2015-2016 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have it on good authority that at least one feeder judge will not be interviewing until after fall semester grades are in. Sorry that I cannot be more specific.

[Anonymous User]

4th Cir and D.MD for 2015

COA:
Niemeyer: hiring currently
Motz: yes
Davis: no, will post on oscar when he's ready


D.MD
-Chasanow (chief judge): no
-Blake: no
-Quarles: no
-Bennet: already hired through 2017 (lol)
-TItus: hiring currently
-Bredar: no
-Hollander: beginning in early 2014
-Grimm: no
-Russell: no
-Garbis: already done through 2017

[Anonymous User]

I have it on good authority that at least one feeder judge will not be interviewing until after fall semester grades are in. Sorry that I cannot be more specific.

Fletcher has publicly stated as much. Gorsuch has also strongly suggested he will hold off. It seems unlikely the D.C. Circuit will wait, though.

[Anonymous User]

4th Cir and D.MD for 2015

COA:
Niemeyer: hiring currently
Motz: yes
Davis: no, will post on oscar when he's ready


D.MD
-Chasanow (chief judge): no
-Blake: no
-Quarles: no
-Bennet: already hired through 2017 (lol)
-TItus: hiring currently
-Bredar: no
-Hollander: beginning in early 2014
-Grimm: no
-Russell: no
-Garbis: already done through 2017

I would add that in EDVA, Judge Ellis is done hiring for 2015.

[Anonymous User]

I'm not really close to any of my professors. I hate bothering them with questions so I don't really go to office hours. Of course, this is coming back to haunt me now that I want to apply for clerkships. I can ask the prof. I RA for, but what about the prof. for my small seminar type class (I usually speak up every class and I think she knows my name lol)? Is that going to be really awkward, or are profs. used to these random requests? Will two recommendations be enough?

[Nelson]

I'm not really close to any of my professors. I hate bothering them with questions so I don't really go to office hours. Of course, this is coming back to haunt me now that I want to apply for clerkships. I can ask the prof. I RA for, but what about the prof. for my small seminar type class (I usually speak up every class and I think she knows my name lol)? Is that going to be really awkward, or are profs. used to these random requests? Will two recommendations be enough?

You need three. Just ask profs. Giving recs is part of their job.

[ph14]

I'm not really close to any of my professors. I hate bothering them with questions so I don't really go to office hours. Of course, this is coming back to haunt me now that I want to apply for clerkships. I can ask the prof. I RA for, but what about the prof. for my small seminar type class (I usually speak up every class and I think she knows my name lol)? Is that going to be really awkward, or are profs. used to these random requests? Will two recommendations be enough?

You need three. Just ask profs. Giving recs is part of their job.

Depends on the judge, two might be enough. One important thing I want to say is that you write this post like it is something done and something that you cannot change at all. I know that, for many people, their strongest recommendation might not even be a professor they had at this point in law school (assuming that you are a 2L). There is still plenty of time to develop relationships with professors. Most judges won't start hiring in earnest, probably, until after 3 semesters of grades anyways. And who knows, you might end up wanting to reapply next year or as an alumni.

The point is that if you are a 3rd semester law student then you have plenty of time to build relationships with recommenders. Approach a professor to be a research assistant, ask a professor if they need a TA, take a class again with a professor you did well in before, take a seminar or reading group, get involved with some sort of school activity or organization. Don't sit around and act like it is written in stone if you really want to clerk.

[Anonymous User]

Any movement from Minnesota's federal courts?

[Anonymous User]

Get restricted call in class, can't answer, no voicemail. There goes having a nice day. #ClerkshipApplicationProblems

[AspiringAcademic]

Get restricted call in class, can't answer, no voicemail. There goes having a nice day. #ClerkshipApplicationProblems

Had a similar issue two weeks back. F-ing telemarketer. When I got a call from chambers it came up as a real number.

[Anonymous User]

Get restricted call in class, can't answer, no voicemail. There goes having a nice day. #ClerkshipApplicationProblems

Had a similar issue two weeks back. F-ing telemarketer. When I got a call from chambers it came up as a real number.

Yah generally chambers have popped up as a real number for me, but I've also had them pop as restricted (more rarely). I'm gonna assume it was telemarketer.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience (3rd Circuit), a number pops up but if you try to call it back you can't get through.

