2L Seeking Advice Forum

[Anonymous User]

Turning to TLS once again for help, and keeping this anonymous because of personal info.

Background: top 6-7% at school in 30s/40s. On law review, hopefully will get a board position. Interned with a federal magistrate judge 1L summer, have an SA at one of the Delaware "big 4" firms for this summer. 3 years of pre-law school experience working at a plaintiffs' firm. I simply did not have the energy or motivation to apply for clerkships last semester, so I am behind for 2017 apps. I've also put it off because I'm just not sure I if I want to do litigation or transactional. Here are my questions--answers to any of them are appreciated.

1. What kind of chances do I have at district court, DE Chancery, DE supreme court, or other state supreme court clerkships?

2. This is especially directed at anyone with knowledge of DE firms, but is clerking outside of chancery, DE supreme court, or district of DE a waste of time if I end up working for a DE firm? Part of me wants to apply to courts (district or state supreme court) elsewhere to (1) serve as some insurance against the possibility of a no-offer and (2) provide a "back-up" option if I don't like working in DE. However, I also don't want to accept an offer and spend a year clerking on, say, some court in Kentucky, given the specialized nature of DE work. So, don't want to waste time, but also don't want to commit myself to doing working in a specialized area right away.

3. I think it's too late to apply to 2017 chancery, but not 2017 DE supreme court (that I know of). Not sure what district courts are still possibly open. What would you recommend as an application strategy at this point? How feasible is it to try for 2017 district court clerkships?

4. Not knowing whether I want to do litigation or transactional, should I even apply for clerkships at this point?

I don't really have a concrete sense of if or where I would most want to clerk (geographically or judicially), I just want to develop a decent strategy. My school doesn't have a robust clerkship office, so any advice is appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

Re: Chancery, It's not too late. Applications are open now, but the deadline is not till the end of the month.

http://courts.delaware.gov/chancery/doc ... 7-2018.pdf

[Anonymous User]

Re: Chancery, It's not too late. Applications are open now, but the deadline is not till the end of the month.

http://courts.delaware.gov/chancery/doc ... 7-2018.pdf

Sorry, I should have clarified - it's not technically too late, but I just recently asked professors for rec letters and I doubt they will get them into be on time to mail it by the end of the month. They know of the deadline, so I'll just see if they get them in and apply if so. If not, I'll apply next year for 2018 if I don't have anything by that date.

-OP

[Anonymous User]

Looks like my recs will be in time for Chancery after all.

Another question...when should I send in applications for the DE Supreme Court? I've seen a couple of the openings over past years but those were addressed to 3Ls for a clerkship over a year in advance (so after a year of practice). But those letters also noted that one or two of the justices had hired for the advertised term by the time the letter went out. So should I just send applications ASAP for the 2017 term? Do they only hire 3Ls?

-OP