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I am a 2L interested in clerking for a federal judge. Top 20% from a T25-T30. Didn’t get published, but on a secondary journal. Have applied widely to district court and a few magistrate judges.

Have 3 solid recommendation letters. I’d really like to do district court, I’ve heard magistrate has significantly less clout after you’ve finished.

You're borderline--not disqualified but will have a hard time having your resume pulled out of the pile. Apply everywhere and with strong recommendations and you may be able to find something. But you're definitely outside of the range that we could say with confidence that you're likely to land something.

If you really want to clerk period I would recommend looking at some of the major state supreme courts, some of which can be less selective but still offer a good experience and career boost.

Judges generally prefer top 10% from non-top law schools.

You should target judges sitting in the district embracing your law school.

Try to get a judicial internship/externship with one of these judges. If you do a good job, you may be able to receive a full-time offer.

How long do you have to apply? Are you, for example, going into biglaw litigation in a major market after graduation, or is this your Plan A for your first job out of law school? If you have a job lined up already, I would consider applying for a cycle or two after graduation. Many judges prefer (or require) post-law-school experience, and the more distance you have from your grades, the less they matter. This approach would also give you time to improve your rank and GPA, intern/network with nearby judges, and perhaps get published in the next round for your journal (or, better yet, your school's flagship if they allow nonmember submissions).

Don't discount working for a magistrate judge. They're usually close with some of the district court judges. I'm externing for a federal judge right now who hired two of his three clerks after a year with a magistrate judge who he was good friends with.