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all,

So I am preparing cover for a few judges, some for whom I cannot find any information. they say that you are supposed to make the letter specific and "geared" toward that judge. But, I can't find anything other than the matters over which that judge is presiding.

Any input?

Thanks.

I'm not really sure this is standard, but some schools (incl. mine) advise a very barebones cover letter-- just state that you're applying for a clerkship in whatever term, indicate that your materials are enclosed, and provide contact info for your recommenders.

All judges are looking for certain attributes; tailor one good letter for those attributes and you will be fine.

Writing, research, et cetera.

As a clerk who recently helped review 200 apps to hire my replacement, I assure you that tailoring your CL to a specific won't matter. Or, rather, not tailoring it won't hurt whatsoever. The only exception to this that I can think of is for courts of specific jurisdiction.

But tailoring it to the judge can often be so transparent it's cringeworthy. For example, one applicant wrote something like "I recently read your decision in X v. Y, and found it fascinating." This person clearly just looked up a recent case in WL and cited it without reading it (or realizing it was a routine boilerplate decision, which, to be fair, is understandable).

Anonymous User wrote:As a clerk who recently helped review 200 apps to hire my replacement, I assure you that tailoring your CL to a specific won't matter. Or, rather, not tailoring it won't hurt whatsoever. .

Eh, it varies judge to judge. I know of a few judges who discard any apps with generic cover letters that don't explain, at the very least, why someone wants to clerk in that area. But they're definitely the small exception rather than the rule.

I would avoid referencing anything too specific about the judge as a person/jurist, it will just come off as trying to get cute.

As a current law clerk, I can say that it is more important to explain your tie to the area and why you want to clerk. You can always try finding out about their career trajectory and try to make a comparison (i.e. "I saw that you worked as an AUSA, which is another reason why I hope to clerk for you, as that is a job I hope to obtain after clerking.").