District AND State Supreme Court for Fifth Circuit? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Clerking for one of the district courts of Texas after graduating in 2023. Noticed a lot of the Fifth Circuit Judges are not hiring until 2025. Do you think it is worth it to apply for Texas state supreme and Alabama state supreme for 2024 with the goal of maybe boosting a 2025 circuit app, or is that overkill? Have a standing offer to return to a firm in New York after my district court clerkship but I'd rather not work in NY market. So, part of this too is me not wanting to go Texas --> New York --> Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama

As a side note, I left off Lousiana state supreme court because I assume they may require special Lousiana ties or knowledge given the weirdness of that jurisdiction, but maybe I'm wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Clerking for one of the district courts of Texas after graduating in 2023. Noticed a lot of the Fifth Circuit Judges are not hiring until 2025. Do you think it is worth it to apply for Texas state supreme and Alabama state supreme for 2024 with the goal of maybe boosting a 2025 circuit app, or is that overkill? Have a standing offer to return to a firm in New York after my district court clerkship but I'd rather not work in NY market. So, part of this too is me not wanting to go Texas --> New York --> Texas/Louisiana/Alabama.

As a side note, I left off Lousiana state supreme court because I assume they may require special Lousiana ties or knowledge given the weirdness of that jurisdiction, but maybe I'm wrong.

It will definitely boost your chances depending on the SSC judge you clerk for. Pay attention closely to where a specific judge's clerks clerk next (or have clerked before). Compare Blacklock/Hecht/Busby/Young on SCOTX or Mitchell on Alabama Supreme Court. Even the types of firms the clerks are at can be a fair gauge, in many cases.

[Anonymous User]

Clerking for one of the district courts of Texas after graduating in 2023. Noticed a lot of the Fifth Circuit Judges are not hiring until 2025. Do you think it is worth it to apply for Texas state supreme and Alabama state supreme for 2024 with the goal of maybe boosting a 2025 circuit app, or is that overkill? Have a standing offer to return to a firm in New York after my district court clerkship but I'd rather not work in NY market. So, part of this too is me not wanting to go Texas --> New York --> Texas/Louisiana/Alabama.

As a side note, I left off Lousiana state supreme court because I assume they may require special Lousiana ties or knowledge given the weirdness of that jurisdiction, but maybe I'm wrong.

It will definitely boost your chances depending on the SSC judge you clerk for. Pay attention closely to where a specific judge's clerks clerk next (or have clerked before). Compare Blacklock/Hecht/Busby/Young on SCOTX or Mitchell on Alabama Supreme Court. Even the types of firms the clerks are at can be a fair gauge, in many cases.

To clarify, I take it that the listed Justices by name here are like "better" and/or more connected than the ones not listed; but you are not necessarily saying those are the only ones that would give a boost right?

[Anonymous User]

Clerking for one of the district courts of Texas after graduating in 2023. Noticed a lot of the Fifth Circuit Judges are not hiring until 2025. Do you think it is worth it to apply for Texas state supreme and Alabama state supreme for 2024 with the goal of maybe boosting a 2025 circuit app, or is that overkill? Have a standing offer to return to a firm in New York after my district court clerkship but I'd rather not work in NY market. So, part of this too is me not wanting to go Texas --> New York --> Texas/Louisiana/Alabama.

As a side note, I left off Lousiana state supreme court because I assume they may require special Lousiana ties or knowledge given the weirdness of that jurisdiction, but maybe I'm wrong.

It will definitely boost your chances depending on the SSC judge you clerk for. Pay attention closely to where a specific judge's clerks clerk next (or have clerked before). Compare Blacklock/Hecht/Busby/Young on SCOTX or Mitchell on Alabama Supreme Court. Even the types of firms the clerks are at can be a fair gauge, in many cases.

To clarify, I take it that the listed Justices by name here are like "better" and/or more connected than the ones not listed; but you are not necessarily saying those are the only ones that would give a boost right?

I think that's right. I know Boyd and Devine have sent clerks onto circuit clerkships from SCOTX, and perhaps others have too. But the initially named justices will likely give bigger boosts. It's unclear to me why; maybe they train better, maybe philosophy overlaps with CA5 more, maybe they hire more-credentialed clerks to begin with. I think connections among the justices will all likely be the same. They are all state-wide elected politicans. Although some may have special connections to certain CA5 judges for whatever reason.

I think the clerkship as a whole will help, and a certain judge may add additional help with certain judges or courts. Like, I doubt the SCOTX justices will really give a large boost with MS CA5 judges. But I don't think they will hurt either.

[Pneumonia]

For improving your CA5 odds, SCOTX is worth it if you can get it, but the other two probably aren't. Mitchell's circuit clerks were all reverse feeds (i.e., he hired clerks who had already line up Pryor and/or SCOTUS). Any SCOTX clerkship will improve your chances at landing CA5. Some will do so more than others, though. But at SCOTX, too, it can be hard to discern signals since many of the Young-->CA5 or Blacklock--> CA5 clerks were reverse feeds. Justices Young, Blacklock, and Boyd are all aggressive mentors who will work hard to place you on CA5 if they know that's something you want. Busby and Bland too. The others are less likely to provide a boost.

In other words, given your timing, the more likely scenario is that you would land CA5 and THEN land SCOTX to fill the gap year. By the time you land a SCOTX spot organically (i.e., not as a reverse feed), many CA5 judges will be hiring for 2026.

[Anonymous User]

For improving your CA5 odds, SCOTX is worth it if you can get it, but the other two probably aren't. Mitchell's circuit clerks were all reverse feeds (i.e., he hired clerks who had already line up Pryor and/or SCOTUS). Any SCOTX clerkship will improve your chances at landing CA5. Some will do so more than others, though. But at SCOTX, too, it can be hard to discern signals since many of the Young-->CA5 or Blacklock--> CA5 clerks were reverse feeds. Justices Young, Blacklock, and Boyd are all aggressive mentors who will work hard to place you on CA5 if they know that's something you want. Busby and Bland too. The others are less likely to provide a boost.

In other words, given your timing, the more likely scenario is that you would land CA5 and THEN land SCOTX to fill the gap year. By the time you land a SCOTX spot organically (i.e., not as a reverse feed), many CA5 judges will be hiring for 2026.

Ah I see. I guess the hope then would be with a SCOTX + Texas district under my belt I'd be able to land some sort of biglaw position in Texas to fill that gap instead of going to New York.

I notice the names Blacklock/Hecht/Busby/Young/Boyd/Bland going around. I take it though that Huddle/Lehrmann/Devine will also provide some sort of a boost. Looking at all the SCOTX bios they all seem pretty impressive, smart people.