Top Law Schools

Please use this thread to post news regarding the 2016-2017 clerkship term, including: rumors regarding when judges will or did being interviewing, rumors regarding which judges have completed hiring, general and specific information regarding judges and the clerkship process, questions regarding the application process, and any other application information relevant to the 2016-2017 term.

Judges Hiring Status
(I will update periodically and include the source next to the name)

Second Circuit:

• Katzmann - done (OSCAR)

Third Circuit:

• Shwartz - done (anon / OSCAR profile)
• Chagares - done (OSCAR)

Fourth Circuit:

• Niemeyer - done (anon)
• Wilkinson - done (anon)

Fifth Circuit:

• Clement - done (OSCAR)

Sixth Circuit:

• Sutton - hired at least two (anon)

Ninth Circuit:

• Fisher - done (OSCAR)
• Fletcher - done (anon)
• Ikuta - done (anon)
• Nguyen - done (OSCAR)
• Reinhardt - done (anon)
• Wardlaw - done and has started hiring for 2017-18 (anon)

Tenth Circuit:

• Gorsuch - been interviewing for at least one week, but not done (anons)

DC Circuit:

• Garland - done (anon)
• Griffith - done (anon)
• Kavanaugh - done; has 2017-18 posting up (anon / OSCAR)
• Tatel - done (anon)
• Wilkins - done through 2017-18 (anon / uscourts website)
• Williams - done (OSCAR)

SDNY:

• Nathan - hired at least one (anon)
• Forrest - done (SDNY site)
• Oetken - done (OSCAR)

EDNY:

• Gleeson - hired at least one already (anon)

DISCLAIMER: Note that some of this information is secondhand and thus may be unreliable. I will do my best to indicate the strength of the tip when possible, but you should not rely on this posting. Get in touch with the judge's chambers, your school's OCS services, or other resources if you want to know whether spots are still open (and please report back via pm or post).

CONFIDENTIALITY: All personal details of posters who private message me a tip about a clerkship opening/filling will be kept completely confidential, and I will do my best to post how the information was received in a general manner so as to protect your privacy.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, you can use the following template to post stats and where you plan on applying, and others can evaluate chances and give other advice:

School range:
Rank:
LR?:
Published?:
Recs:
2L/3L/Alum?:
Where applying?:
Any other factors:


Previous cycles' threads
2014-2015 cycle
2015-2016 cycle

Credit to ph14, ndirish2010, and jrsheppa, whose work I cannibalized to make this OP.

I'll kick this off. Haven't started sincerely applying, but have a couple apps out. Things are moving fast.

School range: CCN
Rank: top 5%
LR?: Yes
Published?: No
Recs: Strong.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L.
Where applying?: 2/9/DC
Any other factors: top-5 undergrad, fedsoc

Ikuta has put out feelers and I believe interviewed one (alum, non-c/o2016) already. Fletcher has hired one from my class. I have had an informal phone interview with another on the 9th. It looks like Kavanaugh is done hiring from 2016 and has a 2017 (!) posting up; this can be confirmed on OSCAR, but please anyone correct me if inside knowledge says differently.

Anonymous User wrote:Ikuta has put out feelers and I believe interviewed one (alum, non-c/o2016) already.

I know of an Ikuta hire from MVP.

Feeder judges who have finished 2016 hiring include Garland, Kavanaugh, Wilkinson, Fletcher, Griffith, and Tatel. (The last two were finished with 2016 well before this summer, and didn't hire any 2Ls.) Reinhardt, Gorsuch, and Sutton have been interviewing for at least the last week or so and have each made at least one hire; they may or may not be finished.

Anonymous User wrote:Feeder judges who have finished 2016 hiring include Garland, Kavanaugh, Wilkinson, Fletcher, Griffith, and Tatel. (The last two were finished with 2016 well before this summer, and didn't hire any 2Ls.) Reinhardt, Gorsuch, and Sutton have been interviewing for at least the last week or so and have each made at least one hire; they may or may not be finished.

gorsuch is not done.

Amazingly, Judge Wilkins on the D.C. Circuit is done hiring THROUGH 2017-18. (http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/h ... dges+-+RLW) That's right -- the next person he hires will finish clerking in 2019.

Just sent out applications. I feel so late.

School range: T20
Rank: 1
LR?: yes
Published?: not there yet
Recs: decent I guess
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L
Where applying?: Feeders and semi-feeders at this point--more after January
Any other factors:

I'll hop onto this bandwagon. Good luck, folks!

School range: HYS
Rank: unclear, but between top 1/2 and top 1/3, most likely.
LR: No, Secondary EIC
Published: Several articles, two in top-100 journals
2L/3L/Alum: Alum, current D. Ct. clerk in major district.
Where applying: A bit of everywhere, but focused on my home circuit (one of 6/8/10) and alum-friendly judges due to my lower grades.
Other factors: 1 year at a top firm prior to this clerkship. Current judge is very well-respected, but doesn't write LORs or really "go to bat" for his/her clerks. Very geographically flexible, looking to use COA as an "out" from firm I'm returning to after my current clerkship.

