District of Connecticut Forum

[Anonymous User]

Any word on district judges in CT?

How competitive is D. Conn.? Do you have to be Ivy League or UConn?

[Anonymous User]

D. Conn. clerk here. We see lots of "T14" apps, especially from Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. And a fair amount from UConn. Also, most of the clerks I've met came from those schools. It's hard to say exactly what qualifies as competitive credentials, but it would probably be an uphill battle for someone not from the schools I mentioned--although, of course, each judge has different criteria.

[muddywatas]

D. Conn. clerk here. We see lots of "T14" apps, especially from Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. And a fair amount from UConn. Also, most of the clerks I've met came from those schools. It's hard to say exactly what qualifies as competitive credentials, but it would probably be an uphill battle for someone not from the schools I mentioned--although, of course, each judge has different criteria.

Thanks for the insight. If you had to guess, do you think top 10%, law review + ed. board, SA gig in CT this summer, and being from New England would make up for a less-than-prestigious law school? Obviously, like you mentioned, it probably depends on the judge.

[Anonymous User]

It's always worth the paper your stuff is printed on. Given how many people are shooting for the same gig, though, I'd be pessimistic unless you had one of the judge's buddies call and and recommend you.

[Anonymous User]

D. Conn. clerk here. We see lots of "T14" apps, especially from Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. And a fair amount from UConn. Also, most of the clerks I've met came from those schools. It's hard to say exactly what qualifies as competitive credentials, but it would probably be an uphill battle for someone not from the schools I mentioned--although, of course, each judge has different criteria.

Thanks for the insight. If you had to guess, do you think top 10%, law review + ed. board, SA gig in CT this summer, and being from New England would make up for a less-than-prestigious law school? Obviously, like you mentioned, it probably depends on the judge.

First anonymous poster here again. All of the things you mentioned go some distance towards making up for a less prestigious school. It probably depends on how less-than-prestigious we're talking. But keep in mind that there are applications from people with top 10% grades, law review board, and Connecticut ties, plus a fancy law school. So that's where it gets tough.

That said, my sense is that there aren't a TON of people who check all the boxes perfectly. If you have especially strong CT ties, you might be more appealing to certain judges than someone with no ties who attends a fancy school. Some judges seem to take CT ties fairly seriously; others don't seem to care at all. So apply broadly. In general, like the second poster said, it doesn't hurt to try. You never know what will catch a judge's eye.

Your biggest problem is just getting your application in front of the judge. Judges often have clerks or JAs cut the mass of applications down to a smaller pile based on school+grades. I of course don't know what cutoffs all the judges use, but top 10% at a lower-tier school probably doesn't make the cut. Again echoing the second poster, a good insurance policy might be to have an enthusiastic recommender call to draw attention to your application--assuming, of course, that the person has only the most wonderful things to say about you and won't come across as going through the motions.

[Anonymous User]

Incoming HYS D.Conn. clerk. Any current or former clerks have any thoughts on how D.Conn. clerkships are treated as a credential in NY litigation market? Interested primarily in public interest and plaintiffs' work.