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Hi Everyone,

Long story short. I think I am getting no-offered at my firm. I have a meeting with the managing partner soon and I am almost positive they are going to tell me I'm not getting an offer.

Hence, I want to start looking into applying for clerkships but I have no idea where to start. Are district/appellate courts still accepting clerks for 2018? Specifically in the CA market.

Does each judge have their own method for submitting apps or is there a central place to submit my app?

FWIW, I'm from T-14 school, top 1/3 in class, on LR.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi Everyone,

Long story short. I think I am getting no-offered at my firm. I have a meeting with the managing partner soon and I am almost positive they are going to tell me I'm not getting an offer.

Hence, I want to start looking into applying for clerkships but I have no idea where to start. Are district/appellate courts still accepting clerks for 2018? Specifically in the CA market.

Does each judge have their own method for submitting apps or is there a central place to submit my app?

FWIW, I'm from T-14 school, top 1/3 in class, on LR.

You need to get on Oscar and just follow instructions for each judge. Some take mailed apps some do it through Oscar. I can't speak to the CA market, but what I can say is nationwide most Judges hire from July-October for 2018 with many exceptions.

Okay thank you so much. Is OSCAR just for federal appellate? Or does it also include state appellate? Sorry if these questions sound stupid, I'm just overwhelmed at the moment.

Anonymous User wrote:Okay thank you so much. Is OSCAR just for federal appellate? Or does it also include state appellate? Sorry if these questions sound stupid, I'm just overwhelmed at the moment.

OSCAR is federal only (both district and appellate level, plus certain other positions).

ETA I'm sure there are exceptions, but I think for 9th Cir., C.D. Cal. and N.D. Cal. you're going to be too late for 2018-19 for most judges.

Anonymous User wrote:Okay thank you so much. Is OSCAR just for federal appellate? Or does it also include state appellate? Sorry if these questions sound stupid, I'm just overwhelmed at the moment.

Yeah only Federal. I never did a state clerkship but I assume you would take a look at the state supreme court website for your state for those. FYI timeline-wise my experience is solely in the mid-west and south so the timeline is probably earlier for CA clerkships. You'll be fine, just be open location-wise and get on it. A no-offer isn't the death sentence people on here will make it out to be.

If an application has "expired" on OSCAR, can I still apply? Or does it depend on the judge/I should contact that judge to see if they're still accepting applications?

There are very few CA state clerkships (and they tend to require crazy good qualifications).

Vermont law school puts together an online guide for state clerkships - you can get the password for it from your CSO (probably it's just on your student-only website somewhere).

Anonymous User wrote:If an application has "expired" on OSCAR, can I still apply? Or does it depend on the judge/I should contact that judge to see if they're still accepting applications?

They probably filled the position. However, there is nothing wrong calling in and asking. It sounds like your scope of interest is small so you might as well. Honestly, you're unlikely to be successful if you are only looking at one refined area. People apply to literally hundreds of these things (at least federally) from Alaska to Maine and have been doing it nationally and for months. You might have a shot nationally for a D.Ct. position coming from a T14 and journal.

I think that Judge Otero is still hiring for 2018 in C.D. Cal., but you will have to get your application together ASAP.

If you are really hard-pressed: Judge Anderson hires like literally a few months before the term starts, so if you are still unemployed by graduation, consider applying there. Also consider Magistrate Judges (I believe Mag. Judge Kim in LA has term clerks).

Anonymous User wrote:I think that Judge Otero is still hiring for 2018 in C.D. Cal., but you will have to get your application together ASAP.

If you are really hard-pressed: Judge Anderson hires like literally a few months before the term starts, so if you are still unemployed by graduation, consider applying there. Also consider Magistrate Judges (I believe Mag. Judge Kim in LA has term clerks).

Thank you so much for this.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi Everyone,

Long story short. I think I am getting no-offered at my firm. I have a meeting with the managing partner soon and I am almost positive they are going to tell me I'm not getting an offer.

Hence, I want to start looking into applying for clerkships but I have no idea where to start. Are district/appellate courts still accepting clerks for 2018? Specifically in the CA market.

Does each judge have their own method for submitting apps or is there a central place to submit my app?

FWIW, I'm from T-14 school, top 1/3 in class, on LR.

The T14 schools generally have, at the very least, decent clerkship offices. I'd start there, as the office may have a few judges in mind for you already. I think this thread is great, but I'd urge you to also talk to your clerkship office.

You should also talk to your career services office if you get no-offered.

As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

I would not.

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

If it's a long shot, what's the harm? If you have a realistic shot at getting an interview, you probably are best off playing it safe. Humor isn't the easiest thing to pull off effectively on paper with a total stranger.

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

I generally would not, largely for the same reason that so many of the stories in the "bad interview moments" thread are about someone misjudging when humor is appropriate. You also haven't given any information that would lead me to conclude otherwise (how do you know the judge has a good sense of humor? what "humor" would you be adding to your CL or resume?).

mjb447 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

I generally would not, largely for the same reason that so many of the stories in the "bad interview moments" thread are about someone misjudging when humor is appropriate. You also haven't given any information that would lead me to conclude otherwise (how do you know the judge has a good sense of humor? what "humor" would you be adding to your CL or resume?).

