Does COA improve district clerkship changes? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have a COA clerkship lined up but am still searching for a district clerkship. Does anyone know if the COA clerkship will boost my chances, even though I'm searching for district positions for the year prior to it? I've been told that there's some benefit, but I'm trying to get a sense of how significant it would be.

[Anonymous User]

I'm in the same boat. But there don't seem to be many openings for the year before so I am considering the year after.

[The Lsat Airbender]

I have a COA clerkship lined up but am still searching for a district clerkship. Does anyone know if the COA clerkship will boost my chances, even though I'm searching for district positions for the year prior to it? I've been told that there's some benefit, but I'm trying to get a sense of how significant it would be.

It's a good thing to have on your resume because it implies that some other judge interviewed you and liked you. So it'll help you get interviews with judges whose minimum qualifications you already meet, especially if they know your CoA judge. What's less likely is punching above your school/grades profile for super-competitive district judges.

[Anonymous User]

Current COA clerk here starting a D. Ct. next month. It's not a super satisfying answer, but it definitely depends on the judge. With hiring for a COA, a district court clerkship is a definite plus. We have definitely interviewed (and ultimately hired) clerks who we would not have absent their D. Ct. clerkship. On the reverse path (COA -> D. Ct.), I can offer only my own experience. I applied for many district courts during my initial clerkship search while in Law School with no COA lined up. Naturally, I never heard back from most. About 4 weeks into my COA, I applied to several d. ct. judges in my target market (who I had previously applied to during LS). I received interviews with more than half of them (a staggering difference), and I ultimately accepted a clerkship with the judge I most wanted to clerk for in the market. So, in my case, there was definitely a bump.

[Anonymous User]

Duplicate

[Anonymous User]

The pressure on judges to hire further and further out seems to have made it really tough to fill a pre-COA year with a district court. I'm not having any luck with it right now with a very good COA and I know lots of other students who are struggling to do the same or who ended up settling for district court clerkships three years out.

[Anonymous User]

Current COA clerk here starting a D. Ct. next month. It's not a super satisfying answer, but it definitely depends on the judge. With hiring for a COA, a district court clerkship is a definite plus. We have definitely interviewed (and ultimately hired) clerks who we would not have absent their D. Ct. clerkship. On the reverse path (COA -> D. Ct.), I can offer only my own experience. I applied for many district courts during my initial clerkship search while in Law School with no COA lined up. Naturally, I never heard back from most. About 4 weeks into my COA, I applied to several d. ct. judges in my target market (who I had previously applied to during LS). I received interviews with more than half of them (a staggering difference), and I ultimately accepted a clerkship with the judge I most wanted to clerk for in the market. So, in my case, there was definitely a bump.

I want to echo this poster. I did not have much luck in my first attempt at district courts but managed to snag a CoA clerkship. Subsequently, I applied and was accepted at my top choice district court. I have little doubt that my CoA clerkship was a big factor.