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Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 9:14 am
by Anonymous User
Assuming all else is equal, would you rather have a clerkship with a semi-feeder not in 2/9, or a non-feeder in 2/9? Since all the DC judges are at least semi-feeders, they don't factor in here.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:10 am
by Anonymous User
Non-feeder in 2/9. My chances at SCOTUS are less than 0% so I'd rather take the prestige where I can.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:21 am
by The Lsat Airbender
Depends too heavily on where you want to work to "assume all else is equal". If your target market is in 2 or 9, then obviously clerking on that CoA going to be preferable.

If you want to work in Chicago or Texas, then I would lean towards a flyover feeder, although the delta is smaller and it's hard to go wrong in any case.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:32 am
by Anonymous User
Probably depends to a large degree on the two specific judges at issue. There aren’t many judges in 2/9 I’d take over David Stras for example even though he’s not a true feeder and he’s on what’s maybe on the least desirable of the circuits in the abstract (high feeder potential, nice city, really nice guy).

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:36 am
by lavarman84
Holding all else equal, I'm taking the semi-feeder. Odds are that judge has clout and has a strong network. But all else is rarely equal. Ultimately, I'd take the best situation (because I have no shot at SCOTUS). I'd look at who is the better boss, where I plan to work, and which judge offers the better quality of life.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:08 pm
by nixy
Yeah, this depends really on which judges and where they are and what you want to do. I don’t think the 2/9 are somehow magically way better than any other circuit, unless of course you know you want to be in (say) NYC or LA/SF. It’s really about the individual judges and what you want to do.

In your hypo the “semi-feeder” probably has better connections and influence so if there’s nothing else to choose between the two I’d go semi-feeder. There’s no magic prestige bonus to 2/9 except among categorization-obsessed law students.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
by Libya
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
by Anonymous User
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:34 pm
by Libya
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?
All this is public info since ATL does posts on Bristow hiring but AFAIK it’s the same credentials as SCOTUS (you can probably argue it’s more competitive in some ways since there are only 4 spots, although there also may be people who self-select out due to not wanting to work in the SG’s office depending on the administration at that time). Tippy top grades (from the usual lineup of schools) as well as a feeder or semi-feeder AIII clerkship. No idea on whether two clerkships or one is more prevalent among Bristows, although I doubt two hurts

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:42 pm
by Anonymous User
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:34 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?
All this is public info since ATL does posts on Bristow hiring but AFAIK it’s the same credentials as SCOTUS (you can probably argue it’s more competitive in some ways since there are only 4 spots, although there also may be people who self-select out due to not wanting to work in the SG’s office depending on the administration at that time). Tippy top grades (from the usual lineup of schools) as well as a feeder or semi-feeder AIII clerkship. No idea on whether two clerkships or one is more prevalent among Bristows, although I doubt two hurts

I know one of this year's Bristow Fellows very well and they not only absolutely have SCOTUS credentials, they also had every professor and administrator at the school with real sway making constant calls, along with uniform support from their judge(s). They also were incredibly well connected before law school. It's insanely competitive, probably more so than SCOTUS because there are so many fewer spots. I doubt many people self-select out, this person certainly does not support the Trump admin, as it's not a political position, and the school would lose their mind if they thought someone with a real shot was giving it up for that reason.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 9:26 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:42 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:34 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?
All this is public info since ATL does posts on Bristow hiring but AFAIK it’s the same credentials as SCOTUS (you can probably argue it’s more competitive in some ways since there are only 4 spots, although there also may be people who self-select out due to not wanting to work in the SG’s office depending on the administration at that time). Tippy top grades (from the usual lineup of schools) as well as a feeder or semi-feeder AIII clerkship. No idea on whether two clerkships or one is more prevalent among Bristows, although I doubt two hurts

