Was I being unrealistic? No Interview Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello, I've applied over the summer and I have yet to receive any interview. I've been applying to SDNY/EDNY with the following credentials:

HYS, 60-40 split of H-P, note published, editor on secondary journal. One glowing letter, two strong letters.

This process has been so discouraging -- any advice would help.

[ArtistOfManliness]

For SDNY/EDNY, I wouldn't say I'm surprised... (especially not if you're at H, with how y'all publish notes weirdly).

[Anonymous User]

For SDNY/EDNY, I wouldn't say I'm surprised... (especially not if you're at H, with how y'all publish notes weirdly).

Was I being foolish in applying altogether, or was it at least worth a shot

[A. Nony Mouse]

This is all beyond my personal experience, but are you applying for after graduation? I thought I'd seen people here suggest that SDNY/EDNY prefer applicants with work experience.

Also, even strong candidates struggle applying to that small a number of judges. It's just a really idiosyncratic process and there are a TON of candidates. I don't think you were foolish to apply, it's just really hard to predict outcomes.

[Anonymous User]

Hello, I've applied over the summer and I have yet to receive any interview. I've been applying to SDNY/EDNY with the following credentials:

HYS, 60-40 split of H-P, note published, editor on secondary journal. One glowing letter, two strong letters.

This process has been so discouraging -- any advice would help.

I'm a little surprised. A couple judges I talked to there have current clerks with the same credentials. Are you a 2L or a 3L? If 2L, it might be cause you're early. If 3L, where did you summer? (if you didn't summer, that might be why.)

[Anonymous User]

Hello, I've applied over the summer and I have yet to receive any interview. I've been applying to SDNY/EDNY with the following credentials:

HYS, 60-40 split of H-P, note published, editor on secondary journal. One glowing letter, two strong letters.

This process has been so discouraging -- any advice would help.

I'm a little surprised. A couple judges I talked to there have current clerks with the same credentials. Are you a 2L or a 3L? If 2L, it might be cause you're early. If 3L, where did you summer? (if you didn't summer, that might be why.)

Hello, I'm a 3L and summered at V5. One of my references is a partner at those firms.... because I heard district court judges like that?? I don't know. I'm so sad.

ETA: Is it just not interview season or something

[A. Nony Mouse]

Hello, I've applied over the summer and I have yet to receive any interview. I've been applying to SDNY/EDNY with the following credentials:

HYS, 60-40 split of H-P, note published, editor on secondary journal. One glowing letter, two strong letters.

This process has been so discouraging -- any advice would help.

I'm a little surprised. A couple judges I talked to there have current clerks with the same credentials. Are you a 2L or a 3L? If 2L, it might be cause you're early. If 3L, where did you summer? (if you didn't summer, that might be why.)

There being current clerks with similar credentials doesn't mean someone else with those credentials has a good shot, though. You don't know whether they had connections or something else in their background that made them appealing to that specific judge.

(I'm not saying those credentials give someone a *bad* shot, at all, it's just that there are so many people who want to be in NY/clerk for SNDY/EDNY, lots of eminently qualified people aren't going to get picked.)

[mjb447]

For SDNY/EDNY, I wouldn't say I'm surprised... (especially not if you're at H, with how y'all publish notes weirdly).

Was I being foolish in applying altogether, or was it at least worth a shot

It was certainly 'worth a shot.' Even for a candidate with much worse odds than yours, the chance at clerking is worth the investment of putting an application together. That said, Nony's right: you shouldn't apply anywhere other than SDNY/EDNY if that's the only place you'll be happy clerking, but it means that you have to be prepared to get far fewer interviews than people who apply more broadly. For many well-qualified people, it may mean no interviews and never clerking at all. There just aren't that many positions to go around.

[ArtistOfManliness]

Hello, I'm a 3L and summered at V5. One of my references is a partner at those firms.... because I heard district court judges like that?? I don't know. I'm so sad.

ETA: Is it just not interview season or something

Depends on which V5 you worked at.

[Nebby]

Are you applying for 18-19?

[Anonymous User]

Hello, I'm a 3L and summered at V5. One of my references is a partner at those firms.... because I heard district court judges like that?? I don't know. I'm so sad.

ETA: Is it just not interview season or something

Depends on which V5 you worked at.

I don't wanna be specific.... could you elaborate more?

