Phone Call Strategy Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have a professor who just said that they are willing to make phone calls for me. After meeting with them, they said that they will call three judges for me now and some more near the end of June when the rest of my applications go out. I am supposed to select three judges to whom I am applying over the weekend for the professor to cold call next week.

Suggestions? Call where I have ties, where I am most competitive, least competitive? How do I choose the three?

[Anonymous User]

I have a professor who just said that they are willing to make phone calls for me. After meeting with them, they said that they will call three judges for me now and some more near the end of June when the rest of my applications go out. I am supposed to select three judges to whom I am applying over the weekend for the professor to cold call next week.

Suggestions? Call where I have ties, where I am most competitive, least competitive? How do I choose the three?

I would make sure to confine the calls to judges you think you have a reasonable chance with. A phone call will get your application noticed, and if you are in the judge's hiring range, you may very well get an interview because of that. But if you're not that competitive and the clerkship is a long shot, then a phone call probably isn't going to get you an interview (maybe except if the professor is a good friend of the judge).

Maybe HYS notwithstanding, I would also look to see which judges have hired from your school in the past. At a lower T14, like the one I attend, there are plenty of judges that have not come within a ten foot pole the school. That's not to say they wouldn't hire you (there always has to be a first), but best to devote those three precious phone calls to a receptive audience.

[lolwat]

I would make sure to confine the calls to judges you think you have a reasonable chance with. A phone call will get your application noticed, and if you are in the judge's hiring range, you may very well get an interview because of that. But if you're not that competitive and the clerkship is a long shot, then a phone call probably isn't going to get you an interview (maybe except if the professor is a good friend of the judge).

Maybe HYS notwithstanding, I would also look to see which judges have hired from your school in the past. At a lower T14, like the one I attend, there are plenty of judges that have not come within a ten foot pole the school. That's not to say they wouldn't hire you (there always has to be a first), but best to devote those three precious phone calls to a receptive audience.

Agree 100%.

Some judges don't care that much about phone calls either, though. I guess you don't have a ton of time to do additional research, so the above advice is good.

[Anonymous User]

Related question: I have a professor who is willing to make calls. The professor does not have a personal relationship with the judges that she'll be calling. Should I have her just call chambers and ask to speak with the judge? Should she leave a message w/the administrative staff and ask for a call back? She is comfortable on what she wants to say - just a little uncertain of protocol for calling chambers.

Any guidance appreciated. Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Related question: I have a professor who is willing to make calls. The professor does not have a personal relationship with the judges that she'll be calling. Should I have her just call chambers and ask to speak with the judge? Should she leave a message w/the administrative staff and ask for a call back? She is comfortable on what she wants to say - just a little uncertain of protocol for calling chambers.

Any guidance appreciated. Thanks.

I'd say calling chambers and asking to speak with the judge regarding an applicant is probably your best bet (if the staff wants to take a message/note, they'll do so -- they've probably gotten calls before and will handle it the way the judge prefers). This is just my intuition though. I'd recommend checking with a professor on your school's clerkship committee (or advising your professor to do so) to check protocol though. The professors there are usually familiar on the proper mechanics of this stuff.