

You can def report him post-clerkship, FYI. There is now an office of judicial integrity, created in the aftermath of the Koz stuff, for the purpose of reporting judges. There's no "statute of limitations" for reporting harassing/abusive conduct -- I know this because (unfortunately) I've looked into this for my own purposes. But you can report after a clerkship, even years later

[stoopkid13]

I've read this "overblown" comment before. I've also read the posts that, for whatever reason, like to say that working for Holmes in't as bad as Kozinski ("Koz"). Even if both statements are true (and the latter is without question), I disagree with the attempt to soften the clear message being offered by those with firsthand experience as a former law clerk to Jerome Holmes. He is a horrible person to work for; I should have reported him when I clerked for him. I'll leave it at that.

You can def report him post-clerkship, FYI. There is now an office of judicial integrity, created in the aftermath of the Koz stuff, for the purpose of reporting judges. There's no "statute of limitations" for reporting harassing/abusive conduct -- I know this because (unfortunately) I've looked into this for my own purposes. But you can report after a clerkship, even years later

My understanding is that office was created to investigate discriminatory behavior--not whether or not a judge is mean. AFAIK, no one is saying a Holmes clerkship is "bad" because he's racist/sexist.

[cheaptilts]

I've read this "overblown" comment before. I've also read the posts that, for whatever reason, like to say that working for Holmes in't as bad as Kozinski ("Koz"). Even if both statements are true (and the latter is without question), I disagree with the attempt to soften the clear message being offered by those with firsthand experience as a former law clerk to Jerome Holmes. He is a horrible person to work for; I should have reported him when I clerked for him. I'll leave it at that.

You can def report him post-clerkship, FYI. There is now an office of judicial integrity, created in the aftermath of the Koz stuff, for the purpose of reporting judges. There's no "statute of limitations" for reporting harassing/abusive conduct -- I know this because (unfortunately) I've looked into this for my own purposes. But you can report after a clerkship, even years later

My understanding is that office was created to investigate discriminatory behavior--not whether or not a judge is mean. AFAIK, no one is saying a Holmes clerkship is "bad" because he's racist/sexist.

Your understanding is incorrect. You can also report abusive behavior, as such conduct violates Canon 3 of the Code of Conduct for U.S. judges.

[Anonymous User]

^seconding cheaptilts, came here to say exactly this -- abusive conduct definitely falls under the scope of that office

[Anonymous User]

Our clerkship office can’t sing the praises of Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit enough. Apparently everyone who’s clerked for him says he’s the nicest man on the planet and a fantastic boss. Not tie sensitive but highly grade sensitive.

He is super nice and a great person. Also a big proponent of succinct writing - check out some of his opinions - which a great skill to learn early on.

This.

Judge Bacharach is fantastic in all capacities. And his clerks are constantly reminded they work for a wonderful boss, especially when they communicate with colleagues who work across the hall for Judge Holmes. As has been stated on numerous occasions, a Holmes clerkship is a brutal one. He provides zero mentorship, works you hard, and is prone to insult and demean.

Clerking on the Tenth Circuit in OKC captures the essence of this thread. It is very much a tale of two cities. ForJudge Bacharach clerks, it is the best of times. For Judge Holmes clerks, it is the worst.

I'm the second quoted anon. I'm actually one of those people who thinks that the Holmes reputation is a little overblown, but I don't want to derail another one of these threads in that direction. Suffice it to say you'd never mistake the Holmes chambers experience for the Bacharach chambers experience (or, for that matter, a Holmes opinion for a Bacharach opinion).

I've read this "overblown" comment before. I've also read the posts that, for whatever reason, like to say that working for Holmes in't as bad as Kozinski ("Koz"). Even if both statements are true (and the latter is without question), I disagree with the attempt to soften the clear message being offered by those with firsthand experience as a former law clerk to Jerome Holmes. He is a horrible person to work for; I should have reported him when I clerked for him. I'll leave it at that.

And I have my own firsthand experience and accounts from co-clerks my year, and they're different from yours and from the general consensus. That's all I'm offering.

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on Mark Walker (N.D. Fla.)?

I've heard good things, and he's well respected in Florida. Additionally, he tends to get some interesting cases because of where he's located.

This is a weird comment. MW is one of the laughing stocks of the Fl bench partly bc of how often his opinions go off the rails (even among ppl like me who are sympathetic to his politics)

I can only go off of what I've heard from some fairly prominent lawyers and my own personal experiences. But I'm not posting Anon here.

He's a fantastic judge to clerk for and an even better person.

[Anonymous User]

Any bad N.D. Tex. judges?

No real horror stories. As to workload, Lindsey and Lynn work clerks pretty hard, as does O'Connor (who hires mostly through fed soc). A bunch of the judges are new, so you won't hear much reliable intel on, say, Starr, Hendrix, Kacsmaryk, Brown, or Pittman---although I've heard anecdotally that Pittman is fine. Fish, Cummings, and McBryde are all great to work for.

