How many applications should I be submitting? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello-- I'm a first year biglaw associate, graduated from mid-T14, grades just above median. Non law review journal, moot court. I'm looking to clerk at the district level. How many applications should I be submitting? I'm interested in anywhere I have a friend or two, including W.Ky., M.D.N.C., D.N.J, E.D.N.Y., W.A.W. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Apply to any and all clerkships that you would conceivably take. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to have approximately 100 applications to judges across the country. If and when you get interviews, then you can decide whether to accept or decline the interview. But for the initial application phase I would apply very broadly and often with little to no selectivity.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks!

[jdoeman1234567]

Hello-- I'm a first year biglaw associate, graduated from mid-T14, grades just above median. Non law review journal, moot court. I'm looking to clerk at the district level. How many applications should I be submitting? I'm interested in anywhere I have a friend or two, including W.Ky., M.D.N.C., D.N.J, E.D.N.Y., W.A.W. Thanks!

I'd apply to several more districts than what you listed above. D.N.J and E.D.N.Y. are both very competitive. And I think people underestimate how much many district judges outside of major metropolitan areas value local connections. If you are from any of W.Ky., M.D.N.C., or W.A.W. I think you will be a pretty strong candidate in that district.

[Anonymous User]

Hello-- I'm a first year biglaw associate, graduated from mid-T14, grades just above median. Non law review journal, moot court. I'm looking to clerk at the district level. How many applications should I be submitting? I'm interested in anywhere I have a friend or two, including W.Ky., M.D.N.C., D.N.J, E.D.N.Y., W.A.W. Thanks!

I'd apply to several more districts than what you listed above. D.N.J and E.D.N.Y. are both very competitive. And I think people underestimate how much many district judges outside of major metropolitan areas value local connections. If you are from any of W.Ky., M.D.N.C., or W.A.W. I think you will be a pretty strong candidate in that district.

I'd extend that to any in your home state or state you're going to practice in. So E.D.Ky., W.D.N.C, E.D.N.C., and E. Wash. should be on the table too if you're tied to on of those states.

[Anonymous User]

Hundreds of applications is a safe number. For context, I sent out over 150 (twice!) to secure three COA interviews (slightly lower ranked school, but better class-rank and journal). With how competitive clerkships are, it seems increasingly hard to be geographically selective.

I would also not worry too much about judges wanting local ties. Some judges will certainly value them and will care that you enjoy your time clerking, but the worst that can happen is you apply and get rejected. Unless you have a clerkship office that can tell you categorically "Judge X won't look at you because you aren't from Y state," I would throw in an application. I got an offer from a judge in a flyover state that conventional wisdom would've said I needed local ties to secure (I had never even set foot in their state). Just my $0.02.

[Anonymous User]

Got it, thank you! I’ll apply as broadly as I can then. Just feeling discouraged since I have sent 20 with no reply but I guess I need to send a whole lot more.

[Anonymous User]

Got it, thank you! I’ll apply as broadly as I can then. Just feeling discouraged since I have sent 20 with no reply but I guess I need to send a whole lot more.

I hear ya. It is definitely disheartening. But you'll feel great once you start getting some bites. Don't be too discouraged.

[Anonymous User]

Got it, thank you! I’ll apply as broadly as I can then. Just feeling discouraged since I have sent 20 with no reply but I guess I need to send a whole lot more.

20 is not even close to enough. Like everyone says above, you'll want to emphasize any local ties you have. If you don't have any local ties other than a friend living in the area, you'll just have to spam apply to any judge you would even consider working for.

[Anonymous User]

Agreed 20 is not close enough. I'd send more than 100 apps in your position. Send an app to anyone whose offer you would accept.

[Anonymous User]

Got it, thank you! I’ll apply as broadly as I can then. Just feeling discouraged since I have sent 20 with no reply but I guess I need to send a whole lot more.

You should not be discouraged. Twenty is a very small number for anyone. I had stats that theoretically made me at least competitive on paper in pretty much every district. I applied pretty narrowly to a few relatively competitive districts (not SDNY, EDNY or DDC). I probably sent approximately 25 apps and I only ended up getting one district court interview. But I applied more broadly to COA spots and ended up with a COA clerkship. The process is very random.

[Anonymous User]

Got it, thank you! I’ll apply as broadly as I can then. Just feeling discouraged since I have sent 20 with no reply but I guess I need to send a whole lot more.

You should not be discouraged. Twenty is a very small number for anyone. I had stats that theoretically made me at least competitive on paper in pretty much every district. I applied pretty narrowly to a few relatively competitive districts (not SDNY, EDNY or DDC). I probably sent approximately 25 apps and I only ended up getting one district court interview. But I applied more broadly to COA spots and ended up with a COA clerkship. The process is very random.

As one random data point I was top 5% and FedSoc at a mid-T14 and sent about 60 COA applications to non-feeders, mostly to 2/9 and "interesting" cities in flyover states. That led to 4 interviews, 2 of which came many months after I submitted the applications.