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Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 7:25 pm
by candidlatke
Anyone have knowledge/experience with how he is as a boss and the credentials of his past clerks?

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 8:00 pm
by nothingtosee
All of his clerks are scotusclerk level, so if you have a chance your school will let you know

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 8:22 pm
by Anonymous User
nothingtosee wrote:All of his clerks are scotusclerk level, so if you have a chance your school will let you know
This is true. Only anecdotal, but I was URM (not that it means anything) in the top 5% of a T14 and didn't get an interview.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 10:16 pm
by lawlorbust
Not to pile on but this is one of those "if you have to ask..." sorta questions.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 4:29 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:All of his clerks are scotusclerk level, so if you have a chance your school will let you know
This is true. Only anecdotal, but I was URM (not that it means anything) in the top 5% of a T14 and didn't get an interview.
That's actually not always true though. It's true at HYS and I'm sure it's true at other schools with a decent clerkship program, but for instance at GULC clerkships are delt on a "you're on your own" basis by the career advising office. Incorrect / misleading / outdated information, etc.

Anyway, to answer your question OP, at the level Sri is at everyone non HYS is top 5%, LR, presumably with another clerkship either lined up or in the works. It's mostly about who makes the calls and, honestly, luck. OP, you basically have to be top of your class and get recommended by prestigious/trustworthy professors to get an interview.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 6:27 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:All of his clerks are scotusclerk level, so if you have a chance your school will let you know
This is true. Only anecdotal, but I was URM (not that it means anything) in the top 5% of a T14 and didn't get an interview.
That's actually not always true though. It's true at HYS and I'm sure it's true at other schools with a decent clerkship program, but for instance at GULC clerkships are delt on a "you're on your own" basis by the career advising office. Incorrect / misleading / outdated information, etc.

Anyway, to answer your question OP, at the level Sri is at everyone non HYS is top 5%, LR, presumably with another clerkship either lined up or in the works. It's mostly about who makes the calls and, honestly, luck. OP, you basically have to be top of your class and get recommended by prestigious/trustworthy professors to get an interview.
When the people above say "the school will let you know if you're competitive for feeders" they mean career services OR a professor will pull you aside and tell you to apply, not just career services. At the elite end of the clerkship process, it's close to a rule that you're not competitive for a true feeder if you have to ask whether you're competitive

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 11:19 am
by Anonymous User
He requires a call from a prof. he knows. At my T6 usually the #1 student goes to him.

I was top 3-4% and didn't get a whiff of interest.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 2:34 pm
by Anonymous User
FWIW: I see him around the courthouse and at events, have said hello. He seems like a normal dude.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 3:17 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:All of his clerks are scotusclerk level, so if you have a chance your school will let you know
This is true. Only anecdotal, but I was URM (not that it means anything) in the top 5% of a T14 and didn't get an interview.
That's actually not always true though. It's true at HYS and I'm sure it's true at other schools with a decent clerkship program, but for instance at GULC clerkships are delt on a "you're on your own" basis by the career advising office. Incorrect / misleading / outdated information, etc.

Anyway, to answer your question OP, at the level Sri is at everyone non HYS is top 5%, LR, presumably with another clerkship either lined up or in the works. It's mostly about who makes the calls and, honestly, luck. OP, you basically have to be top of your class and get recommended by prestigious/trustworthy professors to get an interview.
When the people above say "the school will let you know if you're competitive for feeders" they mean career services OR a professor will pull you aside and tell you to apply, not just career services. At the elite end of the clerkship process, it's close to a rule that you're not competitive for a true feeder if you have to ask whether you're competitive
Same anon as above. This is just splitting hairs, but I know for a fact at GULC the bolded is not true. That might just be because we have the most abysmal clerkship support of any T20 lol. And we do send at least a couple of people to clerk for feeders every now and then. That being said, i agree that if you have to ask, you're most likely not competitive.
Anonymous User wrote:FWIW: I see him around the courthouse and at events, have said hello. He seems like a normal dude.
Same thing. He seems like a really nice, grounded person too.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 3:41 pm
by nothingtosee
I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 3:50 pm
by Mullens
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 3:56 pm
by Anonymous User
Mullens wrote:
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
Cornell recently started doing something similar to this after first semester, I think.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 4:30 pm
by Anonymous User
Mullens wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
Does not happen at GULC, or at least did not happen when I was there. Absolutely zero encouragement to clerk, even for the top of the class. Clerkship office was also actively trying to downplay expectations, like telling me I should apply to state courts because federal courts are really hard. Then you wonder why our federal clerkship rate is abysmal lol :roll:

I just wish this forum wouldn't create the expectation that "if you're qualified, you will be told." Really, some places it just doesn't happen.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 4:35 pm
by Anonymous User
After my 1st semester, was somewhere in the top 10% at HYS (really, I guess that means HS, because Y doesn't do 1st semester grades) and I wasn't contacted, but when I reached out to professors and the clerkship office they told me to apply to early feeders. Not sure if there's a different policy in place at my school for the absolute top of the class, though.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 4:41 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:He requires a call from a prof. he knows. At my T6 usually the #1 student goes to him.

