Penn Clerkship Discussion/Movement Forum

[Anonymous User]

It's refreshing to see middle-of-the-road voices here as opposed to the radical leftist law school echo chamber.

[Anonymous User]

It's refreshing to see middle-of-the-road voices here as opposed to the radical leftist law school echo chamber.

I’m left-of-center but even I’m unhappy with the excess of DEI in law school. It’s so beyond what I experienced in college at another elite school, but maybe it’s just a law school/firm thing that there’s always a diversity set-aside. I’d never share that opinion offline, though. I think a lot of liberals quietly agree.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think it's an issue of faculty not being connected as much as an issue of laziness and not caring about the students.

Fairfax was KBJ's roommate, but when asked by a student for advice on getting a clerkship with her, Fairfax demurred and said she didn't want to use favors or something to that effect.

This post reeks of entitlement.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think it's an issue of faculty not being connected as much as an issue of laziness and not caring about the students.

Fairfax was KBJ's roommate, but when asked by a student for advice on getting a clerkship with her, Fairfax demurred and said she didn't want to use favors or something to that effect.

This post reeks of entitlement.

Lol yeah. This is an absurd complaint. Profs should absolutely preserve their credibility with SCOTUS justices

[Anonymous User]

Maybe the student was just asking for advice on how to get hired by KBJ rather than "call her for me now and get me a SCOTUS clerkship lined up for 2025!"

[Anonymous User]

Maybe the student was just asking for advice on how to get hired by KBJ rather than "call her for me now and get me a SCOTUS clerkship lined up for 2025!"

Even that is inappropriate. Focus on getting good grades and maybe come back to Fairfax when you already have an elite circuit court clerkship. They’re close *personal* friends, it’s well within her right to refuse to sully that, especially before someone is a credible candidate. So entitled to call that “lazy.” The only scenario where I’d understand criticism is one where a student already had an interview with KBJ and Fairfax declined to speak with the student. Even then, I’d understand her desire to protect her personal friendships. This isn’t like Yoo or someone else who has *professional* connections to people in that world.

[Anonymous User]

What does Yoo do for applicants?

[Anonymous User]

What does Yoo do for applicants?

Very little

[Anonymous User]

What does Yoo do for applicants?

Previous poster here. He just comes to mind as someone who knows people around SCOTUS (worked with Roberts, etc).

[Anonymous User]

How does someone become a Littleton? Is it hard?

[Anonymous User]

I don't think it's an issue of faculty not being connected as much as an issue of laziness and not caring about the students.

Fairfax was KBJ's roommate, but when asked by a student for advice on getting a clerkship with her, Fairfax demurred and said she didn't want to use favors or something to that effect.

The faculty as a whole is objectively far less connected than most of the schools who clean up on clerkships. HYS and Chicago are leagues ahead. The absence of a high-end appellate clinic also really hurts the elite clerkship applicants from Penn. A Supreme Court clinic is something Penn should be prioritizing.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think it's an issue of faculty not being connected as much as an issue of laziness and not caring about the students.

Fairfax was KBJ's roommate, but when asked by a student for advice on getting a clerkship with her, Fairfax demurred and said she didn't want to use favors or something to that effect.

The faculty as a whole is objectively far less connected than most of the schools who clean up on clerkships. HYS and Chicago are leagues ahead. The absence of a high-end appellate clinic also really hurts the elite clerkship applicants from Penn. A Supreme Court clinic is something Penn should be prioritizing.

Harvard and Yale have the best students and Chicago is alone out of the top schools in not treating 6/9 of the justices like lepers and actually hires professors those justices trust.

Given that UPenn is absolutely not moving in a direction that would enable any type of feeding to them, they are always going to struggle, Supreme Court clinic or not.

[Anonymous User]

But is the faculty connected with anyone outside of CA3? It's the same issue with New York clerkships.

Imo, clerking should be a near-prereq for hiring. I don't get how the school is literally hiring non-lawyers to teach core classes over people with major clerkships on CA2/9/SDNY/ND Cal/EDVA/DDC/CADC who can help place students beyond EDPA and flyover districts.

[Anonymous User]

How does someone become a Littleton? Is it hard?

There's an application process in the beginning of the spring of your 2L year. IIRC, application consists of a writing sample (think motion for summary judgment) and an interview process. I think the vast majority of folks who apply get it.

[Anonymous User]

How does someone become a Littleton? Is it hard?

There's an application process in the beginning of the spring of your 2L year. IIRC, application consists of a writing sample (think motion for summary judgment) and an interview process. I think the vast majority of folks who apply get it.

Probably bad use of time if trying to optimize for clerkships. It’s ungraded and arguably more work than the credits indicate. Better to rack up A’s in doctrinals

[Anonymous User]

How does someone become a Littleton? Is it hard?

There's an application process in the beginning of the spring of your 2L year. IIRC, application consists of a writing sample (think motion for summary judgment) and an interview process. I think the vast majority of folks who apply get it.

Plenty of ‘24 students were rejected. Process seems random, though. You interview with LPS faculty and current Littletons.

[Anonymous User]

But is the faculty connected with anyone outside of CA3? It's the same issue with New York clerkships.

Imo, clerking should be a near-prereq for hiring. I don't get how the school is literally hiring non-lawyers to teach core classes over people with major clerkships on CA2/9/SDNY/ND Cal/EDVA/DDC/CADC who can help place students beyond EDPA and flyover districts.

True. Maybe I’m just old school but I hate that we have non-lawyers (and those who view law as their secondary terminal degree vs their PhD) teaching major classes.

[Anonymous User]

How does someone become a Littleton? Is it hard?

There's an application process in the beginning of the spring of your 2L year. IIRC, application consists of a writing sample (think motion for summary judgment) and an interview process. I think the vast majority of folks who apply get it.

Probably bad use of time if trying to optimize for clerkships. It’s ungraded and arguably more work than the credits indicate. Better to rack up A’s in doctrinals

Well known that it's just Jessica Simon's choice at the end of the day, and she just screens for LPS honors and general grades.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else disappointed about the fall class offerings? Fed courts hasn't been offered in two semesters now, and they only added one evidence section with a retired adjunct as an afterthought.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else disappointed about the fall class offerings? Fed courts hasn't been offered in two semesters now, and they only added one evidence section with a retired adjunct as an afterthought.

Consider corps and antitrust

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else disappointed about the fall class offerings? Fed courts hasn't been offered in two semesters now, and they only added one evidence section with a retired adjunct as an afterthought.

I’m still mad they have Amy Wax teach the only section of remedies

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else disappointed about the fall class offerings? Fed courts hasn't been offered in two semesters now, and they only added one evidence section with a retired adjunct as an afterthought.

I’m still mad they have Amy Wax teach the only section of remedies

And the curve is apparently brutal haha

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else disappointed about the fall class offerings? Fed courts hasn't been offered in two semesters now, and they only added one evidence section with a retired adjunct as an afterthought.

I’m still mad they have Amy Wax teach the only section of remedies

And the curve is apparently brutal haha

Wait seriously???

[Anonymous User]

What % of Penn students try to clerk? We have a large transactional contingency, so is it 20% of students gunning for it? Higher? Lower?

[Anonymous User]

How were Mayson and/or Ferzan for evidence last year