[Anonymous User]

For SDNY/EDNY, I wouldn't say I'm surprised... (especially not if you're at H, with how y'all publish notes weirdly).

Was I being foolish in applying altogether, or was it at least worth a shot

It was certainly 'worth a shot.' Even for a candidate with much worse odds than yours, the chance at clerking is worth the investment of putting an application together. That said, Nony's right: you shouldn't apply anywhere other than SDNY/EDNY if that's the only place you'll be happy clerking, but it means that you have to be prepared to get far fewer interviews than people who apply more broadly. For many well-qualified people, it may mean no interviews and never clerking at all. There just aren't that many positions to go around.

Thank you for your kind words. It makes me feel a bit better.

[Anonymous User]

Are you applying for 18-19?

Yes I am! Sorry forgot to include.

[Anonymous User]

I think it depends. Oetken, Sullivan, Furman, Engelmayer, Cote, and Nathan on SDNY are definitely out, but many others would be in play, especially the White Plains guys.

I'd think a hefty chunk of EDNY would be possible as well.

[Anonymous User]

I think it depends. Oetken, Sullivan, Furman, Engelmayer, Cote, and Nathan on SDNY are definitely out, but many others would be in play, especially the White Plains guys.

I'd think a hefty chunk of EDNY would be possible as well.

Are they particularly grade-conscious, is that why?

[Anonymous User]

I'd say branch out. If it's a location issue, PA and NJ are good subs. Otherwise, try MA; there's not much loss of prestige there.

I suppose if you really must be in SDNY or EDNY and don't care about pay, Torres in SDNY is looking for volunteer clerks... if you follow her OSCAR position page, she has a link to a PDF on the court's website that asks for volunteer clerks.

[Anonymous User]

Are you applying for 18-19?

Yes I am! Sorry forgot to include.

I'm class of 2017, and I received my SDNY clerkship at the tail end of Fall '15. I got the last 18-19 spot, and my judge hasn't been mentioned in this thread. You should broaden your search out to 19-20 or try D.NJ or D.Conn (new haven)

[Anonymous User]

Thank you all for the advice. When would you say is a good time to throw in the towel though? It's been roughly 2 months now... so give it until January? February?

[mjb447]

What do you mean by 'throw in the towel'? Stop applying for new positions or just assume that you're never going to hear back on ones you've already applied for?

In any event, I'm not sure what the purpose of setting a deadline like that would be. If you're applying to SDNY/EDNY for a single term (for which many judges are already done hiring), you should just put out apps to any judge for whom you'd be willing to clerk and then try to forget about it forever unless you hear back. (I suppose you'll eventually need to know for career planning if you're still in the running for a particular term, but it still seems early to 'throw in the towel' for that reason.)

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I had 70/30 H/P at HYS with a couple of prizes and didn't get a SDNY interview. Ended up doing a COA clerkship instead. It's such a small number of judges you can't really count on anything.

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I had 70/30 H/P at HYS with a couple of prizes and didn't get a SDNY interview. Ended up doing a COA clerkship instead. It's such a small number of judges you can't really count on anything.

Did you end up staying within the East Coast for your COA?

[dc123]

Honestly, the applications from HYS are all so similar it's really a crapshoot. I clerk for a judge at District Court in D.C. who told us to pull any of the HYS applicants who had "baking or cooking" listed as an interest because he loves food....Totally random way to select applicants but that's how he did it.

[ArtistOfManliness]

Honestly, the applications from HYS are all so similar it's really a crapshoot. I clerks for a judge at District Court in D.C. and told us to pull any of the HYS applicants who had "baking or cooking" listed as an interest because he loves food....Totally random way to select applicants but that's how he did it.

Amazing.

[lavarman84]

Honestly, the applications from HYS are all so similar it's really a crapshoot. I clerks for a judge at District Court in D.C. and told us to pull any of the HYS applicants who had "baking or cooking" listed as an interest because he loves food....Totally random way to select applicants but that's how he did it.

Amazing.

I respect that. Judge wants free food.

[wwwcol]

Honestly, the applications from HYS are all so similar it's really a crapshoot. I clerks for a judge at District Court in D.C. and told us to pull any of the HYS applicants who had "baking or cooking" listed as an interest because he loves food....Totally random way to select applicants but that's how he did it.

Amazing.

I respect that. Judge wants free food.

I'm confused. How does an applicant's listing of baking as a hobby get the judge free food?