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I know judges take into account more of the resume/transcript and classes than a firm, so I'm wondering what is relevant to a judge 2-3 years out of school. Will they still care about law review, GPA, etc., or will work experience be more relevant?

My judge would still take into account grades and legal writing experience.

Anonymous User wrote:I know judges take into account more of the resume/transcript and classes than a firm, so I'm wondering what is relevant to a judge 2-3 years out of school. Will they still care about law review, GPA, etc., or will work experience be more relevant?

Yes but generally—to the degree that exists—less so. Feeders and what not will still just as much, others less, and some judges almost not at all, if the experience is good. Also depends on type of court. Being an associate can really help at district level. Not as much at COA unless you’re in appellate practice.

Anonymous User wrote:I know judges take into account more of the resume/transcript and classes than a firm, so I'm wondering what is relevant to a judge 2-3 years out of school. Will they still care about law review, GPA, etc., or will work experience be more relevant?

It's not that those things cease to matter, but they do matter less. Between two similarly situated applicants, except one has been out for 2-3 years working, the one with experience will have a strong edge. Also, more and more judges prefer postgraduation work experience, and, for those judges, law students are almost out of the running. But you'll still be competing with a lot of other alums with work experience, and grades, law review, etc. are still ways to make the absurdly fine distinctions involved in deciding who gets out of the pile or gets an interview.

We still care (about grades; journal not so much). If you have another clerkship with a judge that my judge respects, and that judge will offer a reference, that can get you in the door with a weaker 1L than we would normally accept.

Unless the judge strongly prefers WE (in which law students are basically out of the running), it's just another factor the judge will consider. What weight they give to it will depend by judge.

Re feeders, do they actually look at people with WE? I was always sort of under the impression that to the extent they did, it's a D.Ct. clerkship, not WE at a firm.

lolwat wrote:Unless the judge strongly prefers WE (in which law students are basically out of the running), it's just another factor the judge will consider. What weight they give to it will depend by judge.

Re feeders, do they actually look at people with WE? I was always sort of under the impression that to the extent they did, it's a D.Ct. clerkship, not WE at a firm.

Seems like most of the feeders still hire exclusively or almost exclusively straight out of law school or law students with a clerkship lined up for the year of graduation. There may be exceptions.