I know one of this year's Bristow Fellows very well and they not only absolutely have SCOTUS credentials, they also had every professor and administrator at the school with real sway making constant calls, along with uniform support from their judge(s). They also were incredibly well connected before law school. It's insanely competitive, probably more so than SCOTUS because there are so many fewer spots. I doubt many people self-select out, this person certainly does not support the Trump admin, as it's not a political position, and the school would lose their mind if they thought someone with a real shot was giving it up for that reason.
Yeah, the Bristow Fellowship is like SCOTUS in that the right people can push their candidates even if those candidates don't have the OMG paper application you might expect. Like I know a judge in my circuit pushed a non-top 10% grad right into a Bristow Fellowship and then SCOTUS just because of the judge's connections. In the end, what matters are connections.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:23 pm
by Anonymous User
I chose semi-feeder on 2/7/8/10 (just to not out myself) rather than a non-feeder on DC Circuit. I think it made sense, for these reasons:

1) Feeder judges are known by the legal community, which is the community you're trying to impress. So, if you clerk for Senior Judge X on DC Circuit, that will be less impressive than Sutton/Thapar/Chabria/Stras/anyone else who is known for feeding, even if you don't get to SCOTUS.

2) I thought the connections my judge had as a result of being a quasi-feeder, as well as their amazing mentorship, was worth taking over DC Circuit.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:32 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:42 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:34 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?
All this is public info since ATL does posts on Bristow hiring but AFAIK it’s the same credentials as SCOTUS (you can probably argue it’s more competitive in some ways since there are only 4 spots, although there also may be people who self-select out due to not wanting to work in the SG’s office depending on the administration at that time). Tippy top grades (from the usual lineup of schools) as well as a feeder or semi-feeder AIII clerkship. No idea on whether two clerkships or one is more prevalent among Bristows, although I doubt two hurts

I know one of this year's Bristow Fellows very well and they not only absolutely have SCOTUS credentials, they also had every professor and administrator at the school with real sway making constant calls, along with uniform support from their judge(s). They also were incredibly well connected before law school. It's insanely competitive, probably more so than SCOTUS because there are so many fewer spots. I doubt many people self-select out, this person certainly does not support the Trump admin, as it's not a political position, and the school would lose their mind if they thought someone with a real shot was giving it up for that reason.
Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems that Bristow is way less of an all-purpose credential than SCOTUS. It sounds like a really phenomenal way to spend a year but I doubt many people have heard of it outside of the appellate world. Plus the work can’t be that much different from normal appellate biglaw, a state SG, or DOJ Civil Appellate, which aren’t that selective compared to it. Is the prestige and demand just because it’s a pretty surefire way to get SCOTUS?

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:44 pm
by LBJ's Hair
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:32 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm


I know one of this year's Bristow Fellows very well and they not only absolutely have SCOTUS credentials, they also had every professor and administrator at the school with real sway making constant calls, along with uniform support from their judge(s). They also were incredibly well connected before law school. It's insanely competitive, probably more so than SCOTUS because there are so many fewer spots. I doubt many people self-select out, this person certainly does not support the Trump admin, as it's not a political position, and the school would lose their mind if they thought someone with a real shot was giving it up for that reason.
Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems that Bristow is way less of an all-purpose credential than SCOTUS. It sounds like a really phenomenal way to spend a year but I doubt many people have heard of it outside of the appellate world. Plus the work can’t be that much different from normal appellate biglaw, a state SG, or DOJ Civil Appellate, which aren’t that selective compared to it. Is the prestige and demand just because it’s a pretty surefire way to get SCOTUS?
The Venn diagram of "people who have heard of semi-feeder judges" and "people who care about the Bristow fellowships" is basically a circle. Does it "matter"? Not to everyone, but at places you'll work, it sounds like yes.
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.
I think this is the right idea, but the advice is backwards. If you don't care about SCOTUS, go with the experience.

