2021-2022 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Any movement from D. Vt? Crawford or Sessions?

I've about at least one person getting an interview invite from each last week.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Lew or Selna in CA?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Lew or Selna in CA?

I know for a fact that Selna was interviewing last week

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear if Vilardo or Sannes were moving from WDNY and NDNY?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

[Anonymous User]

Data Point: Est. Top 20% in a mid-lower T-13, board of secondary journal, published note. Had two interviews last week with district judges in mid-sized non-coastal cities. Neither panned out. Otherwise crickets.

[Anonymous User]

Per a friend, McDade (CDIL) has moved

[Anonymous User]

Any movement today on the CoA?

Thomas filled, officially.

Also interested in any knowledge of CoA movement.

Per OSCAR: Lynch (1st Cir) filled for 2021, Kethledge filled for 2021 and 2022 and Henderson.

Really hoping there's more movement this week with CoA judges

Another day of silence for my CoA apps.

Bumping in case any news from CoA judges...

[Anonymous User]

Anybody heard from Kelly on the DDC?

[Anonymous User]

Levy (Maine) filled. Sigh.

[Anonymous User]

Lucero (10th) filled.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

Same boat. I know Judge interviewed some other people at my school; one withdrew before hearing back and I assume the other turned the Judge down after receiving their offer(since they also reported an offer from a major feeder).

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

Same boat. I know Judge interviewed some other people at my school; one withdrew before hearing back and I assume the other turned the Judge down after receiving their offer(since they also reported an offer from a major feeder).

Silence is rough, but I wouldn't worry too much about finding something good if you have the stats to get a Livingston interview (at least magna at HYS is my best guess). I'm sure all of you will get fantastic circuit clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

Same boat. I know Judge interviewed some other people at my school; one withdrew before hearing back and I assume the other turned the Judge down after receiving their offer(since they also reported an offer from a major feeder).

Was the latter an extended offer?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

Same boat. I know Judge interviewed some other people at my school; one withdrew before hearing back and I assume the other turned the Judge down after receiving their offer(since they also reported an offer from a major feeder).

Silence is rough, but I wouldn't worry too much about finding something good if you have the stats to get a Livingston interview (at least magna at HYS is my best guess). I'm sure all of you will get fantastic circuit clerkships.

Thank you for the kind words.

[Anonymous User]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

[Anonymous User]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

I'm sorry to hear that. Total silence is rough, but I'm glad you're still applying. FWIW, IMO I think lawyers who clerk after work experience make better clerks (not just that they're more desirable), because they have more experience in a legal work environment and are likely a little more mature.

[Anonymous User]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

Slightly different story, but same feeling. EIC of law review at a T50, top 5% of class, minority. My school vigorously promoted federal clerkships as if all students could get one and that we should expect our phone to be ringing off the hook on June 16. Told us to apply to select judges - some even suggested Feinerman or other top feeder judges - because the marginal cost of applying is so low anyway.

Now that I've read all these threads and understand just how low my chances are - can't help but honestly feel duped and frustrated. I chose to go to a lower-tier school to get more $$ and not graduate in debt; I avoided a transfer to T14s because of financial security, and now I feel depressed and that my school was negligent for promoting such aspirations on us. This all f***** sucks and the plan is annoying.

[Wild Card]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

Well, it's simple math. Each district judge hires between 1 and 3 law clerks per year. There aren't that many district judges hiring at a time, so the total number of positions is low.

Every year, 60 people graduate magna from Harvard, another 180 cum laude from Harvard; 20 Kent from Columbia, another 130 Stone from Columbia; 50 magna from NYU, another 75 cum laude from NYU.

In other words, you possibly have a absurd number of people with top grades running around and competing against you.

To get a clerkship as a median Columbia student with no law review, you would need strong softs and strong recommendation letters and phone calls from connected recommenders, and possibly a prior federal magistrate judge or state supreme court clerkship.

[Anonymous User]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

Well, it's simple math.

Yes, I understood the long odds I was facing. But bringing in math, my ancient enemy, certainly doesn't make me feel any better about the whole thing.

[Anonymous User]

Hard not to feel discouraged. I get that I'm not a particularly desirable candidate--median at CCN, no LR, but at a top firm--and so my expectations were low to begin with, but the total silence out of nearly 100 applications across the country is still pretty disheartening. Obviously I'm gonna keep applying, and more likely than not if I get a clerkship it won't be until I'm at my firm, but this stings anyway.

Well, it's simple math. Each district judge hires between 1 and 3 law clerks per year. There aren't that many district judges hiring at a time, so the total number of positions is low.

Every year, 60 people graduate magna from Harvard, another 180 cum laude from Harvard; 20 Kent from Columbia, another 130 Stone from Columbia; 50 magna from NYU, another 75 cum laude from NYU.

In other words, you possibly have a absurd number of people with top grades running around and competing against you.

To get a clerkship as a median Columbia student with no law review, you would need strong softs and strong recommendation letters and phone calls from connected recommenders, and possibly a prior federal magistrate judge or state supreme court clerkship.

Do median or <25% applications even get looked at? If you have strong softs, recommenders, etc. does it matter if your application won't even make the initial cut?

[Anonymous User]

Another data point: class of 2020, top 5% at CCN, secondary journal ed board. Applied to mix of COA and district judges for 2021. Radio silence.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody heard from Kelly on the DDC?

I have heard of interviews taking place last week and yesterday. The sense I got is that he does not intend to make offers quickly. He was telling interviewees to keep his chambers updated if they received another offer.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from Livingston after interviewing?

Interviewed but have not heard

Same boat. I know Judge interviewed some other people at my school; one withdrew before hearing back and I assume the other turned the Judge down after receiving their offer(since they also reported an offer from a major feeder).

Was the latter an extended offer?

Yes, I meant to say they presumably turned down their offer from Livingston after receiving an offer from a top feeder. Acceptances were reported for the feeder but none for Livingston yet.