Relevance of Grades to Judge After Securing Clerkship Forum

[Anonymous User]

Have any former or current clerks gotten their judges asking to see transcripts after being hired? I'd like to forget I'm even in law school for my 3L year.

edit: this is an awkwardly worded and silly question, but screw it, you know what I'm asking about.

[ZyzzBrah]

my judge just said, "keep me updated on how you're doing" but never specifically asked for my transcripts.


I'd assume that they don't care about your grades so long as you don't do horribly and just stay where you were.

[ggocat]

No.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on the judge. I'm sure that most judges don't ask or care much. However, my judge specifically told me that I was "not allowed to slack off" during 3L year. I know of another judge who wanted post-hiring transcripts, too.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Yeah, my judge didn't care about my transcript/grades after hiring me, either. I kinda remember having to show a transcript to prove I'd graduated when I started, but can't find any evidence to confirm that, and even if I did, it would have gone to HR, not to the judge. Obviously there are some who care, but I thought I'd add another data point.

[Anonymous User]

My COA judge definitely wanted final transcripts. Don't know if it would have been an issue if my GPA had fallen off, but I don't think he would have loved it if I hadn't graduated at least magna cum laude.

[Anonymous User]

Totally depends on the judge. I have two clerkships.

My first judge told me I couldn't slack off on my grades after I got hired. I heard from previous clerks that he asked them to send updated transcripts after each semester so I sent mine before he asked.

I then asked my second judge if he'd like to see my transcript after the semester ended and he was, like, "uh, naw, I already hired you. That won't change."

If you don't want to broach the subject with your judge, see if you can ask previous clerks to get an idea.

[A. Nony Mouse]

My COA judge definitely wanted final transcripts. Don't know if it would have been an issue if my GPA had fallen off, but I don't think he would have loved it if I hadn't graduated at least magna cum laude.

I'm gonna speculate wildly here, but I wonder if it's more likely your judge is going to care if you're* clerking with one of the more prestigious feeder-y types - I don't actually think *any* of my district court judge's former clerks had graduated magna. (Okay, I lie - one did - but she was the exception.)

*generic you, not you, this anon

[Anonymous User]

My judge didn't even want to see an official transcript before I was hired. Now that I think about it, she didn't even ask me how the rest of 3L went (I got hired in October of 3L).

[TatteredDignity]

My COA judge definitely wanted final transcripts. Don't know if it would have been an issue if my GPA had fallen off, but I don't think he would have loved it if I hadn't graduated at least magna cum laude.

I'm gonna speculate wildly here, but I wonder if it's more likely your judge is going to care if you're* clerking with one of the more prestigious feeder-y types - I don't actually think *any* of my district court judge's former clerks had graduated magna. (Okay, I lie - one did - but she was the exception.)

*generic you, not you, this anon

Isn't magna just top 10%? Maybe my school is less stringent than others.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Oh, is it? Oops. My school didn't offer Latin honors, so I kinda thought it was higher. (But honestly, most of us weren't Coif, either.)

[Liam]

Oh, is it? Oops. My school didn't offer Latin honors, so I kinda thought it was higher. (But honestly, most of us weren't Coif, either.)

Coif is also top 10%

[A. Nony Mouse]

Oh, is it? Oops. My school didn't offer Latin honors, so I kinda thought it was higher. (But honestly, most of us weren't Coif, either.)

Coif is also top 10%

Right, I did know that. So I'm just saying most of us wouldn't have been magna even though it was a little less tough than I'd thought (because we weren't Coif). Sorry to be unclear.

[TatteredDignity]

Oh, is it? Oops. My school didn't offer Latin honors, so I kinda thought it was higher. (But honestly, most of us weren't Coif, either.)

Coif is also top 10%

Right, I did know that. So I'm just saying most of us wouldn't have been magna even though it was a little less tough than I'd thought (because we weren't Coif). Sorry to be unclear.

No worries, we're on the same page.

I have a related question to OP's, but I don't want to hijack, so if this is too unrelated, I'll start my own thread:

I struck out for the 2014 term (my graduation year), and I don't really want to apply for 2015 because I'd feel bad leaving the firm I'm going to after only one year (smaller firm, personal connections, burning bridges stuff). When I start applying for 2016, my transcript will be complete. How much will judges care that my 3rd year will have included only 2-3 doctrinal courses? I'm taking a lot of trial ad, clinic, journal, moot court, etc. credits. Mostly, I'm sick of BLL classes and I want to learn practical stuff. Also, I'm currently above the cutoff for summa, and these kinds of classes cement my GPA so I don't screw that up. Should I take a few more doctrinal courses in my last semester?

[ph14]

Oh, is it? Oops. My school didn't offer Latin honors, so I kinda thought it was higher. (But honestly, most of us weren't Coif, either.)

