Let's Talk 9th Circuit! Forum

[pertristis]

Not exactly 9th Circuit, but does anyone know Judge Whyte's (NDCA) hiring practices?

edit: spelling

He hires pretty close to the actual date on which he needs to fill the seat, generally 4-6 months beforehand. At least one clerk is always a patent person, generally with a Fed. Cir. clerkship (either coming off of one or going to one next), but sometimes both clerks are patent people. He also has a JA, so there are just two term clerks and no admin or career clerk (I think he's the only one in San Jose with a JA, and one of the only ones in all of N.D. Cal.).

He's a wonderful judge though, and his clerks absolutely love him.

If you don't mind, could you PM me?

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

Judge Chhabria seems incredible. Clearly brilliant, but very laid back.

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

Judge Chhabria seems incredible. Clearly brilliant, but very laid back.

Seconded on Chhabria -- all good things. Donato not so much.

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

Alternatively, anything about Gilliam?

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

Alternatively, anything about Gilliam?

Gilliam's two current clerks came from his law firm. I don't know anything about his personality etc. Does anyone know anything about Freeman?

[Anonymous User]

Seconded on Chhabria -- all good things. Donato not so much.

Heard the same about Donato, and similarly Tigar. Neither are apparently very pleasant. Chhabria and Freeman seem much better among the new appointees.

[Anonymous User]

Is Chhabria still hiring for 2016? Full? Anyone know?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about Murguia? (i.e. hiring positions right now, or otherwise). Haven't been able to find much on her on here (no search hits on her in this forum) or elsewhere. I'm someone who is hoping for DOJ/BigFed and wondering if this would be a good target. Haven't been able to find many former clerks.

[Anonymous User]

Another NDCA question, does anyone know anything about the relatively new judges (Donato, Freeman, and Chhabria)? I'd appreciate any information on them.

Alternatively, anything about Gilliam?

Gilliam's two current clerks came from his law firm. I don't know anything about his personality etc. Does anyone know anything about Freeman?

My friend and I both applied to Gilliam for 2015. He (but not me) got an interview but hasn't heard back yet. Anyone know someone who picked up on of the spots or not yet? I just really want NDCA. so these posts on this topic are good information.

[Anonymous User]

Gilliam's Oscar says he "strongly prefers" prior work experience and I've heard that from other sources. He has seemed like a great guy every time I've met him but I can't say more than that.

[Anonymous User]

Nvm

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about Murguia? (i.e. hiring positions right now, or otherwise). Haven't been able to find much on her on here (no search hits on her in this forum) or elsewhere. I'm someone who is hoping for DOJ/BigFed and wondering if this would be a good target. Haven't been able to find many former clerks.

My friend is clerking for her right now. But he was the valedictorian of our class.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about Murguia? (i.e. hiring positions right now, or otherwise). Haven't been able to find much on her on here (no search hits on her in this forum) or elsewhere. I'm someone who is hoping for DOJ/BigFed and wondering if this would be a good target. Haven't been able to find many former clerks.

My friend is clerking for her right now. But he was the valedictorian of our class.

Well I'm certainly not valedictorian. But still would be competitive. Has he said anything about the experience or his prospects after? Thank you.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about Judge Rawlinson in Las Vegas? Someone from my school clerked for her a couple of years ago and quick Google search shows that her clerks are all over the board w/r/t schools and preftige.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any insight into Wallace aside from the bit posted earlier in the thread?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Graber?

[Anonymous User]

Piggybacking also to see if anyone knows about Tallman hiring practices.

[bruinfan10]

also how long have you been waiting (you didn't say)? Plus #4 at GULC is different from #4 Harvard in a significant way when talking about competitive 9th circuit judges, so that's another unknown factor.

Since October, updated with Fall grades a few weeks ago. #4 MVPDNC.
Also to poster above, I definitely know clerkships are a tough, competitive process and I will chock this up to me being overly-anxious (and certainly applying so geographically narrow is a huge part of the problem).

I am still curious, however, if there have been waves of interviews I am just missing or if pretty much everyone is sitting around waiting.

Are you like SF or bust? Seems like 18 apps is a low number even if you have your heart set on CA.

Hmm, really? Recounting now I have applied to 22 judges. I've applied to every Dist/Circuit judge in CA that I have either: A) Seen are accepting apps on Oscar, or B) been told to mail by people who know they are accepting applicants.
Is randomly mass-mailing judges that haven't said they are open on Oscar yet a thing?

Is your app just about strong grades, or are you law review ed board and published, with moot court wins, strong recs from being something like a research assistant to a nationally known professor, ties to CA, etc? Are your best recommenders calling chambers for you and/or acquainted with any of the 20 judges on your list?

I can check off all those boxes, and I had to get a non-9th Cir. CoA clerkship before I finally landed my job for an SF judge. We tossed "one trick pony" strong grade apps from T6/T3 schools all the time in my CoA chambers, and we're middle of the pack in terms of selectivity--9th Circuit (especially SF) is top of the selectivity list. Unless you're approaching a feeder level candidacy, you're crazy to think you're *likely* to get a California AIII clerkship. Sure, E.D. Cal is somewhat less selective than the other CA districts, but the catch is that a number of E.D. Cal judges only hire alums. Even strong Stanford candidates strike out from time to time.

Also, where are you getting your clerkship advice--blindly following OSCAR is a terrible idea re: when you should send apps. I called every chambers I applied to, and the answers I got contradicted OSCAR postings more often than not (I used a google voice number in case anyone got mad--no one did--but it's worth checking if the OSCAR posting specifically says "don't call chambers"). Call around 10 AM chambers time, ask for the JA, and ask if they're accepting applications. I hope to god you didn't go to my school because if you did, the clerkship advising seems to have gotten even worse than when I was there...you gotta hustle for this stuff amigo.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Graber?

Graber is interviewing this week.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Graber?

Graber is interviewing this week.

And has completed hiring.

[Anonymous User]

Unless you're approaching a feeder level candidacy, you're crazy to think you're *likely* to get a California AIII clerkship. Sure, E.D. Cal is somewhat less selective than the other CA districts, but the catch is that a number of E.D. Cal judges only hire alums.

Former EDCA clerk/friend of a number of present EDCA clerks. I can confirm. With the exception of one DJ (who generally follows the T14/coif/LR/shiny resume clerk hiring process), EDCA judges want people who can hit the ground running and don't need hand-holding because it's a very impacted district. Most of the judges (DJs and MJs) hire long-term/career clerks and I think the overwhelming majority of them hire alumni only.

[Anonymous User]

Also a recent former EDCA clerk. Lots of the EDCA judges hire people straight out of law school. One only hires straight out law school (this judge is probably the one you are referring to who wants people with shiny resumes, although I can think of two or three judges in that building who principally hire people from elite schools with good grades). More of the clerks I interacted with were in their first year out or were hired in their first year out (but were in the second year of a 2-year clerkship) than not. This was in the Sacramento division - the Fresno judges are pretty much alumni-only I think.

[dingus]

What does TLS know about Owens and his clerk hiring practices?

[Sls17]

Bumping this. Applying 9th Circuit. Ready to go now but might be too late. Who's still hiring?