Court of Federal Claims Forum

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Court of Federal Claims

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jun 22, 2020 1:37 pm

Not sure if a thread exists for this court already, but was curious if people have had any experiences with it, either through applications or as clerks?

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Re: Court of Federal Claims

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:10 pm

I applied last year and will be clerking there within the next two years, followed by a CAFC clerkship. In some ways, it was pretty similar to applying for a regular district court clerkship, but I also had to demonstrate familiarity and interest in their specific areas, which is hard because there are so many wildly different types of cases that come before the CFC. The judges have very different hiring criteria - some look for HYS grads towards the top of their class, others hire clerks from lower-ranked schools with an interest in the subject matter. I don't think many (if any) judges are following the hiring plan, and some aren't even on OSCAR. It has also become a popular substitute for a d.ct clerkship for people who ultimately want to clerk for CAFC. I think I'm one of like 5 clerks in my class year (that I know of) who have CAFC clerkships lined up either before or after the CFC clerkship.

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Re: Court of Federal Claims

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jun 23, 2020 9:03 am

Former CFC clerk here. Do you have any specific questions about the court?

Generally, clerking at the CFC will be quite similar to a district court clerkship, except of course no criminal cases and very limited equitable powers (i.e. you'll probably only see TRO/PI's in bid protest cases). Despite the court's specialized jurisdiction, there's still a large variety of civil cases that come before the court, but almost all of them involve agency action or some analysis of administrative law, which can be a plus for certain interests. Just read up on the court's jurisdiction and some of its cases. I think it's a very valuable clerkship if you're interested in working in D.C., with the federal government, or in the government contracting space --- these sectors tends to really appreciate the specialized experience the court offers. But even outside these sectors, I've found most folks view it as a typical trial court clerkship (you're drafing opinions, doing legal research, managing the docket, etc...). Plenty of CFC clerks I know went on to COA clerkships, district court clerkships, biglaw, or fed gov.

As for working at the court, I've heard it described by litigants and clerks alike as a very collegial environment, and I tend to agree. I've not heard any horror stories about the current judges and the working hours are quite humane (think, 8-5, typically).

lawschoolkid0122

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Re: Court of Federal Claims

Post by lawschoolkid0122 » Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:30 pm

Bumping this, I would love to hear folks’ insight in the CFC, their experiences clerking on the court, etc. Nothing specific, would just love to hear thoughts. Thanks!

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Re: Court of Federal Claims

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:29 pm

lawschoolkid0122 wrote:
Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:30 pm
Bumping this, I would love to hear folks’ insight in the CFC, their experiences clerking on the court, etc. Nothing specific, would just love to hear thoughts. Thanks!
I clerked on CFC several years ago and loved it. Like someone else said, it's a collegial place and pretty laidback as far as federal court goes. I never heard anyone really complain about their judge or their experience. The court's location is also incredible. And if you want to stay in DC, you will have no problem getting a job.

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