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Finals are wrapping up at a lot of schools which means grades will be coming out and judges will start hiring soon. Figured I'd start this since plenty of judges have flipped the switch on their 2018-19 applications on OSCAR over the past few weeks.

So what are people hearing? Have any judges, aside from the super-early set that's already full, started interviewing 2L's pre-grades?

Good luck to everyone!

Start 'em earlier and earlier.

Good luck this cycle, everyone!

tag

Not your standard feeder judge so maybe worth the mention, but Ambro of the 3d is already hired for 18-19.

Has anyone heard from Bianco in EDNY?

Yes, Bianco is interviewing.

Any updates re: Milan Smith (9th) ?

His interviews are starting in about a week

Has Chin (2nd) started interviewing yet?

Anonymous User wrote:Has Chin (2nd) started interviewing yet?

i know interview invites were going out a few weeks ago, but i'm not sure if he's started interviewing

naenae2745 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Has Chin (2nd) started interviewing yet?

i know interview invites were going out a few weeks ago, but i'm not sure if he's started interviewing

He has

Anyone have news out of the 4th Circuit? Particularly interested in Keenan and Niemeyer.

Wait, COA judges are already interviewing and hiring rising 2Ls for clerkships?

Not from what I'm aware, but I know that many have interviewed rising 3Ls + (actual or soon-to-be) alums, such as me. I also know last year that several COA judges hired rising 2Ls from my school before law review results came out in the summer.

This is a newb question, but when and how do you apply for a clerkship?

Your school has resources for this.

Also, tag

I'm sure they do. But I was hoping someone here could explain the basics? Thanks.

Well, if you're a 1L you won't apply at least until you get spring grades. Then if you're competitive for feeders/DC Cir/other prestigious judges your school will probably get in touch about applying to those judges since they move early. If not, don't worry about it until much later in the summer if not into the next year.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm sure they do. But I was hoping someone here could explain the basics? Thanks.

The answer, unfortunately, is it depends.

Some judges will hire summer after 1L, some during 2L fall, some during 2L spring, and some later than that. Some judges require you to apply online via OSCAR, some make you mail in apps, and others just kind of take recommendations directly from schools. There is no one answer.

Things you should be doing now:

1. Get killer grades. If you're a 1L, that ship has sailed already, but now focus on 2L fall. Lots of people slack off 2L year, if you want a clerkship (esp. a competitive one) you can't be one of those people. Make sure you've signed up to take federal courts, lots of judges view it as a prerequisite.
2. Line up recommendors. Develop good relationships with your professors. If 1L is over for you, go ahead and approach them about writing a letter for you. (Some profs take forever to do it, you want to give them as much time as possible).
3. Take law review seriously. If you're a 1L, you're probably in the middle of the write-on process. Many judges consider being on law review a req. for clerks. And some competitive spots (lots of COA judges) only hire people who are on ed board, so make sure once you've made LR, you do a good job so you can be selected for ed board. (But this matters less for less competitive clerkships).
4. Polish your resume now, so you're ready to go.

But we could help you more if you identified your school/rank/what kind of clerkship you want. You're anon anyway.

Wow, thank you for that response.

Top 5% at school ranked in the 60s. I would love an Fed. COA clerkship, but if unable to do so, a Fed. Dist. Ct. clerkship. Is that possible? Maybe look to transfer?

^if you stay at your current school, it's possible (but far from guaranteed) if you were the top 1-2 students and/or graduate summa (implying top 1-2 students still). Transfer to T14 and stay at top 5% at the new school and you have a more realistic shot.

With that said, if you stay at your current school, keep top 5% (and hopefully land EIC of LR), then first do a fed. distr. then circuit clerkship--this path is more doable. Transferring is a risk, but high risk high reward sort of deal.

^This. A COA clerkship is difficult to come by, even students in the top 5% from much higher ranked schools will not land one. It's not impossible, but it is unlikely. Even a D. Ct. clerkship is not a guarantee, but I'd say you have a good shot. Transferring is a mixed bag, because if you transfer and end up with median-ish grades at a new school, unless that new school is H/Y/S, you will have a difficult time landing something.

I think your best bet is really work hard during 2L year to turn top 5% into top 1-2%, and to apply broadly.

tag

Thanks everyone.

checking in