Chances of clerking Forum

[Anonymous User]

Around top 20% after 1L at one of CLS/NYU, if I stay in this range and am geographically flexible what are my odds of being able to clerk in a flyover district postgrad in 2024?

[Anonymous User]

If you don’t have ties to the areas you are targeting, Fed Soc, URM, or some other plus beyond grades and school, still not great unless you raise your grades.

[Anonymous User]

Around top 20% after 1L at one of CLS/NYU, if I stay in this range and am geographically flexible what are my odds of being able to clerk in a flyover district postgrad in 2024?

Good if you are actually geographically flexible and leverage local ties. People exaggerate the grades needed to be a competitive clerkship applicant from the top schools. A lot of judges just want solid grades from a good school and a person that will be enjoyable to work with for a year. Ballpark top 1/3 from Columbia/NYU is going to be competitive for many districts. Sure, you probably aren’t getting SDNY or EDNY but you are competitive for like D. Conn or D.N.J. The main thing working against you is that many district judges now prefer some work experience. COA will be a stretch but it’s absolutely still worth applying for those. You also could be in the 10-15% range after 2L if you keep grinding.

[Anonymous User]

I'm from NYU and chances are good especially after having a few years of work experience. You're prob not gonna get SDNY/EDNY though absent URM or Fed Soc

[Anonymous User]

How do you clerk a few years out? Do you apply on plan or once you're at your firm? Don't judges in NYC hire several years out?

[jotarokujo]

If you don’t have ties to the areas you are targeting, Fed Soc, URM, or some other plus beyond grades and school, still not great unless you raise your grades.

second this. work experience increases your chances though

[Anonymous User]

Around top 20% after 1L at one of CLS/NYU, if I stay in this range and am geographically flexible what are my odds of being able to clerk in a flyover district postgrad in 2024?

It really depends on your academic performance. If you stay in the top 20% of your class at CLS/NYU, you stand a good chance of being able to clerk in a flyover district postgrad in 2024. However, it also depends on a variety of other factors such as your connections and networking abilities. I would suggest reaching out to your school's career services office to get more information on the process and how to increase your chances.

[Anonymous User]

How do you clerk a few years out? Do you apply on plan or once you're at your firm? Don't judges in NYC hire several years out?

Yeah apply as a 3L or once you're at a firm. And yes NYC judges hire a few years out. So there is like a year or two of assumed work experience, but if you're a 3L or a current associate and will have 3-4 years of work experience before you start that can help you stand out for a lot of judges.

[Anonymous User]

I graduated with a 3.55 GPA at Columbia, so that's roughly Top 30% from my estimate. I also had law review. I applied to probably like 90ish clerkships around the country. I received interview offers for district court judges in EDPA, ND Ohio, DDC, and EDNY, a 10th Circuit judge, and a few state supreme court justices. So, you absolutely have a chance at clerking.

[Anonymous User]

I graduated with a 3.55 GPA at Columbia, so that's roughly Top 30% from my estimate. I also had law review. I applied to probably like 90ish clerkships around the country. I received interview offers for district court judges in EDPA, ND Ohio, DDC, and EDNY, a 10th Circuit judge, and a few state supreme court justices. So, you absolutely have a chance at clerking.

If this was during your 2L summer I think this speaks more towards you having a stellar application/other factors than OP's chances in particular. Congrats, though, those are incredible results.

[Anonymous User]

I graduated with a 3.55 GPA at Columbia, so that's roughly Top 30% from my estimate. I also had law review. I applied to probably like 90ish clerkships around the country. I received interview offers for district court judges in EDPA, ND Ohio, DDC, and EDNY, a 10th Circuit judge, and a few state supreme court justices. So, you absolutely have a chance at clerking.

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

[Anonymous User]

I graduated with a 3.55 GPA at Columbia, so that's roughly Top 30% from my estimate. I also had law review. I applied to probably like 90ish clerkships around the country. I received interview offers for district court judges in EDPA, ND Ohio, DDC, and EDNY, a 10th Circuit judge, and a few state supreme court justices. So, you absolutely have a chance at clerking.

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

Is there a Fed Soc bump for District Judges? I don't know much about DDC, but I always assumed jurisprudence/ideology is less important at the trial court level.

[Anonymous User]

I graduated with a 3.55 GPA at Columbia, so that's roughly Top 30% from my estimate. I also had law review. I applied to probably like 90ish clerkships around the country. I received interview offers for district court judges in EDPA, ND Ohio, DDC, and EDNY, a 10th Circuit judge, and a few state supreme court justices. So, you absolutely have a chance at clerking.

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

Is there a Fed Soc bump for District Judges? I don't know much about DDC, but I always assumed jurisprudence/ideology is less important at the trial court level.

Random flyover district court? Eh, maybe, but not so much. Friedrich or Nichols on DDC? Yeah, they are only hiring fedsoc lol

[Anonymous User]

If this was during your 2L summer I think this speaks more towards you having a stellar application/other factors than OP's chances in particular. Congrats, though, those are incredible results.

Nope, I applied the first year after I graduated law school. I had been working at a pretty prestigious public interest org at that time, though. And I had a few decently placed law review publications. Those were probably the only additional bonuses on my application (plus local ties with one of the judges).

