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Hi all, quick question. I’m a 3L who has a dct clerkship lined up for after graduation—when should I plan on putting in COA applications for subsequent years? One of my recommenders is insisting that we move now, and others are more wary. Do people have a sense of when 3Ls and alums normally apply? Thanks.

Probably now tbh, but I'd talk to your clerkship committee/office if they're competent, and if not your most plugged-in prof

didn't the plan kick off several months ago?

Re the plan kicking off--I don't believe that 3Ls are on the plan, and it seems judges don't really start caring about applications until earliest January, but I, like op, am curious to know what the best time to apply would be.

Now would be the best time, and tomorrow would be the second-best time, unless you're a HYS magna, in which case you might have the luxury of time.

Original OP here. Don't know if the last post was meant to be facetious, but I am indeed a HYS magna (or its equivalent). Don't know if that changes the timing element at all.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:39 am

Re the plan kicking off--I don't believe that 3Ls are on the plan, and it seems judges don't really start caring about applications until earliest January, but I, like op, am curious to know what the best time to apply would be.

sorry, what I meant was - the plan kicked off for *rising* 3Ls in July or w/e, right? OP is a 3L now, going into his/her final semester. so the ideal time for him/her to apply was 6 mo's ago, no? that's when on-plan judges were kicking off interviews and OP's peers were interviewing

OP, assuming I am correct (which I'm pretty sure I am) - you can/should apply now but a lot of stuff will have filled, so keep checking OSCAR etc and know that you may have to be patient for on-plan folks, since the "season" has sort of come and gone; next big batch would be spring/summer 2022

for off-plan judges, it's sort of a free for all and FedSoc would know best for conservatives, but I assume an HYS FedSoc person would be clued into those

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:53 am

Original OP here. Don't know if the last post was meant to be facetious, but I am indeed a HYS magna (or its equivalent). Don't know if that changes the timing element at all.

In that case, apply as soon as you can, but a 3L anywhere else would be running behind schedule if they applied today.

Original OP here. Sorry, I should have been more clarificatory. I'm a 3L who did submit applications in the summer, have a DCT clerkship, but struck out with COAs with 3-4 interviews (very good ones that I would have happily accepted). Applying for the second round again, so wondering what the best time is to apply for this second round of applications.