Getting Clerkships Purely Through OSCAR Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is this at all possible, especially for competitive districts like SDNY/EDNY? From the posts I've seen, it seems like judges only pull resumes from the pile at all if someone makes a call?

My stats are: top 5% at a T20, LR e-board, currently a 1st year associate at a litigation boutique in NYC. Because I cannot move and am not desperate to get anything, I'm only applying to SDNY, EDNY, and DNJ. That said, are my odds still practically zero because I don't have anybody making phone calls for me? I have at least one very strong professor rec, the other one is more "general." My timeline is super flexible. I can apply for 2022 if need be.

If I just spam OSCAR applications, will my app not even be read?

[Anonymous User]

Having clerked in one of those districts, we get a lot of applications on oscar. It is very time consuming to go through all of them and it is very possible that a lot of people won't even click on your app to open it. Definitely submit through oscar, but I'd suggest you send in paper applications (we will usually at least look at those) to chambers as well and ask your strong recommender to make some calls for you.

[Anonymous User]

I received my district court clerkship without a phone call or any ties to the district. I just blanketed OSCAR and caught my judge’s interest. Based on some sort of OSCAR issue he didn’t even have my letters of recommendation when I attended my interview, and I know he never spoke with my references. The clerkship is in a large-ish city but it’s not an especially desirable or competitive district, so NY may differ. Then again, now that I’m here I see how many apps we get — far far more than I would have thought.

Admittedly I got my appellate clerkship the old fashioned way — professor phone call. But I can attest that it’s possible to get lucky on OSCAR without help.

[Anonymous User]

Having clerked in one of those districts, we get a lot of applications on oscar. It is very time consuming to go through all of them and it is very possible that a lot of people won't even click on your app to open it. Definitely submit through oscar, but I'd suggest you send in paper applications (we will usually at least look at those) to chambers as well and ask your strong recommender to make some calls for you.

Would you say it's still advisable to send paper apps to judges that have "recommended" next to on-line applications on OSCAR?

Thanks for both of your responses.

[Anonymous User]

Having clerked in one of those districts, we get a lot of applications on oscar. It is very time consuming to go through all of them and it is very possible that a lot of people won't even click on your app to open it. Definitely submit through oscar, but I'd suggest you send in paper applications (we will usually at least look at those) to chambers as well and ask your strong recommender to make some calls for you.

Would you say it's still advisable to send paper apps to judges that have "recommended" next to on-line applications on OSCAR?

Thanks for both of your responses.

Do the oscar application as recommended, but also send in a paper app. I applied to one SDNY judge via oscar (per his/her preference), had the app pending there for a while with no progress. I sent in a paper app to the same judge and got a call within a week. As the other poster mentioned above, its def possible to get picked out of an oscar pile even in the districts you mentioned, but you have to get lucky, e.g., a clerk looking at the submissions went to your school, something else stands out above the other submissions.

[BlackAndOrange84]

Given how few judges you're applying to, why wouldn't you send paper apps? Since you've decided not to play the numbers game by applying broadly, limiting yourself to applying only via OSCAR really limits your chances. Sending a paper app at least guarantees that someone skims your app before putting it in the trash.

[Anonymous User]

I’m the anon who got plucked off OSCAR to land my current clerkship and it’s true that even in this chambers, people who send a paper app get looked at.

[Anonymous User]

I’m the anon who got plucked off OSCAR to land my current clerkship and it’s true that even in this chambers, people who send a paper app get looked at.

Ninth Circuit here--I applied OSCAR-only with no ties or calls and got interviewed relatively quickly, although part of that was lucking out by applying right when the judge started looking at apps. On the hiring side, paper apps got looked at more quickly while OSCAR apps waited until our JA periodically printed them out in batches, but everything got looked at.

[TheLorax]

I'm in the boat of not having a ton of advocates making calls for me / exhausted most of my advocates' help at this point. It helps if you follow alumni of your school. ie apply on oscar or in paper to those chambers that often hire from your school. They'll be more likely to look at your app. That's how I got my DCT clerkship.