Thanks for this. Do you have any specifics on what it's like to work for Godbey or Boyle? Since they've been on the bench for over a decade, I figured there would be some decent information out there. As far as Godbey goes, at least, I wasn't able to turn up much of anything searching on TLS.

This is all anecdotal, but I have heard that Godbey is pretty reserved and has a specific way of doing things. My understanding is that the bulk of the work his clerks do is on dispositive motions, and he does a lot of other things on his own.

[Anonymous User]

Any bad N.D. Tex. judges?

No real horror stories. As to workload, Lindsey and Lynn work clerks pretty hard, as does O'Connor (who hires mostly through fed soc). A bunch of the judges are new, so you won't hear much reliable intel on, say, Starr, Hendrix, Kacsmaryk, Brown, or Pittman---although I've heard anecdotally that Pittman is fine. Fish, Cummings, and McBryde are all great to work for.

Thanks for this. Do you have any specifics on what it's like to work for Godbey or Boyle? Since they've been on the bench for over a decade, I figured there would be some decent information out there. As far as Godbey goes, at least, I wasn't able to turn up much of anything searching on TLS.

Hendrix is anecdotally very well-regarded in DOJ circles.

Looking for any and all N.D. Tex. information.

Also, anyone have info on Judge Jordan? (E.D. Tex.)

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on Haynes (CA5)?

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on Haynes (CA5)?

I've known a few of her clerks and they all seem to like her. I believe she prefers to hire with previous clerkship experience.

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know anything about the Supreme Court of Texas justices?

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know anything about the Supreme Court of Texas justices?

I have heard great things about Justices Hecht, Lehrman, and Blacklock. Justices Busby and Bland are newer to the court, but also very good. If you are interested, you should consider applying ASAP. Generally March through May is when most of the justices make their hiring decisions.

[Pneumonia]

Does anybody know anything about the Supreme Court of Texas justices?

Feel free to PM me.

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know anything about the Supreme Court of Texas justices?

What do you want to know? Basically they're all good to work for. For "fantastic judge, best boss ever" takes, I'd say you might hear that about Hecht, Lehrman, Boyd, Busby, and Bland more than the others.

Workload varies a lot between the justices, but it also varies a lot year-by-year based on which justices draw which cases (and which of those end up being opposed by a dissent). Generally speaking I think Boyd clerks have the highest workload by far, otherwise the workload is usually not very heavy. Most of the justices will not need you to work more than 9-5 unless there's an emergency or special project.

Politically, they're all conservative Republicans and it usually doesn't come up. Lehrman is the most "liberal" but she's no Democrat. Blacklock and Devine are the most Trumpy. I don't know if Blacklock has a strict rule but his first few clerks were all Federalist Society types; no such pattern for any other justices I don't think.

[Anonymous User]

For the Tenth Circuit, want to echo what everyone said about Judge Bacharach. Seems like a really good guy. Judge Carson and Judge Moritz on the Tenth are also great people, and their clerks love working for them.

[Anonymous User]

Any information on David Stras on the Eighth, both when he hires and what he's like? I assume he hires after 1L like most Fed Soc judges but any personal knowledge confirming that would be appreciated. Anything else about the Eighth Circuit would also be great, it's seemingly underrepresented on here.

[Anonymous User]

Any information on David Stras on the Eighth, both when he hires and what he's like? I assume he hires after 1L like most Fed Soc judges but any personal knowledge confirming that would be appreciated. Anything else about the Eighth Circuit would also be great, it's seemingly underrepresented on here.

Judge Stras is a wanna-be feeder. I know he’s hired several to begin after a previous appellate clerkship. Very easygoing guy from my interactions with him at FedSoc speaking events. Very sharp too.

[Anonymous User]

Any information on 9th cir judges in socal (LA, Pasadena, SD)? Especially interested in SD since haven't seen much info there.

[Anonymous User]

Any information on 9th cir judges in socal (LA, Pasadena, SD)? Especially interested in SD since haven't seen much info there.

[Anonymous User]

Any information on David Stras on the Eighth, both when he hires and what he's like? I assume he hires after 1L like most Fed Soc judges but any personal knowledge confirming that would be appreciated. Anything else about the Eighth Circuit would also be great, it's seemingly underrepresented on here.

Judge Stras is a wanna-be feeder. I know he’s hired several to begin after a previous appellate clerkship. Very easygoing guy from my interactions with him at FedSoc speaking events. Very sharp too.

Here’s what I’ve gathered on Stras. I’ve also seen his spiel (he’s a regular on the Fed Soc circuit) and he seemed very friendly, unpretentious, and sharp. He’s a big SCOTUS nerd who used to write for SCOTUSblog. He’s fed one to Thomas and will likely feed at least one more pretty imminently. Like Sutton he hires liberals but it’s not clear that he has relationships with the liberal justices (at least yet). He favors double clerks and is happy to hire valedictorians from Eighth Circuit state schools; for a candidate like himself (Kansas valedictorian) he’s probably one of the best options.