I was top 3-4% and didn't get a whiff of interest.
For what it's worth, I've heard from somebody I think is very reliable that in at least one recent year, the #1 students (after 1L) at both Harvard and Stanford went to him.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:00 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Mullens wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
Does not happen at GULC, or at least did not happen when I was there. Absolutely zero encouragement to clerk, even for the top of the class. Clerkship office was also actively trying to downplay expectations, like telling me I should apply to state courts because federal courts are really hard. Then you wonder why our federal clerkship rate is abysmal lol :roll:

I just wish this forum wouldn't create the expectation that "if you're qualified, you will be told." Really, some places it just doesn't happen.
GULC now does send an "encouraging you to clerk email" to top 5% after 1L, but not much more than that.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:31 pm
by Wild Card
Mullens wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
WTF aren't academic records private? They'd know the names of everyone within the top X%, but they can't possibly have access to your actual file.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:46 pm
by polareagle
Wild Card wrote:
Mullens wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
WTF aren't academic records private? They'd know the names of everyone within the top X%, but they can't possibly have access to your actual file.
What? No. Not from the school itself.
FERPA doesn't prevent schools from disclosing information internally for "legitimate educational interests."
(34 CFR 99.31)

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:47 pm
by rpupkin
Anonymous User wrote:
GULC now does send an "encouraging you to clerk email" to top 5% after 1L, but not much more than that.
I'd be quite surprised if GULC doesn't make a special effort to help its top 3-5 students with clerkship placement.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 8:50 pm
by rpupkin
Anonymous User wrote:
I just wish this forum wouldn't create the expectation that "if you're qualified, you will be told." Really, some places it just doesn't happen.
How qualified were you? Frankly, being top 5% at a place like GULC isn't that special. It won't place you in feeder territory. If GULC only reaches out to its top 3 or so students, that's not inconsistent with how other schools in the lower half of the T14 operate with respect to placing its top students in the most competitive clerkships.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:08 pm
by Anonymous User
polareagle wrote:
Wild Card wrote:
Mullens wrote:
nothingtosee wrote:I'm just curious - when someone is one of the top 5-10 students after 1L, and they talk to their professors, isn't there some conversation like:

"So how'd finals go?"
Oh, much better than I could have asked for!
"How'd you do in your other classes?"

The Professor hears you're almost all A+'s or whatever, then they tell you "You can clerk for almost any judge you want."

Does that not happen?
Probably varies by school but I know at my T14 that professors have access to our grades and so does the clerkship advisor. If you're among that group of students (I was) then the clerkship office will reach out shortly after second semester grades (or before if you were at the very top after first semester) and will tell you to start reaching out to professors for letters of recommendation so you can apply for feeders before OCI and can get all your app materials set asap. When you reach out to professors for letters of rec, they will offer to call on your behalf if they like you.
WTF aren't academic records private? They'd know the names of everyone within the top X%, but they can't possibly have access to your actual file.
What? No. Not from the school itself.
FERPA doesn't prevent schools from disclosing information internally for "legitimate educational interests."
(34 CFR 99.31)
You're both wrong--or at least you would be at my T14. The only people with access to your academic file/grades would be career services, the clerkship advisor, Dean of Students, and the Dean. No random professor would have access; you have to sign a consent form for a prof to even have access to your file for letter-of-rec purposes

I'd be shocked if any school construed that reg to allow all professors to have access to your file

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:22 pm
by Anonymous User
rpupkin wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
I just wish this forum wouldn't create the expectation that "if you're qualified, you will be told." Really, some places it just doesn't happen.
How qualified were you? Frankly, being top 5% at a place like GULC isn't that special. It won't place you in feeder territory. If GULC only reaches out to its top 3 or so students, that's not inconsistent with how other schools in the lower half of the T14 operate with respect to placing its top students in the most competitive clerkships.
I'm not going to say more because this is getting into very easy identification territory lol. I'll say this though: this isn't just my experience, and it isn't restricted to feeders. GULC sucks at clerkships.
Anonymous User wrote:GULC now does send an "encouraging you to clerk email" to top 5% after 1L, but not much more than that.
I guess that's an improvement. I don't recall getting one of those.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:23 pm
by WinterComing
OP has disappeared, but appears to go to Texas, FWIW. No idea how their clerkship advising compares to GULC or the other schools being discussed in this thread.

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:25 pm
by cheaptilts
Anonymous User wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
I just wish this forum wouldn't create the expectation that "if you're qualified, you will be told." Really, some places it just doesn't happen.
How qualified were you? Frankly, being top 5% at a place like GULC isn't that special. It won't place you in feeder territory. If GULC only reaches out to its top 3 or so students, that's not inconsistent with how other schools in the lower half of the T14 operate with respect to placing its top students in the most competitive clerkships.
I'm not going to say more because this is getting into very easy identification territory lol. This isn't just my experience though, and it isn't restricted to feeders. GULC sucks at clerkships.
Anonymous User wrote:GULC now does send an "encouraging you to clerk email" to top 5% after 1L, but not much more than that.
I guess that's an improvement. I don't recall getting one of those.
Today I realized that there are anywhere from 30-40 people in the top 5% at Georgetown in any given year. That's a lot of students

Re: Srinivasan Clerkship?

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:32 pm
by rpupkin
cheaptilts wrote: Today I realized that there are anywhere from 30-40 people in the top 5% at Georgetown in any given year. That's a lot of students
Yeah. I wonder how much of this is due to "the GULC administration won't help its students gets clerkships" versus "GULC has too many students so its placement percentages are going to be relatively low no matter what."

Also, for what its worth, I just checked with a GULC grad who was #2 in his class several years ago and he said that--at least back then--the school definitely worked to get its very top students into competitive clerkships. I bet that still happens.