Does the judge call to reject? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Had an interview recently and was just wondering if the judge ever calls to reject you? I've only ever received letters rejecting me or been ghosted. I know the judge will call to extend an offer, but do they ever call to reject you?

[lavarman84]

Usually no. But it did happen to me once.

[Anonymous User]

When Sotomayor was a Second Circuit judge she would call people she interviewed and then rejected and be really encouraging and nice and giving them advice and just telling them to please not take this personally. No idea if she still does this as a Justice. Regardless, it speaks really highly of her character that she would take the time to do this and make those difficult calls.

[Anonymous User]

I've never heard of getting a reject call after an interview. It's always an email or letter.

[Anonymous User]

A district judge's career clerk called to reject me post-interview when I was applying to district court clerkships in 2017. It's obviously a huge emotional roller coaster.

[Anonymous User]

A judge once called me to reject me. I would have preferred to just get an email, it was very awk.

[Pneumonia]

Yes, some judges do call to reject. It isn’t the norm, but it does happen.

It is a dumb practice. The emotional whiplash from hearing “Hi, this is Judge so-and-so” to “unfortunately…” makes it impossible to actually hear and internalize whatever career advice or personal encouragement the judge thinks they’re giving.

[Anonymous User]

My judge had the career clerk call and shot down people he interviewed but didn't go with.

[Anonymous User]

Happened to me twice. Once the judge left a voicemail and had me call him back to find out I didn't get hired. It was a nice call but still intense whiplash there.

[Anonymous User]

A district judge's career clerk called to reject me post-interview when I was applying to district court clerkships in 2017. It's obviously a huge emotional roller coaster.

Yeah, when I was a law student on the west coast, some idiot on the east coast who was a law clerk for a judge I had applied to called me at 6am. I didn't pick up so I received an obnoxiously impersonal rejection voicemail from a law clerk who doesn't know about America's time zones.