Chance me for COA Forum

[Anonymous User]

Top 10%; LR(top position and published); moderately strong recs and solid writing sample; D.Ct. clerkship lined up; UW/UI/UIUC type school. What are my chances of getting a CoA clerkship? I know I'm out of the running for anything super prestigious but I'm not picky about where I'd go or the need to get a particular circuit or anything like that. Planning to pursue litigation with the hope of getting into a USAO some day.

[dvlthndr]

Your chances are slim, but not zero. People from "UW/UI/UIUC" occasionally land COA clerkships, and you are about as qualified as anybody from your school could be. At this point, your best bet would be leveraging the connections you have and working with the clerkship office.

It's debatable whether a COA clerkship will actually make you a better litigator or increase your chances of working as an AUSA. They are "prestigious," but they don't confer the same kind of trial experience.

[Anonymous User]

Your chances are slim, but not zero. People from "UW/UI/UIUC" occasionally land COA clerkships, and you are about as qualified as anybody from your school could be. At this point, your best bet would be leveraging the connections you have and working with the clerkship office.

It's debatable whether a COA clerkship will actually make you a better litigator or increase your chances of working as an AUSA. They are "prestigious," but they don't confer the same kind of trial experience.

I agree with all the above. Normally I’d say that you need to be one of the top 1-5 students from such a school (rather than top 10%), but having a DCt clerkship can help make you more appealing to circuit court judges. And COA is less relevant for an AUSA gig than a DCt clerkship (unless you’re really committed to appellate, but those positions are rare) - almost every AUSA I know who’s been hired in the last 5 years has a DCt clerkship but none have COA. It won’t hurt you but it’s not necessary by any means.

[Anon-non-anon]

I'd be a little more bullish than the above, at least to get an interview or two. I'd guess top spot on LR and district court prior experience is an okay combo for a flyover CoA judge in the region of the district or school. More likely way to get it would be to leverage what those positions give you in terms of network (judge friends, profs old colleagues who are now CoA judges, etc) to get in the door.

[Anonymous User]

For what it's worth, I got COA with:

-Similar school range (Iowa, WashU, Minn)
-Top 5%
- Law review, but not published or Ed Board
-District court clerkship

I would target apps for any non 2/9/DC COA judge that requires previous work experience (and especially those that require clerkship experience). I would bet on a few interviews.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, so it seems like the consensus would be that there's not much reason for me to even try for a CoA clerkship because it would just be another box checked but not really get me anywhere the district clerkship can't already do. Is that right? I assume this might be different if I was coming from a better school and had a shot at a more prestigious CoA judge

[BansheeScream]

OP here, so it seems like the consensus would be that there's not much reason for me to even try for a CoA clerkship because it would just be another box checked but not really get me anywhere the district clerkship can't already do. Is that right? I assume this might be different if I was coming from a better school and had a shot at a more prestigious CoA judge

I agree with the above about your chances. You should target CoA judges in flyover locations with a potential connection to your school. I disagree that a CoA clerkship couldn't benefit you at all if your end goal is an AUSA. Appellate positions are rare because many AUSAs handle their own appeals CoA clerkship for virtually any judge is a great credential whether applying to big law or USAOs.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, so it seems like the consensus would be that there's not much reason for me to even try for a CoA clerkship because it would just be another box checked but not really get me anywhere the district clerkship can't already do. Is that right? I assume this might be different if I was coming from a better school and had a shot at a more prestigious CoA judge

I agree with the above about your chances. You should target CoA judges in flyover locations with a potential connection to your school. I disagree that a CoA clerkship couldn't benefit you at all if your end goal is an AUSA. Appellate positions are rare because many AUSAs handle their own appeals CoA clerkship for virtually any judge is a great credential whether applying to big law or USAOs.

Eh, it's a great credential, sure, but it's not at all necessary for getting into a USAO. The vast majority of AUSAs I've met (and seen hired) do have DCt clerkships, but not COAs. Certainly it's never going to hurt you, and would doubtless help in many contexts, but I don't think it's necessarily where to put a lot of energy, specifically for getting into a USAO as opposed to for other reasons (getting trial experience/making the right connections is more useful for USAO). (Anon b/c I am an AUSA.)

[lavarman84]

OP here, so it seems like the consensus would be that there's not much reason for me to even try for a CoA clerkship because it would just be another box checked but not really get me anywhere the district clerkship can't already do. Is that right? I assume this might be different if I was coming from a better school and had a shot at a more prestigious CoA judge

Why do you want to do it? It's certainly not going to hurt you nor is it unattainable (especially if you can work connections to COA judges). But I agree with the others who say you don't need it to get an AUSA job. Although, it certainly won't hurt you in that pursuit.