[Anonymous User]

How quickly do you all tend to hear back on submitted apps? I realize it is very chambers specific, but I sent my first batch of apps out over the weekend and I'm super impatient.

[ph14]

In my experience, if a judge calls and you miss the call they will most likely leave a message. And it won't be from an unrestricted number. But I understand your frustration.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone interview recently?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone interview recently?

I interviewed a few weeks ago. Still waiting to hear back.

[Anonymous User]

Jordan (11th Cir.) is interviewing.

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

OP here, thanks! Anyone have a different opinion? I heard recently that some feeder-ish judges are now accepting and don't want to miss those (think I might have a shot, approx. top 5% at HLS). If they haven't hired by now, will they probably wait for fall semester grades anyway?

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

OP here, thanks! Anyone have a different opinion? I heard recently that some feeder-ish judges are now accepting and don't want to miss those (think I might have a shot, approx. top 5% at HLS). If they haven't hired by now, will they probably wait for fall semester grades anyway?

Quoted anon here—Top 5% at HLS is a much different ballgame than the one I'm playing; presumably you guys should have a clerkship coordinator or individual professors who can help you figure out which feeders are currently hiring for whom you would be competitive. They can be pretty idiosyncratic (Kavanaugh is pretty much already done, whereas Gorsuch has expressly stated he wants fall 2L grades).

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

OP here, thanks! Anyone have a different opinion? I heard recently that some feeder-ish judges are now accepting and don't want to miss those (think I might have a shot, approx. top 5% at HLS). If they haven't hired by now, will they probably wait for fall semester grades anyway?

2 things here. What do you think is top 5% at HLS, since we don't have grades? Asking for a point of comparison.
Second, the biggest feeder judge that moves this early is J. Kozinski, but I think he is already done for 2015. They start moving with more earnest after the New Year, in late January and February.

[Anonymous User]

2L here interested in circuits, quick advice would be appreciated. With finals looming, is it worth it to try to get apps in now, or is any advantage of getting them in now too low for the tradeoff (time spent on clerkship apps v. time spent studying) to be worth it?

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

OP here, thanks! Anyone have a different opinion? I heard recently that some feeder-ish judges are now accepting and don't want to miss those (think I might have a shot, approx. top 5% at HLS). If they haven't hired by now, will they probably wait for fall semester grades anyway?

2 things here. What do you think is top 5% at HLS, since we don't have grades? Asking for a point of comparison.
Second, the biggest feeder judge that moves this early is J. Kozinski, but I think he is already done for 2015. They start moving with more earnest after the New Year, in late January and February.

OP again. So I said approx. because obviously don't cite me on this, but I've heard that something like all Hs at end of 1L should land you around top 5% because magna is somewhere between 3.9-4.0 and people have higher grades 2L/3L years. Rough measure but take it for what you will.

[Anonymous User]

Fellow 2L here—I am juuuust outside of top 10% at my T14 (3.69 GPA), so I am focusing on exams right now and holding off on apps until grades are in (I figure at this point, unless a judge is moving remarkably quickly, they will end up asking how fall grades went anyway).

OP here, thanks! Anyone have a different opinion? I heard recently that some feeder-ish judges are now accepting and don't want to miss those (think I might have a shot, approx. top 5% at HLS). If they haven't hired by now, will they probably wait for fall semester grades anyway?

2 things here. What do you think is top 5% at HLS, since we don't have grades? Asking for a point of comparison.
Second, the biggest feeder judge that moves this early is J. Kozinski, but I think he is already done for 2015. They start moving with more earnest after the New Year, in late January and February.

OP again. So I said approx. because obviously don't cite me on this, but I've heard that something like all Hs at end of 1L should land you around top 5% because magna is somewhere between 3.9-4.0 and people have higher grades 2L/3L years. Rough measure but take it for what you will.

Gotcha, thanks. Obviously it's a black box, so I was mainly asking for curiosity's sake. Anyways, if you want to get advice from someone in a similar position who secured a feeder clerkship post here non-anonymous and I will pm you (and hopefully you can delete your post immediately afterwards and remain anonymous).

[Citizen Genet]

Griffith filled per OSCAR.