clerkship chances Forum
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Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about clerkship applications and clerkship hiring. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
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clerkship chances
I am pretty unfamiliar to the process and I know with the plan in shambles everything is getting moved forward. Right now, after 1L, I have a 4.0 at BU (puts me well inside the top5%). I am deciding whether to transfer or not and whether I have a realistic chance at a clerkship definitely plays into my calculus. Oh, I have also graded onto Law Review. thanks again - i know this could be an inane question but again I am weighing the transfer option just to maximize my chances at a great outcome.
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Re: clerkship chances
You have a shot at transferring to H.
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Re: clerkship chances
OP here. I put an app into H. I am just not sure how transferring would constrain my options thereafter and if my position at BU would be better than that after transferring.Anonymous User wrote:You have a shot at transferring to H.
- A. Nony Mouse
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Re: clerkship chances
Well, BU placed 4.8% of the class of 2012 in federal clerkships, while Harvard placed 17.8% in federal clerkships. Personally, I would prefer the odds coming out of Harvard, even though you are (currently) in an admirable position at BU.
In terms of constraints, my understanding is that transfers may find it harder to get good LORs lined up, since you won't be able to strengthen relationships with your 1L profs, and won't have known any of your 2L profs for very long. But I think if you're proactive about this it's not that bad. The other issue is law review - I don't know how hard it is to get onto Harvard LR as a transfer. But I also don't think you need LR as badly (as opposed to a secondary journal) coming out of Harvard. (That's pure speculation on my part, though.)
Obviously this is apart from all the other considerations for transferring, which I can't address.
In terms of constraints, my understanding is that transfers may find it harder to get good LORs lined up, since you won't be able to strengthen relationships with your 1L profs, and won't have known any of your 2L profs for very long. But I think if you're proactive about this it's not that bad. The other issue is law review - I don't know how hard it is to get onto Harvard LR as a transfer. But I also don't think you need LR as badly (as opposed to a secondary journal) coming out of Harvard. (That's pure speculation on my part, though.)
Obviously this is apart from all the other considerations for transferring, which I can't address.
- nevdash
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Re: clerkship chances
You should transfer if you want COA. If you're content clerking at D. Mass. or something, then you're probably okay staying. We just don't have many COA judges who regularly take BU grads; #1 in the class this year is going to a COA judge, but #1 and #2 last year only went to D. Mass. The only good bet before was RAing for Maclin and hoping to get the in with Martin on the 6th, but I think Martin stopped taking clerks this year because of health issues.
Good job on your grades.
Good job on your grades.
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- ndirish2010
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Re: clerkship chances
I can't believe it's that bad, why don't you guys place better in clerkships? You do a lot better than us with big firms.nevdash wrote:You should transfer if you want COA. If you're content clerking at D. Mass. or something, then you're probably okay staying. We just don't have many COA judges who regularly take BU grads; #1 in the class this year is going to a COA judge, but #1 and #2 last year only went to D. Mass. The only good bet before was RAing for Maclin and hoping to get the in with Martin on the 6th, but I think Martin stopped taking clerks this year because of health issues.
Good job on your grades.
- nevdash
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Re: clerkship chances
It must be because our CDO is just the worst. I think the only reason we do well with biglaw placement is that the CDO can't possibly mess it up; they just run OCI the same way that they have been for a decade, and firms come and do their thing. But their incompetence is probably why BU has feast-or-famine job stats; if you aren't in the 33% or whatever who get biglaw, there's a good chance that you're straight fucked. They can't help you get midlaw, they can't help you get gov, and they can't help you get a clerkship. There was a dude who was top 15% with LR and who, for whatever reason, struck out at OCI. He graduated unemployed, and has only found part-time work since.ndirish2010 wrote:I can't believe it's that bad, why don't you guys place better in clerkships? You do a lot better than us with big firms.nevdash wrote:You should transfer if you want COA. If you're content clerking at D. Mass. or something, then you're probably okay staying. We just don't have many COA judges who regularly take BU grads; #1 in the class this year is going to a COA judge, but #1 and #2 last year only went to D. Mass. The only good bet before was RAing for Maclin and hoping to get the in with Martin on the 6th, but I think Martin stopped taking clerks this year because of health issues.
