Fed Courts for mid-career clerk? Forum

(Seek and share information about clerkship applications, clerkship hiring timelines, and post-clerkship employment opportunities)
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about clerkship applications and clerkship hiring. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Fed Courts for mid-career clerk?

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Dec 10, 2017 1:26 pm

I am currently a 3L and will be working for a government agency for at least 3 years. I would like to have clerking as an option for after those three years. I am trying to determine whether I should take fed courts my final semester or an easier class. Do judges care whether mid-career clerks have taken fed courts or not? Or should I take the course that will give me a better chance to increase my gpa?

User avatar
landshoes

Silver
Posts: 1291
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:17 pm

Re: Fed Courts for mid-career clerk?

Post by landshoes » Sun Dec 10, 2017 1:41 pm

Take it because you should know it if you want to be a clerk.

lolwat

Silver
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:30 pm

Re: Fed Courts for mid-career clerk?

Post by lolwat » Sun Dec 10, 2017 4:48 pm

I'd take whatever you think will get you the highest GPA. That's actually probably true regardless of whether you're applying as a student or experienced attorney, but especially I doubt judges will really care what classes you took as a law student when you're applying as an experienced attorney. I mean step 1 when reviewing applicants is often to perform a hard GPA/class ranking cut off.

But I'd leave it to those who have clerked for those judges to give advice.

BlackAndOrange84

Bronze
Posts: 396
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:06 am

Re: Fed Courts for mid-career clerk?

Post by BlackAndOrange84 » Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:45 pm

When my coclerks and I look at apps, we specifically look for fed courts. If it's missing, it can be a real knock against an otherwise qualified applicant—particularly if it looks like the applicant shied away from tough classes to inflate grades. The threshold jurisdictional issues taught in fed courts are so important because courts have an obligation to examine jurisdiction even if the parties completely whiff on it. And few things make a judge happier than when a clerk catches a jurisdictional defect that the parties missed.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Judicial Clerkships”