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

No FedSoc. The DDC one was a bit unique admittedly because the judge was involved with the advisory committees on federal rules. The judge wanted a clerk to specifically help him with tasks related to those committees and was looking for someone whose ultimate goal was legal academia (which is mine). I didn't get to interview for it though because I'd already accepted a clerkship for that term; was kinda bummed about it.

I don't have any stellar advice, to be honest. Apply broadly. Really focus on having an excellent writing sample (having evaluated applications now, you'd be surprised how terrible some samples can be from otherwise good applicants). Pick recommenders who can write specifics about you. Having a personal narrative can also help. For instance, I was clearly focused on public interest work and academia, and so I got picked up by judges with similar backgrounds/interests. Come across as a pleasant person in your interests section and interviews, as there's many applicants who just come across as weirdos IRL unfortunately. And don't waste time on tailoring your cover letters unless you have local ties.

[Anonymous User]

If this was during your 2L summer I think this speaks more towards you having a stellar application/other factors than OP's chances in particular. Congrats, though, those are incredible results.

Nope, I applied the first year after I graduated law school. I had been working at a pretty prestigious public interest org at that time, though. And I had a few decently placed law review publications. Those were probably the only additional bonuses on my application (plus local ties with one of the judges).

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

No FedSoc. The DDC one was a bit unique admittedly because the judge was involved with the advisory committees on federal rules. The judge wanted a clerk to specifically help him with tasks related to those committees and was looking for someone whose ultimate goal was legal academia (which is mine). I didn't get to interview for it though because I'd already accepted a clerkship for that term; was kinda bummed about it.

I don't have any stellar advice, to be honest. Apply broadly. Really focus on having an excellent writing sample (having evaluated applications now, you'd be surprised how terrible some samples can be from otherwise good applicants). Pick recommenders who can write specifics about you. Having a personal narrative can also help. For instance, I was clearly focused on public interest work and academia, and so I got picked up by judges with similar backgrounds/interests. Come across as a pleasant person in your interests section and interviews, as there's many applicants who just come across as weirdos IRL unfortunately. And don't waste time on tailoring your cover letters unless you have local ties.

No need to be humble hahahaha. Well placed publications + T6 + a desirable niche for many judges (elite PI) is an incredible candidate

[Anonymous User]

If this was during your 2L summer I think this speaks more towards you having a stellar application/other factors than OP's chances in particular. Congrats, though, those are incredible results.

Nope, I applied the first year after I graduated law school. I had been working at a pretty prestigious public interest org at that time, though. And I had a few decently placed law review publications. Those were probably the only additional bonuses on my application (plus local ties with one of the judges).

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

No FedSoc. The DDC one was a bit unique admittedly because the judge was involved with the advisory committees on federal rules. The judge wanted a clerk to specifically help him with tasks related to those committees and was looking for someone whose ultimate goal was legal academia (which is mine). I didn't get to interview for it though because I'd already accepted a clerkship for that term; was kinda bummed about it.

I don't have any stellar advice, to be honest. Apply broadly. Really focus on having an excellent writing sample (having evaluated applications now, you'd be surprised how terrible some samples can be from otherwise good applicants). Pick recommenders who can write specifics about you. Having a personal narrative can also help. For instance, I was clearly focused on public interest work and academia, and so I got picked up by judges with similar backgrounds/interests. Come across as a pleasant person in your interests section and interviews, as there's many applicants who just come across as weirdos IRL unfortunately. And don't waste time on tailoring your cover letters unless you have local ties.

No need to be humble hahahaha. Well placed publications + T6 + a desirable niche for many judges (elite PI) is an incredible candidate

Yeah, agreed you're quite a great candidate, don't sell yourself short.

[Anonymous User]

If this was during your 2L summer I think this speaks more towards you having a stellar application/other factors than OP's chances in particular. Congrats, though, those are incredible results.

Nope, I applied the first year after I graduated law school. I had been working at a pretty prestigious public interest org at that time, though. And I had a few decently placed law review publications. Those were probably the only additional bonuses on my application (plus local ties with one of the judges).

DDC with those stats is impressive. Any advice for current students? (Also, fedsoc?)

No FedSoc. The DDC one was a bit unique admittedly because the judge was involved with the advisory committees on federal rules. The judge wanted a clerk to specifically help him with tasks related to those committees and was looking for someone whose ultimate goal was legal academia (which is mine). I didn't get to interview for it though because I'd already accepted a clerkship for that term; was kinda bummed about it.

I don't have any stellar advice, to be honest. Apply broadly. Really focus on having an excellent writing sample (having evaluated applications now, you'd be surprised how terrible some samples can be from otherwise good applicants). Pick recommenders who can write specifics about you. Having a personal narrative can also help. For instance, I was clearly focused on public interest work and academia, and so I got picked up by judges with similar backgrounds/interests. Come across as a pleasant person in your interests section and interviews, as there's many applicants who just come across as weirdos IRL unfortunately. And don't waste time on tailoring your cover letters unless you have local ties.

No need to be humble hahahaha. Well placed publications + T6 + a desirable niche for many judges (elite PI) is an incredible candidate

Yeah, agreed you're quite a great candidate, don't sell yourself short.

OP who asked about fedsoc, law review publications are definitely an impressive plus on their own!