How competitive am I/What Should I do? Forum

[thegamer123]

Hi all,

I would like some advice regarding clerkship applications. Currently, I have an interview w a judge from EDPA. I would be honored to clerk for the judge. I have an associate position at a litigation focused V10 in Cali.. For that reason, a clerkship would be valuable for me. However, I believe a clerkship from EDCA, NDCA, CDCA, or SDCA would be better professionally and personally for me than a clerkship from the EDPA. So my question is, should I turn down the interview for 2024-2025 clerkship and apply for California clerkship positions for 2025-2026? Theoretically, I could do both but I would rather not do 2 district judge clerkships. In an ideal world, I would clerk for a judge in the NDCA, but I probably am not competitive. Would love general advice and an assessment of how competitive I am for NDCA, CDCA, EDCA, SDCA.

My general stats:
3L from Penn
No real special W.E., (assume KJD as it gets)
No patent experience (as I have heard that may be important for NDCA)
Expected to graduate 3.77-3.82 (either magna or right outside)
Have taken all the core clerkship classes, schedule is generally hard
Secondary journal

[Anonymous User]

Hi all,

I would like some advice regarding clerkship applications. Currently, I have an interview w a judge from EDPA. I would be honored to clerk for the judge. I have an associate position at a litigation focused V10 in Cali.. For that reason, a clerkship would be valuable for me. However, I believe a clerkship from EDCA, NDCA, CDCA, or SDCA would be better professionally and personally for me than a clerkship from the EDPA. So my question is, should I turn down the interview for 2024-2025 clerkship and apply for California clerkship positions for 2025-2026? Theoretically, I could do both but I would rather not do 2 district judge clerkships. In an ideal world, I would clerk for a judge in the NDCA, but I probably am not competitive. Would love general advice and an assessment of how competitive I am for NDCA, CDCA, EDCA, SDCA.

My general stats:
3L from Penn
No real special W.E., (assume KJD as it gets)
No patent experience (as I have heard that may be important for NDCA)
Expected to graduate 3.77-3.82 (either magna or right outside)
Have taken all the core clerkship classes, schedule is generally hard
Secondary journal

3L escapes from the Pennitentiary and immediately posts two "chance me" threads...

[Anonymous User]

I don't think you're competitive for California clerkships with those numbers from Penn. I'd take EDPA if you get it.

A California federal district clerkship from Penn is really tough to get for multiple reasons. Probably takes a 3.85 or higher. EDPA is far more fruitful.

[Anonymous User]

It's too risky to turn down the EDPA interview. Don't cancel it.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think you're competitive for California clerkships with those numbers from Penn. I'd take EDPA if you get it.

A California federal district clerkship from Penn is really tough to get for multiple reasons. Probably takes a 3.85 or higher. EDPA is far more fruitful.

Eh. The students who clerk in CA don’t have that high of grades. Most just don’t clerk immediately postgrad.