If you do care about SCOTUS, do the semi-feeder and plan to clerk again. Every recommender matters for SCOTUS. Thapar + Katsas is better than Bush + Katsas, Owens + Srinivasan is better than Thomas + Srinivasan, etc. And the semi-feeder will help you get that second feeder clerkship.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:49 pm
by lavarman84
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:32 pm
Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems that Bristow is way less of an all-purpose credential than SCOTUS. It sounds like a really phenomenal way to spend a year but I doubt many people have heard of it outside of the appellate world. Plus the work can’t be that much different from normal appellate biglaw, a state SG, or DOJ Civil Appellate, which aren’t that selective compared to it. Is the prestige and demand just because it’s a pretty surefire way to get SCOTUS?
I think it's a combination of things:
1) Lay prestige (I would bet the vast majority who do a Bristow want to do appellate work, but even if one doesn't, biglaw, academia, bigfed, and their equivalents are well aware of what a Bristow is);
2) Networking (You're working and building relationships with people who are very, very big deals in our profession); and
3) The Work (I think almost any young appellate lawyer would be ecstatic about getting to do so much work before SCOTUS with elite attorneys mentoring them).

Although, I did hear from a person that the work done during a Bristow is less interesting in practice than it seems in theory. But that's one person's opinion.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:05 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:42 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:34 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Libya wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:49 pm
How are your SCOTUS chances? If you are like top 5% at HYSCCN + LR (or like top 3-5 people at UVA, Penn, Duke, Michigan) I'd probably take the semi-feeder if you don't want to clerk again; if you are open to another clerkship I'd take the better experience and just try to tack on a full-fledged feeder afterward (or one of the D. Ct. feeders or Bristow). I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you did something like Thomas (CA9) > Srinivasan > biglaw, for example.

Which seems like a more enjoyable experience with a better boss? How are the hours? That'd probably be dispositive for me (who is not a realistic SCOTUS candidate) if the choice was between Chin and Kethledge for example. I think which circuit you want to practice in is also a consideration; so is whether the 2/9 clerkship is in the specific city you want to practice in (or if not, is it still a "prestigious" or fun city like NYC or SF compared to like New Haven or Billings for example).
My grades fall into those categories, although I am not dead set on gunning for SCOTUS clerkship just yet. Out of curiosity, what are the Bristow credential requirements? Do they normally have two clerkships under their belt, like most SCOTUS clerks? Or do they take people with just one clerkship?
All this is public info since ATL does posts on Bristow hiring but AFAIK it’s the same credentials as SCOTUS (you can probably argue it’s more competitive in some ways since there are only 4 spots, although there also may be people who self-select out due to not wanting to work in the SG’s office depending on the administration at that time). Tippy top grades (from the usual lineup of schools) as well as a feeder or semi-feeder AIII clerkship. No idea on whether two clerkships or one is more prevalent among Bristows, although I doubt two hurts

I know one of this year's Bristow Fellows very well and they not only absolutely have SCOTUS credentials, they also had every professor and administrator at the school with real sway making constant calls, along with uniform support from their judge(s). They also were incredibly well connected before law school. It's insanely competitive, probably more so than SCOTUS because there are so many fewer spots. I doubt many people self-select out, this person certainly does not support the Trump admin, as it's not a political position, and the school would lose their mind if they thought someone with a real shot was giving it up for that reason.
Thirded. I know a couple Bristow fellows and several SCOTUS clerks. My impression is the fellowship demands greater credentials than do most justices, with Roberts being the notable exception. The fellowship regularly hires both liberals and conservatives (shocking, given the political climate) and vets candidates from across the T14. Those selected are typically either #1 in their class (just look at the recent fellows from UVA) or are otherwise such standouts that their deans can credibly describe them as such when the Solicitor General calls.

Turning to the original question: I agree with the other posters that this depends on your goals. If you want to work in New York, I would almost always take the 2nd Circuit clerkship. Otherwise, ask yourself if the semi-feeder has a "national" reputation. If the judge you are considering has sent two or more clerks to SCOTUS in the last five years, the odds are good that her reputation precedes her. Semi-feeders usually have stronger clerk networks. Still, ask yourself where you plan to end up. An average clerk network in a city you intend to settle down in will help more than an extraordinary clerk network in a city you never plan to move to.

