Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship?? Forum

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Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm

I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?

Quichelorraine

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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Quichelorraine » Fri Aug 13, 2021 7:53 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm
I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?
Most new jobs have the super-uncomfortable transition period, where you have no idea what anybody is talking about, but District Court clerkships (and other trial-court positions) are among the most intense. In about a month, you'll be a pro, but those first few days are terrifying.

My main advice: don't be afraid to ask questions. This can vary depending on chambers culture, but if you're trying to figure out what a final pretrial order is . . . someone knows and that person will probably be happy to tell you. What about your co-clerk(s)? For stuff that doesn't seem chambers-appropriate, you might be able to reach out to prior clerks, or to other clerks in the courthouse. Everyone wants you to be up to speed; unless your judge is weirdly into hazing, nobody wants you stumbling around trying to guess what "CJRA" means.

The key, though, is to realize that this isn't a unique facet of the clerkship, but is instead just an extreme variation on what new jobs are like. Psychologically, that made it more manageable for me.

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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:46 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm
I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?
I'm starting in a few weeks and am terrified about this. Has anyone compiled any sort of clerk handbook/manual? Would really appreciate getting a look at something like that.

Anonymous User
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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:32 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm
I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?
I'm finishing up my district-court clerkship now. Everyone feels this way at first.

Two pieces of advice:

(1) If there's a motion or term you're not familiar with, definitely ask. In addition, look at the Judge's previous orders on Westlaw, using the advanced search feature: (JU(JudgeLastName)). I found that to be SUPER helpful when I was first starting. If your chambers has an internal drive with older opinions, also look through there for parallel opinions and orders.

(2) In addition, read through the local rules soon and also throughout your clerkship. This will not only give you some helpful terminology, but it will also inform you of some rules that will be necessary to know.

Separately, a lot of the things I found confusing were confusing because they required a judgment call. There's not always a "correct" answer for some of the more administrative and procedural things that come up. So you'll also learn to trust your instinct as your clerkship continues. Hang in there! You got this!

Leif Erikson

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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Leif Erikson » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:34 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:46 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm
I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?
I'm starting in a few weeks and am terrified about this. Has anyone compiled any sort of clerk handbook/manual? Would really appreciate getting a look at something like that.
FJC has one available here: https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files ... dition.pdf

It might be helpful to skim! :)

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Anonymous User
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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:59 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:08 pm
I know most of this forum is used for people trying to get a clerkship, but it seems like there's quite a few past clerks on here. I'm four days into my clerkship and I expected a learning curve, but man it's rough. Everyone in chambers is really nice, but it feels like there's minimal oversight so I've got to get everything right on my own, I don't know what I'm doing, I'm trying to balance moving quickly with being thorough and accurate, I don't even know what some of the motions and words the other people in chambers use mean, the whole deal. Does anyone have any tips for trying to get up to speed, trying to do a good job and get it right, etc.?
The first month or two of a district court clerkship is information overload. It will get easier over time. Right now, rely on the career clerk (if there is one) and also the case manager. It is common and expected that you will have lots of questions. There's no real magic bullet to this. Take things day by day and before you know it, you will be feeling much more comfortable.

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3pianists

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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by 3pianists » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:31 am

In general, filter everything you do through the rule of thumb that your goal is to save your judge time.

If your chambers has a clerk manual, read it thoroughly when you start. Before you do a task for the first time, reread the relevant section. And then go back and read the whole thing again after a month or so. You’ll be amazed about what you didn't notice before.

Ask lots of questions—much better to ask than to do it wrong. Your JA is probably the person to ask most of your questions. Ask questions of the outgoing clerks too (including after they leave). They’re the best resources on how to do the job. Folks you know who have clerked before, or even who started a little while before you, are also great to ask. And it’s a good idea to ask your recommenders for high-level clerkship advice. They’ve stuck their necks out for you, are happy for you, and want you to do well and stay in touch.

Two resources I wish I knew about as a new clerk:

https://clinic.cyber.harvard.edu/files/ ... t-v1.0.pdf

https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/file ... -cases.pdf

j01

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Re: Advice for when you're actually at your clerkship??

Post by j01 » Sun Aug 29, 2021 5:05 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:32 am
In addition, look at the Judge's previous orders on Westlaw, using the advanced search feature: (JU(JudgeLastName)).
This, no joke, is an absolute game changer. The advanced search skips about four extra clicks, and you should be looking at your judge's previous orders on similar topics every time you write, so it adds up to a lot of clicks.

I just started with a district clerkship and the learning curve is *way* worse than previous appellate clerkships. I asked around and I was told to expect a rough time for a few months. So you have my sympathy, at least.

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