2021-2022 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

CCN clerkship office confirmed today via mass email that interview invites appear to be rolling out significantly slower than in other recent years.

[Anonymous User]

Anything on Lamberth for 21?

Per my school's clerkship office, at least one person has accepted a Lamberth clerkship for 2021.

[Anonymous User]

D.Ct. clerk in NDCA/CDCA chiming in. I know that at least 4-5 DJs in each district have interviewed. I am unsure about offers. My understanding is that the career services offices at HYS (and perhaps other schools?) try to track which judges have interviewed and given offers, so current students at those schools likely have the best information about the state of the California market.

A few DJs have long filled some of their fall 2021 slots with Class of 2020 students who are coming off of COA clerkships. Given the increasing tendency for top candidates to do both D. Ct. and COA clerkships, my sense is that many chambers are exclusively interviewing COA-quality clerks. I hear that some elite West Coast litigation shops have pushed their summer associates to consider doing both clerkships; I imagine that elite East Coast litigation shops are dispensing similar advice.

In response to other comments on earlier sections of this thread: in addition to the SLS Supreme Court Clinic (which is far more selective than SLR), many chambers look favorably upon the HLS Supreme Court Clinic (Goldstein & Russell teaches it, though it's a winter-term experience that only lasts a few weeks) and certain clinics at Yale (SCOTUS, WIRAC, SFALP, Vets, RoLC, etc.). Their students often come with extensive litigation experience and strong recommendations from top-notch clinical faculty. Karlan at SLS and Wishnie at YLS write especially thorough and compelling recommendations.

[Anonymous User]

Kennelly from ND Ill. filled a spot

[Anonymous User]

If you see two or three judges from a highly selective district interviewing, the actual number of judges interviewing is higher--perhaps five or six, or more.

Judges tend to interview batches of candidates. It's safe to say that if you see a Judge's name listed here, that Judge has already picked 4-6 candidates to interview for 2 slots. For you still to be in the running, the judge would have to feel lukewarm about pretty much everyone in the batch.

These two points are common sense, but they were confirmed for me today, and thought I'd share.

[Anonymous User]

a former clerk in a very competitive district told me that his judge always interviewed 15-20 people for each cycle, sometimes more. (he was super into the right “fit”.) so, depressingly, even if you get an interview, your chances may be lower than you think....

[Anonymous User]

If you see two or three judges from a highly selective district interviewing, the actual number of judges interviewing is higher--perhaps five or six, or more.

Judges tend to interview batches of candidates. It's safe to say that if you see a Judge's name listed here, that Judge has already picked 4-6 candidates to interview for 2 slots. For you still to be in the running, the judge would have to feel lukewarm about pretty much everyone in the batch.

These two points are common sense, but they were confirmed for me today, and thought I'd share.

Disagree with #1. AFAIK judges across "highly selective" districts (what does this even mean anyway . . . just SDNY/DDC/CDCA? Or any district with a major city?) don't coordinate their hiring. Same (probably more so) with the circuits. judges do their own thing, just because gary feinerman (for example) is hiring five minutes after the Plan opens doesn't mean the rest of the court is beholden to that.

[Anonymous User]

Christopher Conner (M.D. of Pennsylvania) filled.

[Anonymous User]

If you get an interview for a d.ct., what are generally the odds of getting the clerkship?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of D. Maryland movement?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of D. Maryland movement?

Gallagher has interviewed and is likely done interviewing.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of D. Maryland movement?

Hollander is interviewing

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of D. Maryland movement?

Hollander is interviewing

Hollander has a bad reputation for being a screamer and having a toxic chambers environment FYI.

[nixy]

If you get an interview for a d.ct., what are generally the odds of getting the clerkship?

1/however many other people are being interviewed. There's no uniformity in judge hiring so no real way to tell. No one bothers to interview someone they know they don't want to hire, but you have no idea who else is being interviewed or whether someone else will hit it off with the judge better. Worrying about it is pointless.

[Anonymous User]

If you see two or three judges from a highly selective district interviewing, the actual number of judges interviewing is higher--perhaps five or six, or more.

Judges tend to interview batches of candidates. It's safe to say that if you see a Judge's name listed here, that Judge has already picked 4-6 candidates to interview for 2 slots. For you still to be in the running, the judge would have to feel lukewarm about pretty much everyone in the batch.

These two points are common sense, but they were confirmed for me today, and thought I'd share.

Disagree with #1. AFAIK judges across "highly selective" districts (what does this even mean anyway . . . just SDNY/DDC/CDCA? Or any district with a major city?) don't coordinate their hiring. Same (probably more so) with the circuits. judges do their own thing, just because gary feinerman (for example) is hiring five minutes after the Plan opens doesn't mean the rest of the court is beholden to that.

I’ve talked to a couple of highly, highly competitive NDIL applicants who have heard radio silence from it so far.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of D. Maryland movement?

Hollander is interviewing

Hollander has a bad reputation for being a screamer and having a toxic chambers environment FYI.

What other judges have a similar bad reputation?

[Anonymous User]

Any movement on Anderson (11th Cir) ?

[Anonymous User]

Any movement from Judge Urbanski?

[Anonymous User]

I can't seem to tell how many judges have actually moved at the D. Ct. level, and it's driving me up the wall. Alas.

[Anonymous User]

Any movement by Du (NV)?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of movement in NDNY or WDNY ?

[Anonymous User]

Any movement from Judge Urbanski?

None here.

[Anonymous User]

Just another venting post. Three interviews this week (one in a semi-competitive district, two in non-competitive districts), and complete radio silence afterward. I punched way above my stats somehow (top 20% at a T20, LR exec but that's it) so I wasn't expecting anything good this cycle, but I can't help but kick myself for somehow botching these opportunities.

[Anonymous User]

Just another venting post. Three interviews this week (one in a semi-competitive district, two in non-competitive districts), and complete radio silence afterward. I punched way above my stats somehow (top 20% at a T20, LR exec but that's it) so I wasn't expecting anything good this cycle, but I can't help but kick myself for somehow botching these opportunities.

Clearly you've got a compelling app, and I wouldnt give up hope just yet, but maybe contact your clerkship office and ask for a practice interview --ideally recorded -- so you can see and review your answers and body language.

[Anonymous User]

Just another venting post. Three interviews this week (one in a semi-competitive district, two in non-competitive districts), and complete radio silence afterward. I punched way above my stats somehow (top 20% at a T20, LR exec but that's it) so I wasn't expecting anything good this cycle, but I can't help but kick myself for somehow botching these opportunities.

I feel you. I picked up one interview in a not so competitive district earlier this week and got passed over. I know there are still a lot of judges who haven't yet extended interviews, but I can't help but feel that I missed my shot.