Top Law Schools

Hey folks,

Board selection process is ongoing at my school. Thinking about what to apply for--in terms of clerkship applications, is EIC the only thing that gives weight over just being a 3L editor? Or is it also valuable to be the Executive Articles Editor or another member of the executive board? I'm pretty positive about my experience on law review and most likely will apply either way, but I was just curious whether there are differences in how useful the different non-EIC board and e-board positions are for applying to clerkships (either as a signal or in terms of helping to develop useful skills). Many thanks in advance!

Depends on what kind of school you're at. Consensus here seems to be that at T14 schools, there isn't much of a boost except for EIC. At lower-ranked schools, my impression and experience is that E-Board matters more for clerkships and provides a significant boost compared to line editor positions.

That's helpful, thank you! I'm at a lower T1 state flagship, so it sounds like it might be advantageous to be on the executive board rather than a line editor based on what you're saying. Just out of curiosity, do you think that's a resume line thing or more that the e-board position helps develop skills that are useful in a clerk?

Anonymous User wrote:That's helpful, thank you! I'm at a lower T1 state flagship, so it sounds like it might be advantageous to be on the executive board rather than a line editor based on what you're saying. Just out of curiosity, do you think that's a resume line thing or more that the e-board position helps develop skills that are useful in a clerk?

I think there's a little of both going on, also that the people who tend to get selected for those positions tend to be especially hard working and detail oriented to begin with. For what it's worth, I believe what I said will apply especially at a lower T1 state flagship (as compared to a T20).

I would think that someone at a lower T1 state law school who wants a federal clerkship should be trying to collect as many gold stars as possible, which would include AdBoard/E-Board.

there's no like, threshold point for you beyond which you can safely assume you will get a federal clerkship, particularly in a more competitive district, like there would be for someone who's say, top 10% at a T14, or magna at HLS, or w/e. everything matters.

Hello:

I am running for EIC, does anyone have a sample letter of interest/cover letter for this type of position?

I'm EIC of LR at my T20 school. I can attest that being EIC gave me a huge boost for clerkships. I'm going to a COA and I definitely didn't have the grades for it, but judges who were alums of my law school were still willing to give me a shot. The only other people on LR who got a boost from being on the executive board are the executive editors whose responsibilities were solely editing/Bluebooking, because they had an incredible mastery of how to technically edit an article. Judges didn't seem to care about articles editors/notes and comments editors, etc.

Just seeing this! Thanks again for your insight. Take care.

Non-EIC E-Board member here at a t-50. It's helped me and my colleagues a tremendous amount in the clerkship hunt, for whatever it's worth.

I was an editorial board LR member at a tier 1, non T14 school. In dozens of BigLaw interviews and many clerkship interviews, I've literally never received a single question about the editorial position. Perhaps it helped me survive the screening process at one or more of these jobs, maybe not. Our EIC definitely got mileage out of having that position. I suspect I'd be in the same point career-wise if I'd never been a board member. That said, if I had to do it over again, I probably would just out of an abundance of caution.

EIC at a TTT/TTTT. It gave me a needed boost.

EIC at T1. Though it was rarely, if ever, discussed, I think it had a big influence on getting COA interviews and offers. I've also heard lit cite is given slightly less but similar weight. But I think, as seems to be the general advice, it's less about having that particular gold star and more about having as many as possible.

I can say that when we reviewed applications we gave more weight to people with executive level positions than just regular editors. While Bluebook experience is helpful, everyone on a journal gets that to some extent or another (as almost all serious clerk applicants are on a journal), so the executive positions are what sets people apart. And Bluebooking expertise was always pretty low down on the list of helpful skills.

Just wanted to add my data point here. I was LR EIC at a T30 and I'm going to a COA (one of 1/3/4/6/8). I also had one DC Cir. and one 2d Cir. interview (struck out at both, though). I absolutely did not have the grades to be at a COA (or really anything other than maybe a flyover district court), so I think EIC gave me a huge boost. The other boost that came along with EIC was that professors were much more willing to make calls on my behalf, even if I didn't get the top grade in their class.

Elections/appointments for EIC at most law schools are several months away still, but it's worth considering if you're interested in a clerkship down the road. A clerkship shouldn't be your only motivation for EIC (because being EIC is a soul-sucking grind) but don't discount the weight it can have on your resume.

At one of HYSCCN, the EIC graduated outside the top third (no latin honors/James Kent/whatever) and got good district court and circuit court clerkships. There were others on Law Review who did the same but I don't think anyone else outhit their GPA as hard. It definitely matters to some judges.