Clerkships Forum

[Anon2008]

I was recently told by a rising 3L that the hunt for the most elite clerkships starts right after 1L and that judges, particularly the SCOTUS, have hired up to 2 years ahead. Is this accurate?

[maximator]

Yes, some judges have hired up to two years in advance.

The thing about elite clerkships being filled after 1L isn't right IMO. I think there are a very few judges (I think Kozinski for example) that do hire right after 1L, but this is not the norm. Most probably aren't going to be looking to hire until spring semester of 2L at the earliest. And truly, most aren't going to be looking for law students at all - clerkship hiring is becoming increasingly alum focused.

[ndirish2010]

You're on the wrong forum.

Some judges (Easterbrook, for example) have certain profs at certain schools that basically choose their clerks, and this can be done during 1L year, but the hiring doesn't happen until later. And yeah, a lot of feeders, especially on DC Cir, don't even hire law students.

[A. Nony Mouse]

SCOTUS doesn't hire students straight out of school, you have to have done a high-level federal court of appeals clerkship first. Although they and other elite judges do hire as much as 2 years ahead (that is, there are judges who are now hiring for 2015-16 because they've already hired for 2014-15). If you search the blog Above the Law for supreme court clerk stuff, they always track who gets these jobs and that will tell you more about what their backgrounds/timeline look like. (This matters only to a VERY VERY small, elite group of people.)

Pre-law clerk hiring plan, you did get to a point where judges were hiring candidates right after 1L. The law clerk hiring plan was intended to eliminate this practice. Now that the plan has been pushed back/is falling apart, I think we're getting closer to this, but I agree that in most cases hiring won't happen before 2L first semester grades are out.

(Also, if the OP is an 0L, this is the appropriate forum.)

[thsmthcrmnl]

SCOTUS doesn't hire people for right after school, but it does sometimes hire people who are still in school.