In the "Personal Interests" section of my resume, I was thinking of adding something in reference to a comment he made (that was very obviously meant as a joke). Without going into detail, it's something he (or anyone screening apps for him) would recognize, but to anyone else would probably just seem a little out of the ordinary.

I wouldn't be making any bad puns/dad jokes.

There's no way anyone here can give you remotely useful advice with the limited information you've provided

I get that you don't want to reveal the judge but that just means you'll have to use your own judgment

Anonymous User wrote:

mjb447 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

I generally would not, largely for the same reason that so many of the stories in the "bad interview moments" thread are about someone misjudging when humor is appropriate. You also haven't given any information that would lead me to conclude otherwise (how do you know the judge has a good sense of humor? what "humor" would you be adding to your CL or resume?).

In the "Personal Interests" section of my resume, I was thinking of adding something in reference to a comment he made (that was very obviously meant as a joke). Without going into detail, it's something he (or anyone screening apps for him) would recognize, but to anyone else would probably just seem a little out of the ordinary.

I wouldn't be making any bad puns/dad jokes.

Fair enough. Again, I probably wouldn't do it, as there are so many ways it could go wrong: the judge may be the kind of person who only laughs at his own jokes, or the judge might think a clerkship application isn't an appropriate place to be funny, or a reviewing clerk may not share the judge's sense of humor or be as familiar with the judge's comments as you'd hope.

I suppose it could pay off if everything goes right, though. One of the hardest parts of the application process is getting an interview once you're in the pile of resumes from qualified applicants, and something intriguing or unusual about a resume or cover letter can help with that. It could also show that you're familiar enough with the judge's work to know about this comment. Also, if you really want to clerk, the app to this judge should be one of several, possibly dozens or hundreds, so the risk of being a little "out there" on one of them might be acceptable. Hard to say.

mjb447 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

mjb447 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:As another poster who has no idea what they're doing, I'll ask what is surely a dumb question: is it ever ok to add humor in the cover letter or to your resume?

I've just begun the application process for 2019 and am a little unsure of it. If a judge obviously has a good sense of humor, is it ok to add something in response to that in your application? I wouldn't do it normally, but I'd kind of like to add a line in my resume or CL as a "nod" - I just don't know if this type of thing is frowned upon.

I generally would not, largely for the same reason that so many of the stories in the "bad interview moments" thread are about someone misjudging when humor is appropriate. You also haven't given any information that would lead me to conclude otherwise (how do you know the judge has a good sense of humor? what "humor" would you be adding to your CL or resume?).

In the "Personal Interests" section of my resume, I was thinking of adding something in reference to a comment he made (that was very obviously meant as a joke). Without going into detail, it's something he (or anyone screening apps for him) would recognize, but to anyone else would probably just seem a little out of the ordinary.

I wouldn't be making any bad puns/dad jokes.

Fair enough. Again, I probably wouldn't do it, as there are so many ways it could go wrong: the judge may be the kind of person who only laughs at his own jokes, or the judge might think a clerkship application isn't an appropriate place to be funny, or a reviewing clerk may not share the judge's sense of humor or be as familiar with the judge's comments as you'd hope.

I suppose it could pay off if everything goes right, though. One of the hardest parts of the application process is getting an interview once you're in the pile of resumes from qualified applicants, and something intriguing or unusual about a resume or cover letter can help with that. It could also show that you're familiar enough with the judge's work to know about this comment. Also, if you really want to clerk, the app to this judge should be one of several, possibly dozens or hundreds, so the risk of being a little "out there" on one of them might be acceptable. Hard to say.

I guess the "longshot" angle is probably my best bet. Honestly, there's really nothing about me that would distinguish my app from anyone else's. I guess that answers my question.

Thanks for the replies!

Yeah do it only if you otherwise would have practically no shot with the judge anyway. Wouldn't ever do humor for a clerkship i might actually be competitive for.

I guess I'm way late to the party for OP's question but CA is mostly hired up for 2018 (though not entirely) and I believe the three CASCT justices who hire term clerks had already interviewed / probably hired for 2018 if not 2019 too. I also believe, but am not sure, that only one CA court of appeal justice (Hoffstadt) hires term clerks, and am also unsure what his timeline is.

Might still be able to hustle and get some of the later moving judges. If trump gets around to nominating 9th circuit judges here you might be able to get one of those too

Kim (Mag CD CAL) is full for 2018, just so you know. It's apparent from Oscar though so you prob found that out already.

Question: If I'm applying to clerk for several state SC justices (my home state) with the exact same cover letter, will they know? Will they care?

(There is one mailing address provided by the Vermont Guide, so I'm not sure if all the clerkship applications are screened first by the same person, or if the applications are just received at a central location and then distributed to each justice. No clue how it works.)