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Hi everyone. I am applying for clerkships and wondering what my chances are. I go to a tier 1 school, but not T14, I'm ranked 9 of 156 in my class, and I'm on law review. I just finished my first year, so the number of judges I can apply to is a bit smaller.

My undergrad was in engineering, so I've applied to the Federal Circuit and also district courts.

Also, how long does it typically take to hear back?

Sky_RC wrote:Hi everyone. I am applying for clerkships and wondering what my chances are. I go to a tier 1 school, but not T14, I'm ranked 9 of 156 in my class, and I'm on law review. I just finished my first year, so the number of judges I can apply to is a bit smaller.

My undergrad was in engineering, so I've applied to the Federal Circuit and also district courts.

You're competitive for A3 courts--how competitive probably depends on which T1 you're at. You'll be most competitive with district judges in your school's state/region, especially with judges who went to your school or have a history of hiring from your school (your school should have a list of judges who have hired students).

CAFC and patent-heavy district courts tend to hire clerks with at least 2 years of patent litigation experience, and even then, those clerkships are very competitive. If CAFC is your goal your best bet is to get a job at a Biglaw firm that does significant patent work (Kirkland, WilmerHale, etc.) and make enough of an impression there that a partner with connections will make calls for you.