Not COA, but I know some SDNY judges have at least started (if not finished) hiring for 2016-2017. Judges Nathan and Forrest come to mind. Gleeson (EDNY) has also hired at least one for 2016.

Anonymous User wrote:Not COA, but I know some SDNY judges have at least started (if not finished) hiring for 2016-2017. Judges Nathan and Forrest come to mind. Gleeson (EDNY) has also hired at least one for 2016.

I'm the anon that posted this. Sorry if I was unclear, but I don't know if Nathan and Forrest are done. I know that Nathan has hired at least one and Forrest was interviewing many months ago, but I don't have any updates on whether they are finished or not.

Reinhardt is done.

Sutton has hired at least 2.

Anonymous User wrote:I'll kick this off. Haven't started sincerely applying, but have a couple apps out. Things are moving fast.

School range: CCN
Rank: top 5%
LR?: Yes
Published?: No
Recs: Strong.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L.
Where applying?: 2/9/DC
Any other factors: top-5 undergrad, fedsoc

Ikuta has put out feelers and I believe interviewed one (alum, non-c/o2016) already. Fletcher has hired one from my class. I have had an informal phone interview with another on the 9th. It looks like Kavanaugh is done hiring from 2016 and has a 2017 (!) posting up; this can be confirmed on OSCAR, but please anyone correct me if inside knowledge says differently.

You need to get Mortara to hook you up.

School range: UT/UCLA/VANDERBILT
Rank: top 6%
LR?: Yes
Published?: Not yet
Recs: Strong.
2L/3L/Alum?: 2L.
Where applying? TBD... Any chances at COA?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Not COA, but I know some SDNY judges have at least started (if not finished) hiring for 2016-2017. Judges Nathan and Forrest come to mind. Gleeson (EDNY) has also hired at least one for 2016.

I'm the anon that posted this. Sorry if I was unclear, but I don't know if Nathan and Forrest are done. I know that Nathan has hired at least one and Forrest was interviewing many months ago, but I don't have any updates on whether they are finished or not.

As a rule, the SDNY judges are better than most at keeping their individual websites updated with their hiring practices (here). (Note that they're not great--many haven't updated since 2013. But some have.) Forrest has finished for 2016. Nathan's is less clear--as of February she still had openings.

Wardlaw (9th Cir.) hired at least one clerk for the 2016 term as early as Jan or Feb 2014.

School range: H
Rank: high cum laude (single digit number of Ps and about half that many DS)
LR: no; board position on secondary journal
Published: no
Recs: strong, but not from prestigious or well connected faculty
2L/3L/alum: alum and current district court clerk; going to firm this fall
Where: the 9th.

Shwartz (CA3) says that she's full on her OSCAR profile, last I checked.

School Range: MVP
Rank: Around top 10%
LR: Yes, and a secondary as well
Published: No(t yet)
Recs: Strong (at least one is "absolutely glowing"), and from prestigious faculty on both sides of the political spectrum
2L/3L/Alum: Alum
Where: East Coast in to Ohio, NDIL, 6/8/10

For more details, I'm the "flyover or try again" thread from a week or two ago.

Any movement to report?

School Range: CCN
Rank: Around top 20%
LR: No, secondary Exec position
Published: Yes
Recs: Strong, and from (mostly conservative) faculty
2L/3L/Alum: 3L
Where: Southeast and Midwest District Courts (where I have ties), 6/7/11

2 interviews so far, 2 dings.

Anonymous User wrote:School Range: CCN
Rank: Around top 20%
LR: No, secondary Exec position
Published: Yes
Recs: Strong, and from (mostly conservative) faculty
2L/3L/Alum: 3L
Where: Southeast and Midwest District Courts (where I have ties), 6/7/11

2 interviews so far, 2 dings.

Can you give us any details on where you interviewed? Type of court, circuit/district, etc.?

School Range: T50-60
Rank: Top 2%
LR: Yes
Published: No(t yet)
Recs: Strong, including former circuit judge (strong relationship)
2L/3L/Alum: 2L
Where: COA (pref. 2/9/DC)

I know, totally out of my range but going for it.

Anyone looking at 8th Circuit D. Ct.s in the twin cities? I have long family history there w/ deep roots and long term SO from Minneapolis but haven't lived there myself. Coming from top east coast school, strong grades/honors & secondary journal. Any advise on getting a judge to look twice at my app? Not easy to find rec profs with a strong network there

Are any of the Twin Cities D. Ct. judges even accepting applications from 2Ls yet? Seems a bit early for the midwest, despite the craziness of clerkship season so far.

Anonymous User wrote:School Range: CCN
Rank: Around top 20%
LR: No, secondary Exec position
Published: Yes
Recs: Strong, and from (mostly conservative) faculty
2L/3L/Alum: 3L
Where: Southeast and Midwest District Courts (where I have ties), 6/7/11

2 interviews so far, 2 dings.

As a current 3L looking at clerking, I am curious to know what your plans are for the year after you graduate (and presumably before you start a 16/17 clerkship).