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Hi Everyone,

As the title states, I have median grades at a T10. I'm on law review and ed board for a secondary journal. I'm also a first generation student, first generation citizen, and a URM (MA). I'm planning to work public interest or at PD's office after law school and my resume screams that. I also have a full scholarship, I don't know if anyone would care, but it has come up in interviews before. I'm a 2L.

I'm open to going to anywhere for a district clerkship. I'm fairly sure it would be a waste of my time to apply for COA clerkships, but please me let me know if I'm wrong.

I did a year of service where I had projects in various parts of the country that are much less competitive clerkship wise and am hoping that might allow me to make a connection with some of those judges. Would like to hear people's opinions on whether a few months in a location doing a service project could be considered a meaningful tie?

Any perspective on strategy or chances is greatly appreciated. Part of my issue is I don't know how many eggs I want to place in the clerkship basket knowing that I could use that time/energy to apply for fellowships/post grad jobs.

Thanks in advance.

exitdoesnotexist wrote:Hi Everyone,

As the title states, I have median grades at a T10. I'm on law review and ed board for a secondary journal. I'm also a first generation student, first generation citizen, and a URM (MA). I'm planning to work public interest or at PD's office after law school and my resume screams that. I also have a full scholarship, I don't know if anyone would care, but it has come up in interviews before. I'm a 2L.

I'm open to going to anywhere for a district clerkship. I'm fairly sure it would be a waste of my time to apply for COA clerkships, but please me let me know if I'm wrong.

I did a year of service where I had projects in various parts of the country that are much less competitive clerkship wise and am hoping that might allow me to make a connection with some of those judges. Would like to hear people's opinions on whether a few months in a location doing a service project could be considered a meaningful tie?

Any perspective on strategy or chances is greatly appreciated. Part of my issue is I don't know how many eggs I want to place in the clerkship basket knowing that I could use that time/energy to apply for fellowships/post grad jobs.

Thanks in advance.

Just to start off. I'm in a similar situation at a similar school.

Go to your clerkship office. Your office will likely have a book of past clerks from the school at every judge and their stats (GPA, extras, etc.). A lot of clerking can depend on your schools pull and judges familiarity with your school. If you are median at a T10, you can likely pull a clerkship somewhere, but you'll need to apply broadly. You are likely not competitive for the most desirable 'ships (i.e. SDNY, but it doesn't sound like that is your goal).

As a 2L, your grades will still matter, and if you can get your GPA into the 3.5+ range it makes a big difference in your options (at least at my school).

Good luck!

exitdoesnotexist wrote:Hi Everyone,

As the title states, I have median grades at a T10. I'm on law review and ed board for a secondary journal. I'm also a first generation student, first generation citizen, and a URM (MA). I'm planning to work public interest or at PD's office after law school and my resume screams that. I also have a full scholarship, I don't know if anyone would care, but it has come up in interviews before. I'm a 2L.

I'm open to going to anywhere for a district clerkship. I'm fairly sure it would be a waste of my time to apply for COA clerkships, but please me let me know if I'm wrong.

I did a year of service where I had projects in various parts of the country that are much less competitive clerkship wise and am hoping that might allow me to make a connection with some of those judges. Would like to hear people's opinions on whether a few months in a location doing a service project could be considered a meaningful tie?

Any perspective on strategy or chances is greatly appreciated. Part of my issue is I don't know how many eggs I want to place in the clerkship basket knowing that I could use that time/energy to apply for fellowships/post grad jobs.

Thanks in advance.

Here are my thoughts as a current clerk who was very involved in the hiring process:
1. Put a lot of work into applying for clerkships. Apply widely. You have a chance. You can put a lot of effort into it without taking eggs out of any other basket. You're a 2L. You have plenty of time.

2. Yes, doing a few months in a location will make some difference. If you can sell any connection to a location that cares about ties, it will earn you points.

3. I recommend noting in your cover letter that you're a first-generation student. I can only speak for myself, but it's something that stands out to me and impresses my judge. Some judges/clerks may not care, but it's important to earn points where you can.

It's always hard to speculate on chances, but you have a shot. It's worth trying.