2021-2022 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

[sabanist]

Hi all! I applied last cycle, so no dogs in this fight, but I was at a firm and really enjoyed getting to celebrate/commiserate with the summer associates last year who kept me in the loop on their app process. So if you want a total stranger to cheer you on, my PMs are open!

This process is really strange and can be disheartening, but remember that you have the potential for several bites at the apple if this cycle doesn't pan out. It's not a reflection on your intelligence or skill; judges can be super idiosyncratic, and not getting pulled out of the pile on day one this time doesn't mean you wouldn't be a great clerk or lawyer. And work experience is not the only benefit of applying after working; speaking from personal experience, former clerks and attorneys who otherwise know judges can go to bat for you if you want to try again. Of course, none of this makes the waiting game any more fun... Hang in there and good luck!

[HenryHankPalmer]

So on OSCAR, our applications have a cover sheet with our school, rank, journal, moot court, work experience and stuff like that. Does anybody know if the content on the cover sheet is what chambers can use to filter out applications? I'm essentially asking for the mechanics of how applications are sorted on OSCAR (not really the individual filters per judge, because that's obviously idiosyncratic.)

I'm curious about this as well. Posters in other threads have mentioned that judges frequently sort based on GPA, but GPA isn't listed on the aforementioned cover sheet. So does that number come from the grade sheet?

[HenryHankPalmer]

[floatie]

So on OSCAR, our applications have a cover sheet with our school, rank, journal, moot court, work experience and stuff like that. Does anybody know if the content on the cover sheet is what chambers can use to filter out applications? I'm essentially asking for the mechanics of how applications are sorted on OSCAR (not really the individual filters per judge, because that's obviously idiosyncratic.)

I'm curious about this as well. Posters in other threads have mentioned that judges frequently sort based on GPA, but GPA isn't listed on the aforementioned cover sheet. So does that number come from the grade sheet?

I believe judges can filter by class rank (which does appear on the cover sheet)

[Wild Card]

Note, the top law schools do not rank. So filtering by class rank only helps chambers look for the strongest applications outside the T14.

[Anonymous User]

Did anyone apply to Judge Komitee (EDNY) and see that it's "filled" now? Did they just forget to update?

[Anonymous User]

Did anyone apply to Judge Komitee (EDNY) and see that it's "filled" now? Did they just forget to update?

I saw that too, same for at least one other judge I applied to. Was he doing rolling interviews perhaps?

[Anonymous User]

Seems like he's opened up a new position for Feb '22...should we apply for that position or will the old app suffice?

[Anonymous User]

At least two judges I applied to now have expired postings after I finalized. Should I withdraw those apps to make room for new ones? Or leave them?

[floatie]

At least two judges I applied to now have expired postings after I finalized. Should I withdraw those apps to make room for new ones? Or leave them?

I would leave them, since they don't count against your 100

[Anonymous User]

Interview calls have started to go out - not going to say which district, but just to inform people the "reading period" is not being taken very seriously.

[Anonymous User]

At least two judges I applied to now have expired postings after I finalized. Should I withdraw those apps to make room for new ones? Or leave them?

I would leave them, since they don't count against your 100

One more annoying question. I uploaded all my cover letters one by one via PDF. You only get a 100 limit on cover letters uploaded to OSCAR. If I delete a cover letter for an application I already finalized, it won't mess with the finalized app will it?

[Anonymous User]

At least two judges I applied to now have expired postings after I finalized. Should I withdraw those apps to make room for new ones? Or leave them?

I would leave them, since they don't count against your 100

I think expired apps do count against your 100, but filled apps don’t.

I would look at the judge’s OSCAR profile to see if there’s any indication that they were hiring earlier or have now moved on to hiring for another term. If there isn’t anything, I would just leave it

[Anonymous User]

Interview calls have started to go out - not going to say which district, but just to inform people the "reading period" is not being taken very seriously.

Can you say what district/COA? Or, better yet, judge? This doesn't seem like secret information. Judges know word gets around about their interview schedules.

[bretby]

Interview calls have started to go out - not going to say which district, but just to inform people the "reading period" is not being taken very seriously.

Why wouldn't you say which district? If calls are going out, it's clearly not a secret....

[Anonymous User]

Is the 24-hour period wrt interviewing or extending interview invitations?

[Anonymous User]

Is the 24-hour period wrt interviewing or extending interview invitations?

Both.

"Judges will not seek or accept formal or informal clerkship applications, or seek or accept formal or informal recommendations, before 12:00 pm EDT on June 15, 2020. Judges also will not directly or indirectly contact applicants, or schedule or conduct formal or informal interviews, or make formal or informal offers, before 12:00 pm EDT on June 16, 2020."

[Anonymous User]

Is the 24-hour period wrt interviewing or extending interview invitations?

The plan says judges won't contact you at all during the 24 hour period

[Anonymous User]

Interview calls have started to go out - not going to say which district, but just to inform people the "reading period" is not being taken very seriously.

Why wouldn't you say which district? If calls are going out, it's clearly not a secret....

Because the interview is today as well, the district is not one of the large ones, and all of this is not technically allowed - Quite paranoid about even posting this. I've said what I'm going to say in an attempt to be helpful, letting people know that some judges are not following the reading period.

[Anonymous User]

Are judges aware there are nationwide phone outages? Not sure if these outages are going to go into tomorrow and freaking out! I can't make or receive phone calls.

[Anonymous User]

Are judges aware there are nationwide phone outages? Not sure if these outages are going to go into tomorrow and freaking out! I can't make or receive phone calls.

If it's truly widespread, it's probably impacting judges/their clerks/their staff/whoever does the calls. And, you know, they shouldn't be making calls today anyway.

(That last sentence is my calm facade already starting to break, 4.5 hours in.)

[desiperc]

My little frustration is that judges OPENED UP positions for 2021 on June 15, meaning we have to scramble to get OSCAR posts up for those judges while they could technically start reading today...

[Anonymous User]

So if you don’t receive a call sometime tomorrow you guys think that means you’re out of luck for most Oscar judges?

This is my first cycle so I don’t really know what to expect.

Top 5% at a T25, K-JD, pretty weak softs.

[lavarman84]

So if you don’t receive a call sometime tomorrow you guys think that means you’re out of luck for most Oscar judges?

This is my first cycle so I don’t really know what to expect.

Top 5% at a T25, K-JD, pretty weak softs.

No. Judges move at different speeds. And COVID is complicating things.

[lavarman84]

Interview calls have started to go out - not going to say which district, but just to inform people the "reading period" is not being taken very seriously.

Why wouldn't you say which district? If calls are going out, it's clearly not a secret....

Because the interview is today as well, the district is not one of the large ones, and all of this is not technically allowed - Quite paranoid about even posting this. I've said what I'm going to say in an attempt to be helpful, letting people know that some judges are not following the reading period.

Well, if the judge decides it's allowed, it's allowed.

At least two judges I applied to now have expired postings after I finalized. Should I withdraw those apps to make room for new ones? Or leave them?

I would leave them, since they don't count against your 100

One more annoying question. I uploaded all my cover letters one by one via PDF. You only get a 100 limit on cover letters uploaded to OSCAR. If I delete a cover letter for an application I already finalized, it won't mess with the finalized app will it?

It won't affect it.