2023-2024 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[TAR111]

Personally I’m just trying to soak in how much it sucks to feel like a fucking spectator rn so that I can remember it in a few months when I’m deciding between FedCourts and bar review. We go again next year

I think that's the right attitude to have. Unfortunately, I'm an alumni applicant, so this hits a little harder for me.

[Anonymous User]

Personally I’m just trying to soak in how much it sucks to feel like a fucking spectator rn so that I can remember it in a few months when I’m deciding between FedCourts and bar review. We go again next year

I think that's the right attitude to have. Unfortunately, I'm an alumni applicant, so this hits a little harder for me.

How far out are you? As an alum applicant, I started getting a lot more interview invites about halfway through my first year and I'd imagine that trend continues as you get more work experience, so I wouldn't lose hope!

[TAR111]

Personally I’m just trying to soak in how much it sucks to feel like a fucking spectator rn so that I can remember it in a few months when I’m deciding between FedCourts and bar review. We go again next year

I think that's the right attitude to have. Unfortunately, I'm an alumni applicant, so this hits a little harder for me.

How far out are you? As an alum applicant, I started getting a lot more interview invites about halfway through my first year and I'd imagine that trend continues as you get more work experience, so I wouldn't lose hope!

I've been out a full year now. I appreciate the encouragement, though!

[Anonymous User]

Personally I’m just trying to soak in how much it sucks to feel like a fucking spectator rn so that I can remember it in a few months when I’m deciding between FedCourts and bar review. We go again next year

I think that's the right attitude to have. Unfortunately, I'm an alumni applicant, so this hits a little harder for me.

How far out are you? As an alum applicant, I started getting a lot more interview invites about halfway through my first year and I'd imagine that trend continues as you get more work experience, so I wouldn't lose hope!

I've been out a full year now. I appreciate the encouragement, though!

Different anon from the above--I applied as an alum two years out of school in a previous cycle. Most of my CoA interview invites came a week+ after the plan opened; some as late as the first week of July. It's extraordinarily early, even for the candidates with the highest grades. Many, many judges are taking their time reading through applications and will narrow down who they'll invite over the next few weeks, with the process continuing into the summer. The first few days of the plan are super hectic and anxiety-inducing for applicants (current students and alumni alike), but it's very normal not to receive bites the first week and still end up with clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

I'd also like to add a note of optimism for everyone. I applied last cycle as a 2L on the plan and ended up with a COA clerkship I'm thrilled about but I did not get the interview invite for that clerkship until the week after the plan opened. I think the plan is HORRIBLE, and one of the many reasons is because 2l applicants expect that their phone should be ringing off the hook the day the plan opens and that is not the case for 90% of successful applicants. If you applied broadly with strong grades and recommenders, you've done all you can and have a great chance to end up with something this cycle. But, it may be a time to accept reality that you weren't competitive for Sri, Boasberg, Friedland etc...

[Anonymous User]

Any movement in D.AZ or D.NJ?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

[Anonymous User]

Checking in for posterity's sake as a 4L applicant from a lower T14, managed to get an interview as a rising 3L two cycles ago with a district judge but no bite. Applied more selectively this time at least in terms of geographic scope but I am cautiously optimistic. I don't miss the stress of compulsively checking OSCAR/TLS every 10-15 minutes and hoping each incoming email is an interview invite but there is an excitement element to it.

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has gone through multiple plan hiring cycles from the chambers side, if you’re applying to competitive judges/circuits, you really need to have professors actively reaching out on your behalf. Judges are getting barraged by professor emails, and no matter how good your grades are, if you don’t have someone pushing you, judges are going to wonder why. It’s also not practical for judges to comb through 500 applicants on a compressed timeline, including dozens from each of the top schools, and try to parse through fine distinctions in transcripts. But if you have someone pushing you, your application has a much higher chance of getting close consideration.

That said, do not do what HLS’s clerkship office appears to have done, which is to have every professor in the school send an email pushing a different candidate at 9:03 AM, which basically guarantees that none of them will get read.

[Anonymous User]

Heytens is full for 23-24

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has gone through multiple plan hiring cycles from the chambers side, if you’re applying to competitive judges/circuits, you really need to have professors actively reaching out on your behalf. Judges are getting barraged by professor emails, and no matter how good your grades are, if you don’t have someone pushing you, judges are going to wonder why. It’s also not practical for judges to comb through 500 applicants on a compressed timeline, including dozens from each of the top schools, and try to parse through fine distinctions in transcripts. But if you have someone pushing you, your application has a much higher chance of getting close consideration.

