Let's Talk 1st Circuit Forum

[Barnabyboom]

Anyone hear from Judge Kayatta re 2021?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if Judge Torruella screens for ties to Puerto Rico and/or Spanish proficiency?

[Anonymous User]

I had an interview with Torruella a few years ago with no ties to Puerto Rico and no Spanish fluency (but did not receive an offer). I was clerking for a court in a different territory though, which might have piqued his interest.

Edit: Its been awhile and my recollection of the interview is hazy, but I think at least one of his law clerks lacked ties to Puerto Rico/Spanish fluency.

[Anonymous User]

It isn’t required although I think he likes to hire at least one local.

[CR2019]

Anyone know what Lipez is doing for 2020?

[Wild Card]

Anyone hear from Judge Kayatta re 2021?

Echoing this. Can't believe he was hiring for 2021 way back in mid-2018...

[Anonymous User]

Any movement in the last couple of days?

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Thompson for 2021?

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

From VERY limited sample obv, top 10% HYS.

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

From VERY limited sample obv, top 10% HYS.

Judge Barron pulls heavily from HLS, and has very close connections with some of the professors there (based on his own past). But even at HLS, you need to have some combination of top 10% grades, Law Review, and key recommendation writers. While not quite at the level of a Garland or a J Harvie, he's kind of a feeder on CA1.

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

From VERY limited sample obv, top 10% HYS.

Judge Barron pulls heavily from HLS, and has very close connections with some of the professors there (based on his own past). But even at HLS, you need to have some combination of top 10% grades, Law Review, and key recommendation writers. While not quite at the level of a Garland or a J Harvie, he's kind of a feeder on CA1.

This is accurate. If you exclude the DC Circuit, Barron is probably one of the 10 most competitive clerkships in the country (by means of both location as one of only 2 active judges in Boston, and by his reputation at HLS, where he consistently attracts applicants who have a shot at SCOTUS). The entire CA1 is competitive but Barron is in a league of his own.

[SamuelDanforth]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

From VERY limited sample obv, top 10% HYS.

Judge Barron pulls heavily from HLS, and has very close connections with some of the professors there (based on his own past). But even at HLS, you need to have some combination of top 10% grades, Law Review, and key recommendation writers. While not quite at the level of a Garland or a J Harvie, he's kind of a feeder on CA1.

This is accurate. If you exclude the DC Circuit, Barron is probably one of the 10 most competitive clerkships in the country (by means of both location as one of only 2 active judges in Boston, and by his reputation at HLS, where he consistently attracts applicants who have a shot at SCOTUS). The entire CA1 is competitive but Barron is in a league of his own.

Definitely also a very competitive clerkship at YLS, and highly desirable. Among those looking for a liberal feeder-type I'd put him behind Garland, Srinivasan, Katzmann, and maybe Watford, but ahead of Friedland and Millet. Profile is definitely 10%-20% of the class, LR, etc. Doesn't seem to care about ties or interest in Boston or CA1, and the people I know who he has hired tend to be DC-focused after clerking. Very different from the rest of CA1, perhaps with the exception of Boudin now that he is back hiring.

[WinterComing]

Definitely also a very competitive clerkship at YLS, and highly desirable. Among those looking for a liberal feeder-type I'd put him behind Garland, Srinivasan, Katzmann, and maybe Watford, but ahead of Friedland and Millet. Profile is definitely 10%-20% of the class, LR, etc. Doesn't seem to care about ties or interest in Boston or CA1, and the people I know who he has hired tend to be DC-focused after clerking. Very different from the rest of CA1, perhaps with the exception of Boudin now that he is back hiring.

Sort of off-topic, but I'm always a little confused when people say top 10-20 percent at YLS. Having gone to YLS, I really don't know what kind of grades correlate with what class rank. Is top 10-20 percent just shorthand for all H's?

[SamuelDanforth]

Definitely also a very competitive clerkship at YLS, and highly desirable. Among those looking for a liberal feeder-type I'd put him behind Garland, Srinivasan, Katzmann, and maybe Watford, but ahead of Friedland and Millet. Profile is definitely 10%-20% of the class, LR, etc. Doesn't seem to care about ties or interest in Boston or CA1, and the people I know who he has hired tend to be DC-focused after clerking. Very different from the rest of CA1, perhaps with the exception of Boudin now that he is back hiring.