I would also second the comment about Judge Stras. If you get the chance to work for him or a judge of similar repute, take it and never look back.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
by Anonymous User
Seconding the above about carefully considering your goals. I faced basically this choice (deciding between interview offers), and went with CA2 over semi-feeders/non-feeder CADC because I wanted to practice in New York and had no SCOTUS aspirations. Have not regretted it so far, though I'm still early in my career.

(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:11 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
Seconding the above about carefully considering your goals. I faced basically this choice (deciding between interview offers), and went with CA2 over semi-feeders/non-feeder CADC because I wanted to practice in New York and had no SCOTUS aspirations. Have not regretted it so far, though I'm still early in my career.

(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Don't think anyone suggested he's an uber-feeder but his name rec/rep is probably higher than most similar judges among denizens of this forum because he does a ton of law school talks (in part to pitch himself to potential clerks) and he's really good at them. His annual Supreme Court roundup was a bit of an event at my school.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:21 am
by Anonymous User
lavarman84 wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:49 pm
Although, I did hear from a person that the work done during a Bristow is less interesting in practice than it seems in theory. But that's one person's opinion.
I've heard this pretty consistently as well.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 10:14 am
by Anonymous User
lavarman84 wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:49 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:32 pm
Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems that Bristow is way less of an all-purpose credential than SCOTUS. It sounds like a really phenomenal way to spend a year but I doubt many people have heard of it outside of the appellate world. Plus the work can’t be that much different from normal appellate biglaw, a state SG, or DOJ Civil Appellate, which aren’t that selective compared to it. Is the prestige and demand just because it’s a pretty surefire way to get SCOTUS?
I think it's a combination of things:
1) Lay prestige (I would bet the vast majority who do a Bristow want to do appellate work, but even if one doesn't, biglaw, academia, bigfed, and their equivalents are well aware of what a Bristow is);
2) Networking (You're working and building relationships with people who are very, very big deals in our profession); and
3) The Work (I think almost any young appellate lawyer would be ecstatic about getting to do so much work before SCOTUS with elite attorneys mentoring them).

Although, I did hear from a person that the work done during a Bristow is less interesting in practice than it seems in theory. But that's one person's opinion.
I'm the "Thirded" anon above. This aligns with what my sources said. I'd add that the Solicitor General carries a unique set of responsibilities. For example, he/she exercises substantial control over the Supreme Court's docket by picking when to seek certiorari and when to confess error. Lawyers in the office see "how the sausage is made" in a way they probably couldn't anywhere else. Demand for that experience (especially at big DC firms) well exceeds supply.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 1:09 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:11 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
Seconding the above about carefully considering your goals. I faced basically this choice (deciding between interview offers), and went with CA2 over semi-feeders/non-feeder CADC because I wanted to practice in New York and had no SCOTUS aspirations. Have not regretted it so far, though I'm still early in my career.

(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Don't think anyone suggested he's an uber-feeder but his name rec/rep is probably higher than most similar judges among denizens of this forum because he does a ton of law school talks (in part to pitch himself to potential clerks) and he's really good at them. His annual Supreme Court roundup was a bit of an event at my school.
I clerked for another Judge on the Eighth, and Judge Stras was pretty incredible. His clerks worked a lot of hours but loved him, he was thorough and a great writer, and he was easy to talk to. He literally sat down at a table next to me and my co-clerks and chatted for almost an hour. I've also heard a rumor (who really knows) that "some Justices" (I'm thinking that refers to Thomas and Alito) are only hiring clerks (future terms) who have clerked for one of their clerks on the COA. That makes sense to me, but it will take a few years to know if that's true (come back David Lat). The love for Judge Stras is probably some combination of those two things.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:27 pm
by LBJ's Hair
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Yeah, he's probably great to clerk for. He's also one of at least a dozen, probably more, recent nominees who clerked on the Supreme Court and is trying to establish himself or herself. (And that doesn't include the established conservative feeders or semi-feeders, or any of the liberals.) Don't think he's any more or less prominent-than say, Oldham or Willet.