Coif is also top 10%

Right, I did know that. So I'm just saying most of us wouldn't have been magna even though it was a little less tough than I'd thought (because we weren't Coif). Sorry to be unclear.

No worries, we're on the same page.

I have a related question to OP's, but I don't want to hijack, so if this is too unrelated, I'll start my own thread:

I struck out for the 2014 term (my graduation year), and I don't really want to apply for 2015 because I'd feel bad leaving the firm I'm going to after only one year (smaller firm, personal connections, burning bridges stuff). When I start applying for 2016, my transcript will be complete. How much will judges care that my 3rd year will have included only 2-3 doctrinal courses? I'm taking a lot of trial ad, clinic, journal, moot court, etc. credits. Mostly, I'm sick of BLL classes and I want to learn practical stuff. Also, I'm currently above the cutoff for summa, and these kinds of classes cement my GPA so I don't screw that up. Should I take a few more doctrinal courses in my last semester?

I vote cement your GPA. It's like asking whether you would rather be an undefeated Baylor or a 1-loss team (not Alabama). I'd take my chances at getting into the title game with undefeated Baylor.

[TatteredDignity]

No worries, we're on the same page.

I have a related question to OP's, but I don't want to hijack, so if this is too unrelated, I'll start my own thread:

I struck out for the 2014 term (my graduation year), and I don't really want to apply for 2015 because I'd feel bad leaving the firm I'm going to after only one year (smaller firm, personal connections, burning bridges stuff). When I start applying for 2016, my transcript will be complete. How much will judges care that my 3rd year will have included only 2-3 doctrinal courses? I'm taking a lot of trial ad, clinic, journal, moot court, etc. credits. Mostly, I'm sick of BLL classes and I want to learn practical stuff. Also, I'm currently above the cutoff for summa, and these kinds of classes cement my GPA so I don't screw that up. Should I take a few more doctrinal courses in my last semester?

I vote cement your GPA. It's like asking whether you would be an undefeated Baylor or a 1-loss team (not Alabama). I'd take my chances at getting into the title game with undefeated Baylor.

I say this non-facetiously: that sports analogy really connected with me. I feel better about my chosen path now. Thanks.

[ph14]

No worries, we're on the same page.

I have a related question to OP's, but I don't want to hijack, so if this is too unrelated, I'll start my own thread:

I struck out for the 2014 term (my graduation year), and I don't really want to apply for 2015 because I'd feel bad leaving the firm I'm going to after only one year (smaller firm, personal connections, burning bridges stuff). When I start applying for 2016, my transcript will be complete. How much will judges care that my 3rd year will have included only 2-3 doctrinal courses? I'm taking a lot of trial ad, clinic, journal, moot court, etc. credits. Mostly, I'm sick of BLL classes and I want to learn practical stuff. Also, I'm currently above the cutoff for summa, and these kinds of classes cement my GPA so I don't screw that up. Should I take a few more doctrinal courses in my last semester?

I vote cement your GPA. It's like asking whether you would be an undefeated Baylor or a 1-loss team (not Alabama). I'd take my chances at getting into the title game with undefeated Baylor.

I say this non-facetiously: that sports analogy really connected with me. I feel better about my chosen path now. Thanks.

Everything in life can be explained through sports analogies.

[TatteredDignity]

No worries, we're on the same page.

I have a related question to OP's, but I don't want to hijack, so if this is too unrelated, I'll start my own thread:

I struck out for the 2014 term (my graduation year), and I don't really want to apply for 2015 because I'd feel bad leaving the firm I'm going to after only one year (smaller firm, personal connections, burning bridges stuff). When I start applying for 2016, my transcript will be complete. How much will judges care that my 3rd year will have included only 2-3 doctrinal courses? I'm taking a lot of trial ad, clinic, journal, moot court, etc. credits. Mostly, I'm sick of BLL classes and I want to learn practical stuff. Also, I'm currently above the cutoff for summa, and these kinds of classes cement my GPA so I don't screw that up. Should I take a few more doctrinal courses in my last semester?

I vote cement your GPA. It's like asking whether you would be an undefeated Baylor or a 1-loss team (not Alabama). I'd take my chances at getting into the title game with undefeated Baylor.

I say this non-facetiously: that sports analogy really connected with me. I feel better about my chosen path now. Thanks.

Everything in life can be explained through sports analogies.

Outed as a fellow West Wing fan.

[Anonymous User]

I clerked DCt (in a district considered among the 3-4 most competitive) right out of law school for an active judge. My judge did not ask for an updated transcript with 3L grades.

[Anonymous User]

Interestingly, one of my judges in my interview (before hiring) didn't ask me about keeping up the grades, but did want to know every class I planned to take in the remaining semesters of law school. He is feeder-y, so I suspect that is part of why, because despite making a point of this he didn't actually seem to have any particular course in mind but just all the classes you're "supposed" to take... So I'm taking them, lol.

[Anonymous User]

My district court judge didn't ask for my third year grades.