Sort of off-topic, but I'm always a little confused when people say top 10-20 percent at YLS. Having gone to YLS, I really don't know what kind of grades correlate with what class rank. Is top 10-20 percent just shorthand for all H's?

Yes, I think so. I almost put that instead, but given the new hiring timeline, I suspect judges like Barron are ok with 1-2 Ps, as long as you have the right people pulling for you. But I agree that I have no real idea what class rank that is: could be top 5% or could be top 25%. Beats me.

[Anonymous User]

Any news on Judge Barron?

He has made offer(s)

Approximate creds of recipients thereof?

From VERY limited sample obv, top 10% HYS.

Judge Barron pulls heavily from HLS, and has very close connections with some of the professors there (based on his own past). But even at HLS, you need to have some combination of top 10% grades, Law Review, and key recommendation writers. While not quite at the level of a Garland or a J Harvie, he's kind of a feeder on CA1.

This is accurate. If you exclude the DC Circuit, Barron is probably one of the 10 most competitive clerkships in the country (by means of both location as one of only 2 active judges in Boston, and by his reputation at HLS, where he consistently attracts applicants who have a shot at SCOTUS). The entire CA1 is competitive but Barron is in a league of his own.

Definitely also a very competitive clerkship at YLS, and highly desirable. Among those looking for a liberal feeder-type I'd put him behind Garland, Srinivasan, Katzmann, and maybe Watford, but ahead of Friedland and Millet. Profile is definitely 10%-20% of the class, LR, etc. Doesn't seem to care about ties or interest in Boston or CA1, and the people I know who he has hired tend to be DC-focused after clerking. Very different from the rest of CA1, perhaps with the exception of Boudin now that he is back hiring[/b].

Just FYI, the bolded just isn't true. Kayatta and Lynch are basically only hiring candidates of a similar profile (i.e., top 10% at HYSCC + LR folks), and a number of their recent clerks also clerked for feeders. I don't doubt that Barron might be less accessible than those judges for the average well-credentialed candidate, but I think that is more attributable to the fact that Barron seems to rely so heavily on professor connections for hiring. A clerkship with Boudin is not as desirable as it once was. He's not very active these days.

[Anonymous User]

Lynch essentially calls up her connections at HLS, they tell her who their top students -- right below the absolute-feeder level -- are for the coming app cycle, and she picks around 50% of her clerks from a subset of them.

[SamuelDanforth]

Just FYI, the bolded just isn't true. Kayatta and Lynch are basically only hiring candidates of a similar profile (i.e., top 10% at HYSCC + LR folks), and a number of their recent clerks also clerked for feeders. I don't doubt that Barron might be less accessible than those judges for the average well-credentialed candidate, but I think that is more attributable to the fact that Barron seems to rely so heavily on professor connections for hiring. A clerkship with Boudin is not as desirable as it once was. He's not very active these days.

Fair enough. At YLS in 2015-2018 that wasn't the case based on my experience. Kayatta and Lynch were certainly desirable, but they weren't competing with any of the feeders, and the people targeting and getting those clerkships weren't feeder candidates (I'd certainly put myself in the non-feeder camp). My impression was that you certainly didn't need all Hs for either, and they tended to attract folks who were above students who wanted to practice in New England after graduation.

But these things change over time!

[Anonymous User]

Any movement out of the less competitive non-D.Mass district courts?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard anything from Kayatta or the non-OSCAR judges (Torruella & Thompson) for 2021?

[Anonymous User]

Is boudin active again or is he still on a miniscule caseload? I heard he had recovered and was ramping up again but it was secondhand

[Anonymous User]

Is boudin active again or is he still on a miniscule caseload? I heard he had recovered and was ramping up again but it was secondhand

He's back to a certain extent and increased the caseload, although definitely not a full caseload. I believe someone told me that he has taken the bench for some oral arguments, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[Anonymous User]

Is boudin active again or is he still on a miniscule caseload? I heard he had recovered and was ramping up again but it was secondhand

He's back to a certain extent and increased the caseload, although definitely not a full caseload. I believe someone told me that he has taken the bench for some oral arguments, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Worth applying to if competitive for Kayatta, Lynch, and (to a lesser extent) Barron?