Not dumping on the guy at all, just thought the discussion here was getting a bit weird.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:39 pm
by Anonymous User
LBJ's Hair wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Yeah, he's probably great to clerk for. He's also one of at least a dozen, probably more, recent nominees who clerked on the Supreme Court and is trying to establish himself or herself. (And that doesn't include the established conservative feeders or semi-feeders, or any of the liberals.) Don't think he's any more or less prominent-than say, Oldham or Willet.

Not dumping on the guy at all, just thought the discussion here was getting a bit weird.
One interesting thing is the lowkey competition between Trump COA appointees who themselves clerked for SCOTUS to become feeders. Especially since Gorsuch and Kavanaugh being elevated left a big hole to fill. Stras, Willet, Ho, Bibas, Barrett, Rao, even some D Ct people like Kovner, etc. Will be interesting to see who emerges as a Kavanaugh/Luttig/Garland-level feeder, or if they reach an equilibrium in which no one judge is doing that much feeding, but they each do a bit. And some of the older guard conservative judges, like Ikuta, who got a bit boxed out from feeding may play a bigger role.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:27 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:39 pm
LBJ's Hair wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Yeah, he's probably great to clerk for. He's also one of at least a dozen, probably more, recent nominees who clerked on the Supreme Court and is trying to establish himself or herself. (And that doesn't include the established conservative feeders or semi-feeders, or any of the liberals.) Don't think he's any more or less prominent-than say, Oldham or Willet.

Not dumping on the guy at all, just thought the discussion here was getting a bit weird.
One interesting thing is the lowkey competition between Trump COA appointees who themselves clerked for SCOTUS to become feeders. Especially since Gorsuch and Kavanaugh being elevated left a big hole to fill. Stras, Willet, Ho, Bibas, Barrett, Rao, even some D Ct people like Kovner, etc. Will be interesting to see who emerges as a Kavanaugh/Luttig/Garland-level feeder, or if they reach an equilibrium in which no one judge is doing that much feeding, but they each do a bit. And some of the older guard conservative judges, like Ikuta, who got a bit boxed out from feeding may play a bigger role.
Based on some knowledge of people who have clerkships lined up with both, I'd say Katsas and Oldham are ahead (in Katsas' case, miles ahead) of most people you named, tbh.

Re: Semi-Feeder or Major Circuit

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:44 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:39 pm
LBJ's Hair wrote:
Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:27 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:19 pm
(Also, does Stras have a marketing person on this forum or something? He's a fantastic judge, but I've seen a ton of posts about how he's some uber-feeder, which is inconsistent with what I know about who he chooses to interview and how FedSoc-affiliated students with SCOTUS-tier credentials seem to view him.)
Yeah, he's probably great to clerk for. He's also one of at least a dozen, probably more, recent nominees who clerked on the Supreme Court and is trying to establish himself or herself. (And that doesn't include the established conservative feeders or semi-feeders, or any of the liberals.) Don't think he's any more or less prominent-than say, Oldham or Willet.

Not dumping on the guy at all, just thought the discussion here was getting a bit weird.
One interesting thing is the lowkey competition between Trump COA appointees who themselves clerked for SCOTUS to become feeders. Especially since Gorsuch and Kavanaugh being elevated left a big hole to fill. Stras, Willet, Ho, Bibas, Barrett, Rao, even some D Ct people like Kovner, etc. Will be interesting to see who emerges as a Kavanaugh/Luttig/Garland-level feeder, or if they reach an equilibrium in which no one judge is doing that much feeding, but they each do a bit. And some of the older guard conservative judges, like Ikuta, who got a bit boxed out from feeding may play a bigger role.
Based on some knowledge of people who have clerkships lined up with both, I'd say Katsas and Oldham are ahead (in Katsas' case, miles ahead) of most people you named, tbh.
I don’t think Bibas or Ho are aiming to be feeders (if they are they’re not very good at it based on who they hire). Stras, Rao, Grant, Oldham, and maybe Barrett all seem like they are (and I think all but maybe Oldham have fed already?). Katsas is a bona fide established feeder at this point.

The conservative tendency to do double appellate means that there’s probably room for more feeders than on the liberal side, which seems pretty stable and consolidated with like five or so people, none of whom are that old.