[lavarman84]

Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely for a competitive district? No. I'd agree with the advice of sending paper apps, at minimum. Unless the judge forbids it, it increases your chances of somebody looking at it.

[Wild Card]

I went to NYU and never heard about the snail mail advantage. wtf no wonder our clerkship rate dropped from 12% to 4%.

[blk_mamba]

I only got one interview for a federal clerkship, and I applied on OSCAR and on paper. I am not sure if there is a paper advantage but I know that during the interview my judge was looking at the materials I sent her in the mail, because they were still in the law school folder that I used when I mailed my app.

[hlsboi2020]

For 2Ls applying to judges on the federal hiring pilot, do we think that the normal paper advantage might not be so important, and we can use Oscar? Because I'm assuming that those chambers are actually going to check Oscar promptly on June 17 or thereabouts.

I suppose that only changes the "chambers don't check Oscar all the time" issue, but not the filtering issue, though...

[Anonymous User]

For 2Ls applying to judges on the federal hiring pilot, do we think that the normal paper advantage might not be so important, and we can use Oscar? Because I'm assuming that those chambers are actually going to check Oscar promptly on June 17 or thereabouts.

I suppose that only changes the "chambers don't check Oscar all the time" issue, but not the filtering issue, though...

To the extent that there's a paper advantage, the latter is a much bigger deal than the former.

I'm convinced there is an advantage based on my own experience and that of friends and coclerks. I got one interview via OSCAR with a run-of-the-mill COA judge while paper landed three interviews with semi-feeder judges (not judges who feed year-in and year-out but who feed a clerk every few years). That was a few years ago, but I don't see how the logistics of the hiring plan being back in place really affects the reasons why paper results in better outcomes. The only situation I don't see paper really adding a lot to the mix is where someone already stands out exceptionally, and by that I mean attends HYS and has very strong grades (think at least magna at Harvard or the equivalent). But there aren't a lot of those folks out there.

For the rest of us, paper makes sense, unless you've got some other way to get out of the big pile and get your stuff looked at (recommenders who pick up the phone to judges who know them and respect them). Unless you're tippy top at a top school or have great "ins" with judges through recommenders, you should at least send some paper applications (20-40). (I'm not suggesting sending 200 paper apps. Just send out paper apps to the judges you'd most like to clerk for and then play the numbers game with OSCAR for the balance.)

[Anonymous User]

In our (COA) chambers, the paper "advantage" was simply that mail had to be opened and at least given a cursory glance. Unlike the glut of OSCAR apps, paper apps would trickle in and would get a provisional eyeball each day. That means, if you looked interesting, you got put in a "greater scrutiny later" pile of physical applications

IMO, the advantage was paired with an equivalent disadvantage: if the judge (not a feeder, and with no desire to be at the bleeding edge of the greatest-candidate hiring competition) wasn't hiring at that precise moment, the first-look pile might not get a second look until months later...by which point we had absolutely no idea if those candidates were even still interested.

[Anonymous User]

For 2Ls applying to judges on the federal hiring pilot, do we think that the normal paper advantage might not be so important, and we can use Oscar? Because I'm assuming that those chambers are actually going to check Oscar promptly on June 17 or thereabouts.

I suppose that only changes the "chambers don't check Oscar all the time" issue, but not the filtering issue, though...

The only situation I don't see paper really adding a lot to the mix is where someone already stands out exceptionally, and by that I mean attends HYS and has very strong grades (think at least magna at Harvard or the equivalent). But there aren't a lot of those folks out there.

I feel like this cannot be overstated: there is absolutely no guarantee you're getting interviews with an even moderately desirable judge even if you're magna at HLS. there are literally 100+ people in the top 10% of HYS in the class of 2020 *alone* who might be interested in say, generic 2d Cir judge X. then throw in the rest of top 10% at T14. then throw in the class of 2019. then throw in anyone in NYC BigLaw with good grades and 1-3 years of work experience.

I have a close friend with tippy top credentials: fantastic grades at YS, law review, two publications. 50+ applications, 4-5 interviews. one offer. this is why people emphasize professors making phone calls, