2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread Forum

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:09 pm

EzraFitz wrote:Just because feeders and a lot of COA are done does not mean this is foreclosed. There are TONS of Districts that are finally wrapping up 2016 and will start 2017 soon enough (many this summer looking to 2Ls who have 2 years of grades).
Agreed. I just got a district court clerkship about a week before finals started. Such a relief. First interview, too. Don't give up!

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EzraFitz

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by EzraFitz » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:11 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:Just because feeders and a lot of COA are done does not mean this is foreclosed. There are TONS of Districts that are finally wrapping up 2016 and will start 2017 soon enough (many this summer looking to 2Ls who have 2 years of grades).
Agreed. I just got a district court clerkship about a week before finals started. Such a relief. First interview, too. Don't give up!
Awesome, congratulations! I'm still blasting out apps like mad and keeping fingers crossed haha.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by stretchedtoothin » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:16 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I think it might be time to stick a fork in this thread or start a new one. I have an 18-19 clerkship lined up and an interview coming up for 19-20...
17-18 hiring won't be 95ish% done until Dec. 2016. Many D.Ct judges don't even hire until 2 full years of grades are in

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:16 pm

EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:Just because feeders and a lot of COA are done does not mean this is foreclosed. There are TONS of Districts that are finally wrapping up 2016 and will start 2017 soon enough (many this summer looking to 2Ls who have 2 years of grades).
Agreed. I just got a district court clerkship about a week before finals started. Such a relief. First interview, too. Don't give up!
Awesome, congratulations! I'm still blasting out apps like mad and keeping fingers crossed haha.
Yeah, definitely keep at it. The only advice I can give is that if you're otherwise qualified, you've got to get someone to get your application pulled. If your grades are insane, that's one thing. But if they're "merely" in the range of what is thought to be competitive for district court clerkships, the only real way to get looked at is someone telling the Judge to pull your app. It's demoralizing to those who don't have any obvious connections- but its really the only thing that works.

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EzraFitz

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by EzraFitz » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:22 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:Just because feeders and a lot of COA are done does not mean this is foreclosed. There are TONS of Districts that are finally wrapping up 2016 and will start 2017 soon enough (many this summer looking to 2Ls who have 2 years of grades).
Agreed. I just got a district court clerkship about a week before finals started. Such a relief. First interview, too. Don't give up!
Awesome, congratulations! I'm still blasting out apps like mad and keeping fingers crossed haha.
Yeah, definitely keep at it. The only advice I can give is that if you're otherwise qualified, you've got to get someone to get your application pulled. If your grades are insane, that's one thing. But if they're "merely" in the range of what is thought to be competitive for district court clerkships, the only real way to get looked at is someone telling the Judge to pull your app. It's demoralizing to those who don't have any obvious connections- but its really the only thing that works.
Please don't quote, but I'm a bit of a unique candidate in that my grades are "insane" (think top 5-10 kids) but I'm not on Law Review -_-. Still, having professors call to hopefully get me some boost. Have some other interesting bits of my application, but don't want to go too in depth when not anon haha.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:30 pm

I think the school makes a difference even for grades that high. Top 5-10 kids at a T1 is very different from T14, for instance. And professor calls help no matter what.

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emkay625

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by emkay625 » Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:44 pm

EzraFitz: If you want someone to take a look at your resume/cover letter and give some insight as to why you may not be getting pulled, PM me. Current clerk here.

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EzraFitz

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by EzraFitz » Fri Apr 29, 2016 4:18 pm

emkay625 wrote:EzraFitz: If you want someone to take a look at your resume/cover letter and give some insight as to why you may not be getting pulled, PM me. Current clerk here.
Thanks, I do appreciate that, although you did already give my app a read ;). And gave a lot of good feedback haha.
Anonymous User wrote:I think the school makes a difference even for grades that high. Top 5-10 kids at a T1 is very different from T14, for instance. And professor calls help no matter what.
I definitely agree here, and luckily am at a T14. I generally know the weak points in my app and am working hard to mitigate them. A lot is up to chance now really.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by emkay625 » Fri Apr 29, 2016 5:55 pm

Lol EzraFitz I can't keep track of who is who. : D

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wetalkinboutpractice

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by wetalkinboutpractice » Sun May 01, 2016 3:02 pm

EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Mon May 02, 2016 10:46 am

wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by naenae2745 » Mon May 02, 2016 12:25 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"
LOL also at starting the "waiting time" from the moment you submitted. Who does that?

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Mon May 02, 2016 5:12 pm

naenae2745 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"
LOL also at starting the "waiting time" from the moment you submitted. Who does that?
Uhh, that seems pretty normal. Starting from interview time is sort of meaningless since the vast majority of judges will try to respond quickly after taking the time to interview you

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Mon May 02, 2016 8:39 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
naenae2745 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"
LOL also at starting the "waiting time" from the moment you submitted. Who does that?
Uhh, that seems pretty normal. Starting from interview time is sort of meaningless since the vast majority of judges will try to respond quickly after taking the time to interview you
Except everyone knows that the time between when you submit and receive an interview has little to no bearing on your likelihood of getting the clerkship. The majority of applicants just sit there in a pile until the judge or clerk has reason to pull your application. On the other hand, how quickly you get the offer after your interview generally is a very good indication of your likelihood of securing the clerkship. Hence why when people say "don't lose hope," they're generally referring to the time between interview and offer, not submission and interview invite.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by naenae2745 » Mon May 02, 2016 8:40 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
naenae2745 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"
LOL also at starting the "waiting time" from the moment you submitted. Who does that?
Uhh, that seems pretty normal. Starting from interview time is sort of meaningless since the vast majority of judges will try to respond quickly after taking the time to interview you
Except everyone knows that the time between when you submit and receive an interview has little to no bearing on your likelihood of getting the clerkship. The majority of applicants just sit there in a pile until the judge or clerk has reason to pull your application. On the other hand, how quickly you get the offer after your interview generally is a very good indication of your likelihood of securing the clerkship. Hence why when people say "don't lose hope," they're generally referring to the time between interview and offer, not submission and interview invite.
Didn't mean for this to be anon.

