2018-2019 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

2. Any word on movement in DDC for 18-19 besides the possible mention higher up in this thread?

DDC judges hire on very, very different timeframes. Boasberg and Cooper are full for 18-19 and looking at applications for 19-20. I'm 100% sure there are others who will not be looking at 18-19 for quite some time.

Contreras is full for '18-19 too.

[lavarman84]

I would really not do that. It's not that judges are such fragile flowers, they can't take criticism (though I'm sure some are), I just think it could look arrogant/like you're lacking in judgment.

(I'm sure there are judges who might find it ballsy in a good way, but unless you can talk to someone who knows Judge X, I just think it's way risky.)

Exactly. If I were a judge and I got something like that from a kid who just finished 1L year, I'd think that the kid has to be awfully full of himself or herself to think that they know how to do my job better than I do.

[jbagelboy]

My writing sample is a case comment that argues case X was wrongly decided (it's a right premise, wrong conclusion argument). How bad of an idea is it to use that writing sample in an application to the judge who wrote the opinion in case X? I'd use something else but it's the only thing I have that's ready to go. :/

Dollars to donuts this is an HLS student applying to Wood on the Seventh Circuit.

lol.

[Auxilio]

Does anyone know when OSCAR opens up?

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Does anyone know when OSCAR opens up?

Opened 15 mins ago (I was confused too. I contacted them this morning)

[rhododactylos]

Silly 1L's, expecting the federal government to do something before 9!

[Anonymous User]

Do judges actually look at apps over the weekend? Or can I comfortably put off figuring OSCAR out until Monday?

[Anonymous User]

1. Just getting acquainted with OSCAR. Is there significance to judges saying on the actual application page that they require a certain number of years of grades, or can that be disregarded generally? Surprised to see some say 3 years, which seems like it can't be right.

2. Between the hiring practices on the judge's page and the description on the specific clerkship page, should one preempt the other when there's a conflict?

[KMart]

I'm just here to tag for later.

[Anonymous User]

If our recommendation letters aren't yet uploaded into OSCAR, should we wait to finalize the applications? Mine are all ready to go, but the profs just have not uploaded the letters. I believe I should be a competitive applicant for all but feeders. thanks!

[WheninLaw]

Do judges actually look at apps over the weekend? Or can I comfortably put off figuring OSCAR out until Monday?

Do you seriously think judges are spam refreshing OSCAR waiting for applications to come in? Chill.

[JackOfAllTrades]

1. Just getting acquainted with OSCAR. Is there significance to judges saying on the actual application page that they require a certain number of years of grades, or can that be disregarded generally? Surprised to see some say 3 years, which seems like it can't be right.

2. Between the hiring practices on the judge's page and the description on the specific clerkship page, should one preempt the other when there's a conflict?

1. Short answer: no.

There was a judge whose Oscar page said he required 2 years of grades. I submitted my application after right after third semester grades came out, and he called me for an interview two weeks later.

Some judges are sticklers about their "two full years grades" requirements, but most just do whatever the hell they want.

2. There is no way to answer this question without more detail. What are the hiring discrepancies?

[Anonymous User]

1. Just getting acquainted with OSCAR. Is there significance to judges saying on the actual application page that they require a certain number of years of grades, or can that be disregarded generally? Surprised to see some say 3 years, which seems like it can't be right.

2. Between the hiring practices on the judge's page and the description on the specific clerkship page, should one preempt the other when there's a conflict?

1. Short answer: no.

There was a judge whose Oscar page said he required 2 years of grades. I submitted my application after right after third semester grades came out, and he called me for an interview two weeks later.

Some judges are sticklers about their "two full years grades" requirements, but most just do whatever the hell they want.

2. There is no way to answer this question without more detail. What are the hiring discrepancies?

Thanks for the help. For #2, the judge had language on the hiring practices page saying members of the Class of 2018 were welcome to apply and can supplement their app later, but the description for the only open clerkship said something like "No applications from the Class of 2018 will be accepted at this time." They actually updated the clerkship page right after, so it's a moot point now.

[gadzooks]

How are you guys uploading writing samples? For the life of me, I can't getnit below 400kb. Even a five-pager was in the neighborhood of 375. Is there something dumb I'm doing?

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

How are you guys uploading writing samples? For the life of me, I can't getnit below 400kb. Even a five-pager was in the neighborhood of 375. Is there something dumb I'm doing?

You can reduce file size with Adobe Acrobat pro. Free 30 day trial. Alternatively ask your clerkship office to shrink it for you.

[gadzooks]

How are you guys uploading writing samples? For the life of me, I can't getnit below 400kb. Even a five-pager was in the neighborhood of 375. Is there something dumb I'm doing?

You can reduce file size with Adobe Acrobat pro. Free 30 day trial. Alternatively ask your clerkship office to shrink it for you.

Clutch. Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

How are you guys uploading writing samples? For the life of me, I can't getnit below 400kb. Even a five-pager was in the neighborhood of 375. Is there something dumb I'm doing?

You can reduce file size with Adobe Acrobat pro. Free 30 day trial. Alternatively ask your clerkship office to shrink it for you.

Clutch. Thanks.

Not sure if it might help, but I've also had good luck with this site: https://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf

[Anonymous User]

I'm top 10-15% at CCN. Secondary journal, looking for clerk for 2019-20. Is there any chance for a feeder judge? Also, how long does it take usually to hear from a judges chambers after submitting on Oscar?

[Anonymous User]

A feeder seems unlikely to me (though it's worth a shot especially with the judges who've only sent a few clerks to the Court). Top 10-15% would be below my feeder judge's cut off (and also below my district judge's cut off), but I clerked for extremely grade-selective judges.

[Anonymous User]

(accidental double post)

[WheninLaw]

I'm top 10-15% at CCN. Secondary journal, looking for clerk for 2019-20. Is there any chance for a feeder judge? Also, how long does it take usually to hear from a judges chambers after submitting on Oscar?

Absolutely not without a hooked-up professor seriously going to bat for you.

Maybe with a good 18-19 d ct position on the resume and EIC/EE position.

It can take anywhere from a week to forever.

[rhododactylos]

It can take anywhere from one day to forever.

FTFY. It can seriously be whenever (although many do hire at the same time every year).

[Anonymous User]

Roughly top 20% at HYS. Have applied to all the COA judges our clerkship adviser said were accepting apps (around 25-30) in places I'd live in and have gotten no response. I'm about to send out another round of apps to more COA judges on OSCAR (just waiting to have my third rec finalized) but is it time to start applying to district court clerkships for 2018-2019 and focusing COA apps on 2019-2020? Or can I safely wait until fall to do that?

[lavarman84]

Roughly top 20% at HYS. Have applied to all the COA judges our clerkship adviser said were accepting apps (around 25-30) in places I'd live in and have gotten no response. I'm about to send out another round of apps to more COA judges on OSCAR (just waiting to have my third rec finalized) but is it time to start applying to district court clerkships for 2018-2019 and focusing COA apps on 2019-2020? Or can I safely wait until fall to do that?

You can but it's not like you've been waiting 6 months for a response. But the right D. Ct. might be worth pursuing (such as one of the feeders). But I wouldn't feel obligated to do it now.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if Paul Kelly from the 10th is accepting applications yet?