That said, do not do what HLS’s clerkship office appears to have done, which is to have every professor in the school send an email pushing a different candidate at 9:03 AM, which basically guarantees that none of them will get read.

LMFAO

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has gone through multiple plan hiring cycles from the chambers side, if you’re applying to competitive judges/circuits, you really need to have professors actively reaching out on your behalf. Judges are getting barraged by professor emails, and no matter how good your grades are, if you don’t have someone pushing you, judges are going to wonder why. It’s also not practical for judges to comb through 500 applicants on a compressed timeline, including dozens from each of the top schools, and try to parse through fine distinctions in transcripts. But if you have someone pushing you, your application has a much higher chance of getting close consideration.

That said, do not do what HLS’s clerkship office appears to have done, which is to have every professor in the school send an email pushing a different candidate at 9:03 AM, which basically guarantees that none of them will get read.

LMAO so to clarify HLS had like a scheduled deluge of emails at the same time from like 5+ Professors each recommending a different candidate to your chambers?

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has gone through multiple plan hiring cycles from the chambers side, if you’re applying to competitive judges/circuits, you really need to have professors actively reaching out on your behalf. Judges are getting barraged by professor emails, and no matter how good your grades are, if you don’t have someone pushing you, judges are going to wonder why. It’s also not practical for judges to comb through 500 applicants on a compressed timeline, including dozens from each of the top schools, and try to parse through fine distinctions in transcripts. But if you have someone pushing you, your application has a much higher chance of getting close consideration.

That said, do not do what HLS’s clerkship office appears to have done, which is to have every professor in the school send an email pushing a different candidate at 9:03 AM, which basically guarantees that none of them will get read.

LMAO so to clarify HLS had like a scheduled deluge of emails at the same time from like 5+ Professors each recommending a different candidate to your chambers?

I think this is an attempt to adhere to the plan. CLS does this too because I’m pretty sure the plan says professors can’t do outreach until it officially opens. It’s very dumb. It essentially guarantees that any applicant that has a professor that emails instead of calls gets no advantage

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

bump

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

bump

I heard it was all of them. I’ve also heard Chang and Lee are done.

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

bump

I heard it was all of them. I’ve also heard Chang and Lee are done.

Lol there is no way it’s “all of them”

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

bump

I heard it was all of them. I’ve also heard Chang and Lee are done.

Lol there is no way it’s “all of them”

Sorry ok I really should’ve been more specific - it’s all the ones I applied to lol.
Pallmeyer. Wood. Chang. Kennelly. Tharp. Lee. Seeger.

[heretolurk]

Any movement in D.AZ or D.NJ?

Last year D.AZ was done week one.

[Anonymous User]

DMASS judges?

[Anonymous User]

Colloton, Scudder, and Miller have also moved

[Anonymous User]

Any idea of how many NDIL judges have extended interview offers?

bump

I heard it was all of them. I’ve also heard Chang and Lee are done.

Lol there is no way it’s “all of them”

Sorry ok I really should’ve been more specific - it’s all the ones I applied to lol.
Pallmeyer. Wood. Chang. Kennelly. Tharp. Lee. Seeger.

Did Seeger really move early this year??? That seems unusual...

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has gone through multiple plan hiring cycles from the chambers side, if you’re applying to competitive judges/circuits, you really need to have professors actively reaching out on your behalf. Judges are getting barraged by professor emails, and no matter how good your grades are, if you don’t have someone pushing you, judges are going to wonder why. It’s also not practical for judges to comb through 500 applicants on a compressed timeline, including dozens from each of the top schools, and try to parse through fine distinctions in transcripts. But if you have someone pushing you, your application has a much higher chance of getting close consideration.

That said, do not do what HLS’s clerkship office appears to have done, which is to have every professor in the school send an email pushing a different candidate at 9:03 AM, which basically guarantees that none of them will get read.

LMAO so to clarify HLS had like a scheduled deluge of emails at the same time from like 5+ Professors each recommending a different candidate to your chambers?

Yes, except it was more like 30+ professors.

I understand it’s a function of not being able to reach out earlier, but the school and professors really need to be coordinating which candidates are getting pushed with which judges if they want to have any chance of it making a difference.

[Anonymous User]

Colloton, Scudder, and Miller have also moved

Colloton just for 23, or also 24?

[Anonymous User]

Is it too late to have a professor make calls to judges? (Particularly district court judges?)

[Anonymous User]

In Bay Area — know that Koh, Friedland, Chhabria, Breyer, Orrick moved fast. Corley done. Not sure about Seeborg, Alsup, Sanchez. (Also heard Kruger moved on CASC a bit ago, not sure about Liu). A bunch of district judges not yet hiring because they’re booked so far out.