How to get my app noticed Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have an annoyingly interesting app for mostly one particular reason: No law review. Otherwise, here are my stats.

School Rank: Lower T-14
GPA: Top 2%
Journal: E-Board of well-known Secondary Journal (post and I can pm for deets if it matters)
Experiences: RA for professor, TA for classes in Law School (got position due to high grades in classes)
Moot Court: Yes
Recs: Excellent, including two glowing professors who are willing to (and have) called judges.
Writing Sample: Learned a lot and improved a lot. Been over with a fine tooth comb many many times to ensure quality and no errors.
Track Record: About 65 apps sent, and not a single nibble, not even a phone call or anything

I have been told previously that my resume screams transactional, but I've worked hard to mitigate that, and I have tried to use cover letters to explain my interest in clerking.

My main question: What can I do to ramp up my application and get some looks? I apply to more clerkships weekly, so I'm not having trouble casting a net. I just don't seem to get any looks at all. Have applied to State Supreme Court, District Court, and CoA. Hoping to stay in the DMVP area. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

What school rank?

[Anonymous User]

What in your resume screams transactional?

[ticklemesilly]

You're on moot court. What about this screams transactional?

[jimmythecatdied6]

colored paper, stickers, etc.

[Anonymous User]

What school rank?

Yeah you glaringly left out the prestige of you're law school, which is like the first factor in an clerkship app success prediction.

[Anonymous User]

Derp, I forgot that being anonymous means you all don't know it's me. Will edit the OP, but the school rank is lower T-14. And I don't think it overly does, but multiple practitioners and a couple clerks have told me it does (apparently based on my undergrad major, an SA position, and the emphasis of my secondary journal).

[Goldie]

So I'm not sure if I can tell you an actual way to get noticed, other than to emphasize that I feel like this whole process seems to be about more than just being qualified. I got the clerkship I wanted, but there were a lot of judges that I never heard back from despite a highly qualified resume. I was lucky to have taken a 1L class with a professor who had clerked with my judge and done well in the class. Then this professor wrote a nice note on my behalf to his judge after I applied, and my judge later told me that the note had been what really got my app noticed. It's hard to create these connections, but if you have any like that, definitely leverage them.