Good job on your grades.
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Re: clerkship chances
First, the bad news: you can't make HLR as a transfer (you also can't make BSA or HLAB, but you can do one of the many secondary journals at Harvard and perhaps get a board position).
The good news: transfers frequently do very well in the clerkship hunt here, particularly if you are willing to clerk as an alum. We have plenty of transfers who have lined up COA clerkships, clerkships in SDNY and other competitive district courts, etc. HLS will give you lots of advantages in the clerkship hunt (the name, access to well-known professors, one of the best clerkship advising programs out there), but your success will largely turn on how you develop recommendations with your professors and whether you can get someone who will go to bat for you.
The good news: transfers frequently do very well in the clerkship hunt here, particularly if you are willing to clerk as an alum. We have plenty of transfers who have lined up COA clerkships, clerkships in SDNY and other competitive district courts, etc. HLS will give you lots of advantages in the clerkship hunt (the name, access to well-known professors, one of the best clerkship advising programs out there), but your success will largely turn on how you develop recommendations with your professors and whether you can get someone who will go to bat for you.
- pupshaw
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Re: clerkship chances
You actually can, you just have to do the write on at the same time as everyone else, so ie before you know whether you've gotten in as a transfer. So it probably happens extremely rarely, and it's obviously too late for OP.hlsperson1111 wrote:First, the bad news: you can't make HLR as a transfer
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Re: clerkship chances
Haven't checked this forum in a few days but omg TRANSFER, imo. 100%. I wouldn't think twice about it with what I know now if I were in that position.
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Re: clerkship chances
Are you getting money at BU? Ideally where would you want to clerk?
I was in a similar position at a similar school and decided not to transfer. I had scholarship money and personal reasons to stay. I ended up with a great clerkship. I don't know much about BU but if it's like my school, faculty are very helpful for people near the top of the class who want to gun for clerkships.
If you're only considering H I think there's a good case to be made for staying, especially if you are getting money. There are so many people going for clerkships from H that you may get lost as a transfer. If you would transfer to Y that's a different ballgame.
I was in a similar position at a similar school and decided not to transfer. I had scholarship money and personal reasons to stay. I ended up with a great clerkship. I don't know much about BU but if it's like my school, faculty are very helpful for people near the top of the class who want to gun for clerkships.
If you're only considering H I think there's a good case to be made for staying, especially if you are getting money. There are so many people going for clerkships from H that you may get lost as a transfer. If you would transfer to Y that's a different ballgame.
- dbt
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Re: clerkship chances
With a 4.0 at BU I'm not sure why you wouldn't also throw an application to Yale, unless you don't want to leave Boston. Clerkship prospects will be stronger coming out of Yale, and you have a much easier time making law journal.
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Re: clerkship chances
OP here. I have not, thus far, applied to Yale. My undergraduate record is weak. Strong LA college but i just dicked around and have a GPA just north of 3. I figured with the limited strength of my undergrad record, despite 4 years of subsequent work experience, that it was a wasted application. Applied to H and S tho.dbt wrote:With a 4.0 at BU I'm not sure why you wouldn't also throw an application to Yale, unless you don't want to leave Boston. Clerkship prospects will be stronger coming out of Yale, and you have a much easier time making law journal.
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Re: clerkship chances
Apply to Y. What's the harm? $50?Anonymous User wrote:OP here. I have not, thus far, applied to Yale. My undergraduate record is weak. Strong LA college but i just dicked around and have a GPA just north of 3. I figured with the limited strength of my undergrad record, despite 4 years of subsequent work experience, that it was a wasted application. Applied to H and S tho.dbt wrote:With a 4.0 at BU I'm not sure why you wouldn't also throw an application to Yale, unless you don't want to leave Boston. Clerkship prospects will be stronger coming out of Yale, and you have a much easier time making law journal.
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