Cover Letter: Applying for 2019 term with a 2018 clerkship awaiting Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey all,

Background: A week ago I accepted an offer for a District Court Clerkship for the 2018-2019 term. I wanted to start applying to the COA for a 2019 term clerkship.

The first question I had: Is it appropriate/acceptable to state in my cover letter that I have accepted a clerkship for a 2018-2019 term, and state the specific Judge? This may be a silly question, but I ask because I have heard there are big privacy issues with federal judges, and I have heard so many absurd "do not do" rules that it wouldn't surprise me if mentioning a Judge you haven't started working for is one of them.

Also, does anyone have any advice/experience doing this? How did you phrase it? "I am applying for a 2019-2020 clerkship, which will take place following my 2018 clerkship with Judge X of the United States District Court for the X District of X"?

Thanks all.

[RSN]

Congrats on the district court gig. In my experience, this is totally fine and encouraged. Format I've used (which was given to me by someone else that had also used it successfully) --

"I am a rising [x]-year student at [Law School], and I will be clerking for the Honorable [judge] of the [court] following my graduation in [year]. I write to apply for a clerkship in your chambers for the [year-year] term."

You should also add the 2018-19 clerkship to your resume.

[mjb447]

Yup, totally normal to mention it (including judge and district); there are lots of acceptable ways to do it, and language like RSN's is fine.

[Anonymous User]

Great. Thank you guys!

One additional question: Should I notify my Judge, just in case he is contacted, or is this unnecessary?

[mjb447]

IIRC I didn't bother when I was drafting my cover letters - you're not working for the 2018-19 judge yet, so it's unlikely that anyone will contact him to ask about you. I also don't think it's likely to hurt you, though.

I think when I was offered interviews for later terms I let judges for earlier terms know, if only to make sure that start and end dates would work.