CA2/9 with weak recommendations? Forum

[Anonymous User]

CCN 2L, currently top 10%, e-board of secondary journal, summering at one of WLRK/W&C/MTO. Recommendations will be lukewarm at best; certainly no chance anyone will call for me.

Any shot at CA2/9 nevertheless? Trying to decide whether to go hard at off-plan judges now or if it's reasonable to wait until year-end (have a strong geographic preference for the coasts, but don't want to end up with nothing).

[Anonymous User]

In a similar spot (at non-CCN) and very interested to hear what people have to say about this. (Also, maybe see you this summer??)

[GoneSouth]

CCN 2L, currently top 10%, e-board of secondary journal, summering at one of WLRK/W&C/MTO. Recommendations will be lukewarm at best; certainly no chance anyone will call for me.

Any shot at CA2/9 nevertheless? Trying to decide whether to go hard at off-plan judges now or if it's reasonable to wait until year-end (have a strong geographic preference for the coasts, but don't want to end up with nothing).

You definitely have a chance, but how have you made it through three full semesters of law school and have "no chance anyone will call for me"? Have you asked? If you have professors who are willing to recommend you, then they'll probably call for you too

[Anonymous User]

CCN 2L, currently top 10%, e-board of secondary journal, summering at one of WLRK/W&C/MTO. Recommendations will be lukewarm at best; certainly no chance anyone will call for me.

Any shot at CA2/9 nevertheless? Trying to decide whether to go hard at off-plan judges now or if it's reasonable to wait until year-end (have a strong geographic preference for the coasts, but don't want to end up with nothing).

You definitely have a chance, but how have you made it through three full semesters of law school and have "no chance anyone will call for me"? Have you asked? If you have professors who are willing to recommend you, then they'll probably call for you too

Obviously if I could go back I'd change it, but I really just haven't interacted with professors that much. I've taken mostly black letter classes, and done mostly very well in them, but didn't go to office hours or like whatever people do when they go up to the prof after class.

I'm assuming professors who gave me good grades in their class would write a standard form recommendation, as I've been led to believe is common, but if a personal connection is required than this goes from "lukewarm recs" to "no recs at all."

[jbagelboy]

CCN 2L, currently top 10%, e-board of secondary journal, summering at one of WLRK/W&C/MTO. Recommendations will be lukewarm at best; certainly no chance anyone will call for me.

Any shot at CA2/9 nevertheless? Trying to decide whether to go hard at off-plan judges now or if it's reasonable to wait until year-end (have a strong geographic preference for the coasts, but don't want to end up with nothing).

You definitely have a chance, but how have you made it through three full semesters of law school and have "no chance anyone will call for me"? Have you asked? If you have professors who are willing to recommend you, then they'll probably call for you too

Obviously if I could go back I'd change it, but I really just haven't interacted with professors that much. I've taken mostly black letter classes, and done mostly very well in them, but didn't go to office hours or like whatever people do when they go up to the prof after class.

I'm assuming professors who gave me good grades in their class would write a standard form recommendation, as I've been led to believe is common, but if a personal connection is required than this goes from "lukewarm recs" to "no recs at all."

I'm guessing you aren't at chicago or you would have graded-on to law review.

if you're at columbia or nyu, you have a decent chance at a second circuit clerkship if you have a district clerkship lined up. There are several judges I can think of who will at least interview a top 10% student w/ a d. ct. clerkship at those schools without a specific faculty connection, although scoring the offer at the end of the day may require something extra--a relationship between your district court judge and the circuit judge, a terrific interview, a professor writing or calling, a particularly advantageous background (common examples might be military service for conservative-leaning judges or substantive pre-law school advocacy work for liberal-leaning judges).

You might just ask your professors which judges they know and see whether any of them will reach out for you. If you land any interviews, go back to your letter writers and any other professors in whose classes you performed well and let them know. Some professors don't give a shit, but others do want to see students succeed in the clerkship game and will do what they can to support a strong academic candidate even if you haven't spent three semesters feigning interest in their research and trying to go to coffee every month like some tryhard.

[Anonymous User]

if you're at columbia or nyu, you have a decent chance at a second circuit clerkship if you have a district clerkship lined up. There are several judges I can think of who will at least interview a top 10% student w/ a d. ct. clerkship at those schools without a specific faculty connection, although scoring the offer at the end of the day may require something extra--a relationship between your district court judge and the circuit judge, a terrific interview, a professor writing or calling, a particularly advantageous background (common examples might be military service for conservative-leaning judges or substantive pre-law school advocacy work for liberal-leaning judges).

You might just ask your professors which judges they know and see whether any of them will reach out for you. If you land any interviews, go back to your letter writers and any other professors in whose classes you performed well and let them know. Some professors don't give a shit, but others do want to see students succeed in the clerkship game and will do what they can to support a strong academic candidate even if you haven't spent three semesters feigning interest in their research and trying to go to coffee every month like some tryhard.

Thanks for the input - much appreciated!

[Anonymous User]

Future 2/9 clerk. Apply to literally every single judge on 2/9 to maximize your chances and leverage.

[LikelyThrowaway]

I'm guessing you aren't at chicago or you would have graded-on to law review.

Not true. LR at Chicago currently requires top 60% performance in the writing competition regardless of grades.