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EzraFitz

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by EzraFitz » Tue May 03, 2016 11:00 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
naenae2745 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
wetalkinboutpractice wrote:
EzraFitz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:T14 2L who just landed on 2/9/DC after almost a year of complete radio silence. No district experience. Keep hoping against hope!
How often did you send out apps? All throughout the year, or was that a year of waiting from the last app sent and you still got tapped?
For this particular clerkship, I submitted the application in September of last year
LOL at 7 months or less being "almost a year"
LOL also at starting the "waiting time" from the moment you submitted. Who does that?
Uhh, that seems pretty normal. Starting from interview time is sort of meaningless since the vast majority of judges will try to respond quickly after taking the time to interview you
Except everyone knows that the time between when you submit and receive an interview has little to no bearing on your likelihood of getting the clerkship. The majority of applicants just sit there in a pile until the judge or clerk has reason to pull your application. On the other hand, how quickly you get the offer after your interview generally is a very good indication of your likelihood of securing the clerkship. Hence why when people say "don't lose hope," they're generally referring to the time between interview and offer, not submission and interview invite.
Wait what? I have NEVER interpreted it this way. If you get an interview, you know you're a pretty damn good candidate, and have a decent shot at snagging the position, or at least that you are a good enough candidate to get interviews. Don't lose hope always seems directed at people who have been applying for months or even years with no response from any judges. That's when you can lose hope, when you hear nothing and don't know if you'll even get an interview.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Tue May 03, 2016 11:02 am

^yeah, this is how I've usually understood it.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Tue May 03, 2016 1:14 pm

Dunno what other people are hearing, but have gotten 4-6 rejections the past week, from positions I applied to ranging from a year ago to a week ago. Guess Judges are clearing out the inboxes for summer apps to roll in.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Tue May 03, 2016 2:49 pm

Were circuits absurdly competitive this year? I managed to get 5 D. Ct. interviews, but only 2 circuits. Neither one was particularly desirable, and I didn't manage to land either one. I thought I was a very strong candidate, but guess not...

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Wed May 04, 2016 1:26 am

When do you normally hear from Circuit judges for interviews? Is hiring plan (end of June) still a thing for half of the Circuit judges?

P.S. I applied in mid-April, when should I expect to hear from the Circuit judges?

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Wed May 04, 2016 2:39 pm

When do you normally hear from Circuit judges for interviews? Is hiring plan (end of June) still a thing for half of the Circuit judges?

P.S. I applied in mid-April, when should I expect to hear from the Circuit judges?
The hiring plan is definitely not still a thing for half of the Circuit judges, nor has it been for quite some time. Assuming you're a 2L looking for 2017, mid-April is very late to apply for many Circuit Courts. Many have filled for 2017 months ago, and some have filled for 2018.

That said, there are certainly still spots available, but likely not many in desirable circuits or desirable locations.

As far as hearing back goes, you might hear back within days, or you might hear back within months. It's likely that there will be a decent amount of movement in June, as applicants send in updated transcripts with 2L spring grades. But waiting until June to hire is the exception rather than the rule at this point.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by Anonymous User » Thu May 05, 2016 6:26 pm

When can current 1Ls get access to OSCAR?

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EzraFitz

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by EzraFitz » Thu May 05, 2016 6:34 pm

Anonymous User wrote:When can current 1Ls get access to OSCAR?
They changed it this year so that 2Ls get FULL access on JULY 1. No more "read-only" for two months.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by lavarman84 » Thu May 05, 2016 8:41 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
When do you normally hear from Circuit judges for interviews? Is hiring plan (end of June) still a thing for half of the Circuit judges?

P.S. I applied in mid-April, when should I expect to hear from the Circuit judges?
The hiring plan is definitely not still a thing for half of the Circuit judges, nor has it been for quite some time. Assuming you're a 2L looking for 2017, mid-April is very late to apply for many Circuit Courts. Many have filled for 2017 months ago, and some have filled for 2018.

That said, there are certainly still spots available, but likely not many in desirable circuits or desirable locations.

As far as hearing back goes, you might hear back within days, or you might hear back within months. It's likely that there will be a decent amount of movement in June, as applicants send in updated transcripts with 2L spring grades. But waiting until June to hire is the exception rather than the rule at this point.
FWIW, I believe Anderson on the 11th and Clifton on the 9th both aren't hiring until this summer for 2017. But yea, definitely more exceptions than the norm.

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Re: 2017-2018 Clerkship Application Thread

Post by ComesNowAS » Thu May 05, 2016 11:21 pm

lawman84 wrote:FWIW, I believe Anderson on the 11th and Clifton on the 9th both aren't hiring until this summer for 2017. But yea, definitely more exceptions than the norm.
Rogers (6th) often requires two years of grades and hires just a year out as well, so he may be worth checking into for a 2017 Circuit clerkship.

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