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DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 7:23 pm
by Anonymous User
At a T6, LR, and somewhere between/around top 10-15%. I have a district clerkship for 19-20, but I am hoping to land a COA clerkship for 20-21. My judge is very supportive and has said that they are willing to make calls for me whenever I start applying for COA spots, I have solid recommendations, but a bit of me wants to nudge my GPA up a bit more this semester before sending in my applications. One more semester of solid grades could put me in the 5-10% range.

One of the circuits to which I was hoping to apply was the DC Cir (I know, it's incredibly competitive and my states don't make me a shoe-in at all). But given the competitiveness of that circuit and the rate at which judges are moving now-a-days, do folks with some insight into current DC Cir. hiring know whether it makes more sense to wait and get my grades up or to apply now before spots for 2020 (three summers from now--18-19, 19-20, 20-21) are filled?

I am getting conflicting advice from my recommenders and my clerkship office and was hoping I could crowdsource some additional guidance. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Re: DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 3:41 pm
by BlackAndOrange84
As far as I can tell, the judges on the circuit are all over the place, with some being among the earliest movers and some moving later than what has become the new normal. I don't see any harm in going ahead and applying and then updating your apps once new grades come in.

Re: DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 10:45 pm
by Anonymous User
BlackAndOrange84 wrote:As far as I can tell, the judges on the circuit are all over the place, with some being among the earliest movers and some moving later than what has become the new normal. I don't see any harm in going ahead and applying and then updating your apps once new grades come in.
OP here. Thanks a lot! This is helpful. I know judges are hiring earlier and earlier these days, but two and half years out seems like it might be a bit much, if any of the judges are already filled.

Re: DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:34 pm
by Anonymous User
BlackAndOrange84 wrote:As far as I can tell, the judges on the circuit are all over the place, with some being among the earliest movers and some moving later than what has become the new normal. I don't see any harm in going ahead and applying and then updating your apps once new grades come in.
Agree with this. Srinivisan for example tends to wait for an all-star, whereas my sense is that the (slightly) less competitive liberals move faster. Garland is a black box, he left his OSCAR open for the 19-20 cycle well after he was full, but unless lightning strikes that's gonna be a tough land anyway. I have less of a sense of the conservatives.

OP - do you have fall grades already and are asking about waiting for Spring grades? Or are you asking if you should wait until you get fall grades?

edit: anon bc I'm applying to some of these judges this semester too.

Re: DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:09 pm
by Anonymous User
Can someone please advise if Judge Rogers (DC Cir.) is still hiring for 19-20?

Re: DC Cir. App -- Balancing Timing with Strength of App

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:21 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Can someone please advise if Judge Rogers (DC Cir.) is still hiring for 19-20?
She interviews relatively late in the cycle; I interviewed with her at about this time. She's also good about updating OSCAR, so I'd assume that's correct unless you have inside info otherwise.