Let's Talk 9th Circuit! Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about what Wardlaw is like to work for?

[ph14]

2013 HYS grad and current district court clerk. Going to a firm after finishing the clerkship this summer. Potentially interested in clerking on the 9th in 2016-17 (to make sure I do my one full year for resume/bonus purposes). When should I start sending applications out if I decide to go this route?

Which judges are you targeting? I've heard of Kozinski and Watford hiring early (fall), so you would want your apps in to them this fall. Other judges you might have a little longer. I would ideally get my apps in early, as a lot of hiring is Jan. and Feb. nowadays. So I would try and submit by Dec. 2014 or Jan. 2015, if possible. Maybe even earlier since you're an alumni applicant.

Disclaimer: 3L.

[Anonymous User]

2013 HYS grad and current district court clerk. Going to a firm after finishing the clerkship this summer. Potentially interested in clerking on the 9th in 2016-17 (to make sure I do my one full year for resume/bonus purposes). When should I start sending applications out if I decide to go this route?

Which judges are you targeting? I've heard of Kozinski and Watford hiring early (fall), so you would want your apps in to them this fall. Other judges you might have a little longer. I would ideally get my apps in early, as a lot of hiring is Jan. and Feb. nowadays. So I would try and submit by Dec. 2014 or Jan. 2015, if possible. Maybe even earlier since you're an alumni applicant.

Disclaimer: 3L.

Watford has already hired at least one for 2016-17.

[Anonymous User]

Any info on Judge Christen up in Alaska? OSCAR says she has two positions available for '15 but that was last updated at the end of January.

[Anonymous User]

Don't think she's full yet, but heard Christen is currently interviewing for those last spots.

[Anonymous User]

Any info on Judge Christen up in Alaska? OSCAR says she has two positions available for '15 but that was last updated at the end of January.

All I know is that she seems awesome.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if Friedland has finished interviewing for 2015 yet? Or if she's begun to extend offers?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if Friedland has finished interviewing for 2015 yet? Or if she's begun to extend offers?

Don't know if she has finished hiring, but she's definitely filled some 2015 slots.

[Anonymous User]

Don't know if she has finished hiring, but she's definitely filled some 2015 slots.

Source?

[Anonymous User]

Don't know if she has finished hiring, but she's definitely filled some 2015 slots.

Source?

Can't say. But I know this with certainty.

[Anonymous User]

Don't know if she has finished hiring, but she's definitely filled some 2015 slots.

Source?

Can't say. But I know this with certainty.

Can confirm she has hired but, as of several days ago, was not full.

[Anonymous User]

Any tips for the general timeline to apply for 2016-2017? Which 9th Circuit judges hire before 2L Fall grades?

Rising 2L here. Thanks.

[ph14]

Any tips for the general timeline to apply for 2016-2017? Which 9th Circuit judges hire before 2L Fall grades?

Rising 2L here. Thanks.

Judge Kozinski and Judge Watford are both early movers. Probably more too.

[Anonymous User]

I would apply in the fall for Watford, generally. But I think that many of Watford's past clerks did not start straight out of law school. Then again, past Watford clerks comprise a fairly small sample, and who knows if Watford's hiring mentality will change.

Kozinski is not just an early mover. He is an any time mover. He will hire whenever he pleases, if the candidate is right. So it's not about applying by a certain point in the year. It's about applying as soon as your application is in its best possible shape. But I think there's a much greater advantage to waiting until your application is in its best possible shape than submitting your application as early as possible, if that makes sense.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard of any movement from Judge Clifton?

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have insights regarding Judge McKeown's hiring practices? Or whether she is a pleasant boss?

I have an app in and am wondering if it is worth asking one of my recommenders to make a call. (T10 (top 25%), v5 work experience, Dist Ct clerkship)

[Doorkeeper]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

You have to define what you mean by "grade/prestige conscious". For example, there are definitely judges on the 9th Cir. who take people who are in the top 30% of Harvard, but not the top 10% at Harvard. Your school should be able to break down which judges fall into which category.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

You have to define what you mean by "grade/prestige conscious". For example, there are definitely judges on the 9th Cir. who take people who are in the top 30% of Harvard, but not the top 10% at Harvard. Your school should be able to break down which judges fall into which category.

Also post your school and grades (you're anonymous), if you want some meaningful advice.

[rpupkin]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

I'm not sure how the conventional wisdom developed that the Ninth Circuit was especially grades/prestige conscious. The feeders, of course, have high hiring standards, but that's true of the feeders in the other circuits as well. And San Francisco and Los Angeles are generally considered desirable places to live, so there's some extra competition for the non-feeder judges in those cities. But the Ninth Circuit is big. Once you're outside of SF/LA, I don't think the hiring standards and patterns look that much different than those of the other circuits.

ETA: And even in SF/LA, some of the judges (especially the senior status judges) seem to value recs from people they trust over top grades.

[thelawyerguy]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

You have to define what you mean by "grade/prestige conscious". For example, there are definitely judges on the 9th Cir. who take people who are in the top 30% of Harvard, but not the top 10% at Harvard. Your school should be able to break down which judges fall into which category.

Also post your school and grades (you're anonymous), if you want some meaningful advice.

I'm not the anonymous who asked the question, but I'm in a similar boat - I'm approximately top 15-20% at a T10 and will be clerking in CDCA/NDCA. Do I have any shot a 9th circuit judge after my district court clerkship? Feel free to pm me.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

You have to define what you mean by "grade/prestige conscious". For example, there are definitely judges on the 9th Cir. who take people who are in the top 30% of Harvard, but not the top 10% at Harvard. Your school should be able to break down which judges fall into which category.

Also post your school and grades (you're anonymous), if you want some meaningful advice.

I graduated slightly above median from a T1.

The only people from my school to land 9th cir clerkships have been at the very tippy top of the class--the top 10 people or so--so I'm guessing I have no shot.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if Friedland has finished interviewing for 2015 yet? Or if she's begun to extend offers?

Friedland is done for 2015.

[Anonymous User]

I'm guessing they don't exist, but: are any 9th Cir judges not particularly grades/prestige conscious?

I'm clerking at a D.Ct. in the circuit and have very, very strong recommenders, but very, very mediocre grades. I assume I have no shot, but hopefully I am wrong.

You have to define what you mean by "grade/prestige conscious". For example, there are definitely judges on the 9th Cir. who take people who are in the top 30% of Harvard, but not the top 10% at Harvard. Your school should be able to break down which judges fall into which category.

Also post your school and grades (you're anonymous), if you want some meaningful advice.

I graduated slightly above median from a T1.

The only people from my school to land 9th cir clerkships have been at the very tippy top of the class--the top 10 people or so--so I'm guessing I have no shot.

Anon quoting himself.

Just found out a girl from my class got a 9th Cir clerkship and she wasn't at the tippy top of our class. I'm not sure what he ranking was, but I know she wasn't top 10 people like all the other 9th Cir clerks from my school that I know of.

[jbagelboy]

met an incoming 2L at a club in WeHo last night who claimed she just accepted a 2016-17 spot with Reinhardt. Let the games begin