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I know it's typical to have professors make calls to judges on behalf of applicants. Would it also make sense to have an employer from your second summer make a call, even if he doesn't know the judge?

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but for some reason I don't see it going over well. Even assuming that there's no ethical issue because the firm does not have any pending cases before the judge, it comes off as self-serving. It is in the firm's interest to place associates into clerkships, so any recommendation would be colored by that. My judge would call the partners himself and would probably only do so if he at least vaguely knew the person.

I personally think this would only have a positive impact on the judge's decision if the judge knew the partner fairly well (and the partner could realistically say that he/she knew the candidate pretty well).

At the same time, federal judges get hundreds of applicants, and this could realistically get you at least a second glance from the judge, so it might not be the worst idea in the world.

OP here. Don't want to give away too much info about myself, but it's a partner from a firm to which I will not be returning post-grad, but under very good circumstances. We worked closely together and he offered to go to bat for me with judges.

Anonymous User wrote:I know it's typical to have professors make calls to judges on behalf of applicants. Would it also make sense to have an employer from your second summer make a call, even if he doesn't know the judge?

I don't think so, primarily because the partner doesn't know the judge. It doesn't help that the partner only worked with you as a summer associate. And I agree with Lincoln that there's a risk that some judges would find such a call--an unsolicited communication from a law firm partner whom the judge doesn't know--to be off-putting.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't take the partner up on his offer, but it wouldn't be crazy to do so.

Yeah, I wouldn't do this, especially pre-interview where it'll basically be an unsolicited call from some random lawyer out of the blue.

rpupkin wrote:I don't think so, primarily because the partner doesn't know the judge. It doesn't help that the partner only worked with you as a summer associate. And I agree with Lincoln that there's a risk that some judges would find such a call--an unsolicited communication from a law firm partner whom the judge doesn't know--to be off-putting.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't take the partner up on his offer, but it wouldn't be crazy to do so.

Yeah, same. Much different if the judge knows the partner.

Unless, maybe, you're applying to Judge Owens. I think when he set up his opening on OSCAR he basically said to have someone call him.

I think this should only be done if: 1) the lawyer knows the judge; and/or 2) you have an interview already.

I see 0 problems with this if the partner knows the judge, whether the partner knows the applicant just from an SA or not - really, I don't think professors have any better insight into a student's abilities after a semester of 1L, and yet they'll still make calls. I agree it's a bit weird if the partner doesn't know the judge.