Chance for Bankr without 2L bankr courses Forum

[kmla14han]

I will be taking them all during 3L year.

So far, I've taken good balance of both litigatory and transactional courses. (i.e. Fed Courts, Complex Litigation, Business Association, Intro Tax, Contract D, ADR) However, I will be taking all bankruptcy and security during 3L. Do I still have a chance? Also, I'm on journal but have written nothing about bankruptcy. Moot Court experience yes, but civil rights moot court.

Also, is it safe to assume that Bankruptcy Clerkship GPA corresponds to Fed. Dist. GPA range? Or is it usually more or less demanding?

[MichelleMichelle]

I will be taking them all during 3L year.

So far, I've taken good balance of both litigatory and transactional courses. (i.e. Fed Courts, Complex Litigation, Business Association, Intro Tax, Contract D, ADR) However, I will be taking all bankruptcy and security during 3L. Do I still have a chance? Also, I'm on journal but have written nothing about bankruptcy. Moot Court experience yes, but civil rights moot court.

Also, is it safe to assume that Bankruptcy Clerkship GPA corresponds to Fed. Dist. GPA range? Or is it usually more or less demanding?

Taking Bankruptcy during 3L will not be a problem, but most Bankruptcy judges are looking for a definite interest in Bankruptcy. So you might face an uphill battle because it seems like you don't have any Bankruptcy-related experience on your resume. Why are you looking to clerk for a Bankruptcy judge? You are going to need a really compelling answer to that question.

As far a GPA, my sense is that a BK judge *might* be willing to deviate from their stated preference on OSCAR *if* the applicant has a clear interest in Bankruptcy.

[kmla14han]

I will be taking them all during 3L year.

So far, I've taken good balance of both litigatory and transactional courses. (i.e. Fed Courts, Complex Litigation, Business Association, Intro Tax, Contract D, ADR) However, I will be taking all bankruptcy and security during 3L. Do I still have a chance? Also, I'm on journal but have written nothing about bankruptcy. Moot Court experience yes, but civil rights moot court.

Also, is it safe to assume that Bankruptcy Clerkship GPA corresponds to Fed. Dist. GPA range? Or is it usually more or less demanding?

Taking Bankruptcy during 3L will not be a problem, but most Bankruptcy judges are looking for a definite interest in Bankruptcy. So you might face an uphill battle because it seems like you don't have any Bankruptcy-related experience on your resume. Why are you looking to clerk for a Bankruptcy judge? You are going to need a really compelling answer to that question.

As far a GPA, my sense is that a BK judge *might* be willing to deviate from their stated preference on OSCAR *if* the applicant has a clear interest in Bankruptcy.

Thanks, first of all.
My interests are all very personal, but mainly two, and sound fake as hell but they are true. I just don't know whether writing these in cover letter will extinguish suspicions. But in a nutshell:

1. I like having a specialty but staying as a generalist. I heard while Bankruptcy is a stand-alone area, it touches basically every aspect of transactional law and has some litigation components. I like diversity in my practice.

2. I grew up under surgeon-psychiatrist parents, seeing them save people, either in a day or two with intense operation (mom), or over time for several years by making good relationships with them and taking care of them (dad). Bankr. practice resembles what they've done. I admire that.

[MichelleMichelle]

I will be taking them all during 3L year.

So far, I've taken good balance of both litigatory and transactional courses. (i.e. Fed Courts, Complex Litigation, Business Association, Intro Tax, Contract D, ADR) However, I will be taking all bankruptcy and security during 3L. Do I still have a chance? Also, I'm on journal but have written nothing about bankruptcy. Moot Court experience yes, but civil rights moot court.

Also, is it safe to assume that Bankruptcy Clerkship GPA corresponds to Fed. Dist. GPA range? Or is it usually more or less demanding?

Taking Bankruptcy during 3L will not be a problem, but most Bankruptcy judges are looking for a definite interest in Bankruptcy. So you might face an uphill battle because it seems like you don't have any Bankruptcy-related experience on your resume. Why are you looking to clerk for a Bankruptcy judge? You are going to need a really compelling answer to that question.

As far a GPA, my sense is that a BK judge *might* be willing to deviate from their stated preference on OSCAR *if* the applicant has a clear interest in Bankruptcy.

Thanks, first of all.
My interests are all very personal, but mainly two, and sound fake as hell but they are true. I just don't know whether writing these in cover letter will extinguish suspicions. But in a nutshell:

1. I like having a specialty but staying as a generalist. I heard while Bankruptcy is a stand-alone area, it touches basically every aspect of transactional law and has some litigation components. I like diversity in my practice.

2. I grew up under surgeon-psychiatrist parents, seeing them save people, either in a day or two with intense operation (mom), or over time for several years by making good relationships with them and taking care of them (dad). Bankr. practice resembles what they've done. I admire that.

Don't take my word for it and YMMV. Bankruptcy is a generalist practice, but again, without direct bankruptcy experience I am not sure how convincing your rationale is. I have also heard that IP litigation is super interesting, that does not mean it will be interesting *to me*. If I were you, I would find a way to be much more specific than a vague "I've heard this practice area is diverse."

The surgeon-psychiatrist analogy makes no sense to me.

I will add that when I was looking at applications for my bankruptcy judge, I skimmed the cover letter and resume. If someone went into great detail about their parents' professions I would have absolutely not read it. Not to be harsh, but a bankruptcy clerkship is going to put you into a niche. Unless you are pretty sure you want to do Bankruptcy, I would hesitate to do a Bankruptcy clerkship. If you are serious, however, the best you could do would be an externship for a bankruptcy judge or to work part time for a bankruptcy firm. That would be a really great way to demonstrate interest.