Let's Talk 9th Circuit! Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone aware of 9th Cir. judges who do like/prefer clerks with district clerkship experience, and if that experience could mitigate relatively poorer grades?

Wallace only hires former district court clerks and based on my experience seems less grade selective than most 9th circuit judges. That said there are other reasons you might not want to work for him.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone aware of 9th Cir. judges who do like/prefer clerks with district clerkship experience, and if that experience could mitigate relatively poorer grades?

Wallace only hires former district court clerks and based on my experience seems less grade selective than most 9th circuit judges. That said there are other reasons you might not want to work for him.

A defiant choice would be someone even more reliably conservative than Bork, such as Appeals Judge J. Clifford Wallace of San Diego . . .

Wow

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone aware of 9th Cir. judges who do like/prefer clerks with district clerkship experience, and if that experience could mitigate relatively poorer grades?

Wallace only hires former district court clerks and based on my experience seems less grade selective than most 9th circuit judges. That said there are other reasons you might not want to work for him.

A defiant choice would be someone even more reliably conservative than Bork, such as Appeals Judge J. Clifford Wallace of San Diego . . .

Wow

Yes, like that reason.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone aware of 9th Cir. judges who do like/prefer clerks with district clerkship experience, and if that experience could mitigate relatively poorer grades?

Wallace only hires former district court clerks and based on my experience seems less grade selective than most 9th circuit judges. That said there are other reasons you might not want to work for him.

I know a Wallace clerk who didn't clerk at a d.ct. but did have mediocre grades from a mediocre school (we were in the same class).

I had no idea he was considered so conservative. Yikes.

[Anonymous User]

Ikuta has completed 2016-17 term.

[Anonymous User]

Would it be worth applying to Wallace as a rising 2L?

Is the conservative "stigma" looked down upon in the professional community? Or would the experience still be a huge boost for appellate litigation work down the line?

Any first hand experience of how it is working for him in terms of expectations, temperament, etc.?

[Anonymous User]

Would it be worth applying to Wallace as a rising 2L?

Is the conservative "stigma" looked down upon in the professional community? Or would the experience still be a huge boost for appellate litigation work down the line?

Any first hand experience of how it is working for him in terms of expectations, temperament, etc.?

If there's no openings, which it doesn't look like there are, I would not apply. Wastes both yours and his time.

No. No one is going to look down on you for clerking for a federal appeals judge regardless of his/her politics.

[Anonymous User]

Is Tashima hiring yet for 16-17?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know when O'Scannlain is hiring for 16-17?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know when O'Scannlain is hiring for 16-17?

I know he's been interviewing. Not sure if he's hired anyone yet.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have an update on O'Scannlain?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have an update on O'Scannlain?

Gonna bump this. Still wondering if he's started/finished hiring.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have an update on O'Scannlain?

Gonna bump this. Still wondering if he's started/finished hiring.

"Judge O'Scannlain will not make any further decisions on law clerk candidates for 2016-2017 until the fall of 2015." - From his secretary after interviewing with his clerks in early December and then meeting with one of his former clerks in mid-december.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone who got an email from Selna's clerk in December hear back after sending in fall grades?

[Anonymous User]

Bybee is starting to interview

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

Not to be rude, but I'm not sure you understand how the clerkship process works nowadays. 18-20 judges is a miniscule number and statistically the best applicants will still need more chances (particularly speaking on the circuit end). So much of it is randomness, timing, personal quirks of judges... and a ton of other almost uncontrollable factors. I know many people near the top of their class at t6 schools who took applying to ~80 judges and like 6months of trying to get something good. That's just the process.

Don't get me wrong, with your stats you're in a good spot. But don't sit around waiting. Apply to more and don't stop until you get something. The clerkship game is played by all, even the best applicants.

Good luck

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

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.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

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.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

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.

[Anonymous User]

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?

[A. Nony Mouse]

IMO, yes. You may get a bunch of "not currently hiring" or "apply when we post on Oscar," but not all judges update Oscar regularly.

But I also applied back when the plan still existed, so it might be different now.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys, I am probably just being neurotic but I am ranked #4 at a t14 and have heard nothing from the 18-20 California judges I've applied to (both circuit and district throughout the state). Is something egregiously wrong with my resume, or are they just moving super slow? I know my grades don't guarantee me anything, I just wanted to check to see if there are other competitive applicants getting the silent treatment.

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.

I know of one CA d. ct. judge (in my court) who only hires alums (but for some reason doesn't advertise that). So, you are not getting a clerkship from that judge.

[Anonymous User]

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

edit: spelling

[Anonymous User]

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.