NDIL: What does it take to be competitive? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Current 2L considering a clerkship. I'm from Chicago and have an SA there this summer. Interested in litigation and would really like to clerk on the District Court level after school. Ideally, I would like to be in NDIL, but my school (ND/WUSTL) doesn't traditionally place well there for clerkships. I've also heard that judges there prefer at least some work experience after law school and before clerking. Is that true? I'm K-JD.

Current GPA is 3.45-3.55. Moot Court. Secondary Journal.

As the title says...what does it take to be competitive for NDIL? I know it is late, but should I be applying for 2016? Or would it serve me best to wait until after graduation so I can try to boost my GPA a bit more? Anything else I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate?

I'm not necessarily NDIL or bust, but would really prefer that or another District in the 7th Circuit.

Thanks

[Anonymous User]

Current 2L considering a clerkship. I'm from Chicago and have an SA there this summer. Interested in litigation and would really like to clerk on the District Court level after school. Ideally, I would like to be in NDIL, but my school (ND/WUSTL) doesn't traditionally place well there for clerkships. I've also heard that judges there prefer at least some work experience after law school and before clerking. Is that true? I'm K-JD.

Current GPA is 3.45-3.55. Moot Court. Secondary Journal.

As the title says...what does it take to be competitive for NDIL? I know it is late, but should I be applying for 2016? Or would it serve me best to wait until after graduation so I can try to boost my GPA a bit more? Anything else I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate?

I'm not necessarily NDIL or bust, but would really prefer that or another District in the 7th Circuit.

Thanks

Where does that GPA put you in terms of class rank? Even without knowing that, you're barely competetitive for any clerkship, if you are at all.

[Anonymous User]

I think to have a decent chance you'd need to be top 10%

[Anonymous User]

Current 2L considering a clerkship. I'm from Chicago and have an SA there this summer. Interested in litigation and would really like to clerk on the District Court level after school. Ideally, I would like to be in NDIL, but my school (ND/WUSTL) doesn't traditionally place well there for clerkships. I've also heard that judges there prefer at least some work experience after law school and before clerking. Is that true? I'm K-JD.

Current GPA is 3.45-3.55. Moot Court. Secondary Journal.

As the title says...what does it take to be competitive for NDIL? I know it is late, but should I be applying for 2016? Or would it serve me best to wait until after graduation so I can try to boost my GPA a bit more? Anything else I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate?

I'm not necessarily NDIL or bust, but would really prefer that or another District in the 7th Circuit.

Thanks

Where does that GPA put you in terms of class rank? Even without knowing that, you're barely competetitive for any clerkship, if you are at all.

This is simply not true. I have a GPA in that range with moot court but no law review experience at all, and I accepted a district court clerkship in the 7th Circuit. I don't know much about NDIL (so clearly my clerkship isn't there), but don't let this post discourage you.

[arklaw13]

Current 2L considering a clerkship. I'm from Chicago and have an SA there this summer. Interested in litigation and would really like to clerk on the District Court level after school. Ideally, I would like to be in NDIL, but my school (ND/WUSTL) doesn't traditionally place well there for clerkships. I've also heard that judges there prefer at least some work experience after law school and before clerking. Is that true? I'm K-JD.

Current GPA is 3.45-3.55. Moot Court. Secondary Journal.

As the title says...what does it take to be competitive for NDIL? I know it is late, but should I be applying for 2016? Or would it serve me best to wait until after graduation so I can try to boost my GPA a bit more? Anything else I can do to make myself a more appealing candidate?

I'm not necessarily NDIL or bust, but would really prefer that or another District in the 7th Circuit.

Thanks

Where does that GPA put you in terms of class rank? Even without knowing that, you're barely competetitive for any clerkship, if you are at all.

This is simply not true. I have a GPA in that range with moot court but no law review experience at all, and I accepted a district court clerkship in the 7th Circuit. I don't know much about NDIL (so clearly my clerkship isn't there), but don't let this post discourage you.

NDIL is more competitive than any other district within 7th circuit because most people would rather clerk in CHI than Milwaukee or Fort Wayne, among other reasons. It's more competitive than pretty much any other district outside of SDNY/EDNY/DDC/NDCAL (maybe a couple others).

[hoos89]

I'm going to guess you're not WUSTL because that would put you below median here.

[Anonymous User]

I'm going to guess you're not WUSTL because that would put you below median here.

OP here.

You would be correct. My GPA is just over 3.5. Dang, what is your median there?

I realize that NDIL is very competitive. Realistically, do I have a shot? Should I look elsewhere? Or will I not be competitive at all for any District Court clerkship as a poster above suggested?

Would working a couple years after graduation boost my chances at all?

[hoos89]

I don't know what your school's curve is, so I have no idea what your rank is. Regardless, if you really want to clerk, don't limit yourself to just looking in NDIL because it is VERY competitive. If on the other hand you just want to be in Chicago, then there's nothing stopping you from just applying every year and seeing what happens.

[Anonymous User]

I don't know what your school's curve is, so I have no idea what your rank is. Regardless, if you really want to clerk, don't limit yourself to just looking in NDIL because it is VERY competitive. If on the other hand you just want to be in Chicago, then there's nothing stopping you from just applying every year and seeing what happens.

We don't rank. Median is 3.3ish

[Anonymous User]

Would working a couple years after graduation boost my chances at all?

Yes. Substantially.

[Anonymous User]

Not really sure why it's a choice between 1) apply now or 2) apply after having worked a couple years. You won't be super competitive right now, but apply anyway - what's stopping you? If you want to clerk in N.D. Ill., I think you just keep applying. I agree with the above poster - you will be much more competitive after a couple years of work experience (many N.D. Ill. judges seem to primarily hire people with a couple years experience), but no reason not to throw your hat in the ring now, too.

In terms of being more competitive - have you thought about trying to write onto your school's Law Review as a 3L? Or maybe get published (outside of your note, but also get that published). These things won't matter to all judges, but might make you more attractive to some.

[Anonymous User]

You also might consider ND Indiana. The Hammond division is literally a five minute walk from the state line and about a fifteen minute drive to the Chicago city limits. If you live in the South Loop (or south, though good luck with that), it's going to be about half an hour door-to-door -- and all of that will be reverse commuting, so no traffic. I know clerks who lived in the South or West Loops who had a shorter commute to the courthouse than their SOs did to their jobs in neighborhoods just north of downtown.

[Anonymous User]

You also might consider ND Indiana. The Hammond division is literally a five minute walk from the state line and about a fifteen minute drive to the Chicago city limits. If you live in the South Loop (or south, though good luck with that), it's going to be about half an hour door-to-door -- and all of that will be reverse commuting, so no traffic. I know clerks who lived in the South or West Loops who had a shorter commute to the courthouse than their SOs did to their jobs in neighborhoods just north of downtown.

On a similar note, have heard of people living in Chicago and commuting to E.D. Wis. (Milwaukee). It's about 1.5 hours by train. Of course, though these places are less competitive than N.D. Ill., they are still tough to get.