Clerkship Timeline c/o 2023 + Off Plan Judges Forum

(Seek and share information about clerkship applications, clerkship hiring timelines, and post-clerkship employment opportunities)
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about clerkship applications and clerkship hiring. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
Anonymous User
Posts: 428109
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Clerkship Timeline c/o 2023 + Off Plan Judges

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:28 pm

Hello! I am a 2L/class of 2023 and I'm so confused with the clerkship timeline because of on-plan/off-plan judges. I know we can't access Oscar until February but that also means I can't check Oscar to see if a judge is on plan or off plan. I know the conservative/fed soc judges move early and have already hired people for 2023-2024 but I'm really just wondering:

1. how do I know whether a judge is off plan?
2. should I be applying to those judges right now?

My clerkship office hasn't been overwhelming helpful despite being at a T14. I'm very interested in appellate practice but don't have top grades so I'm trying to at least be on top of things but I have no idea how to be on top of this.

Thank you so much for your help!

Anonymous User
Posts: 428109
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Clerkship Timeline c/o 2023 + Off Plan Judges

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:58 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:28 pm
Hello! I am a 2L/class of 2023 and I'm so confused with the clerkship timeline because of on-plan/off-plan judges. I know we can't access Oscar until February but that also means I can't check Oscar to see if a judge is on plan or off plan. I know the conservative/fed soc judges move early and have already hired people for 2023-2024 but I'm really just wondering:

1. how do I know whether a judge is off plan?
2. should I be applying to those judges right now?

My clerkship office hasn't been overwhelming helpful despite being at a T14. I'm very interested in appellate practice but don't have top grades so I'm trying to at least be on top of things but I have no idea how to be on top of this.

Thank you so much for your help!
1. Join FedSoc and be active because judges occasionally contact chapters when they are hiring.
2. Create a fake OSCAR profile and check judges' listings. Judges that are off-plan will either not have an OSCAR page at all, or indicate they don't care how many years of grades students have.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428109
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Clerkship Timeline c/o 2023 + Off Plan Judges

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:36 pm

In general, Fed Soc-affiliated COA judges are likely to be off-plan, though that's not universal and you can generally apply to off-plan judges on the Plan, just for a further-out term. Liberal/moderate COA judges and all district judges are generally on-plan. Also try finding a 3L or two who will clerk on a COA who can help you.

Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Judicial Clerkships”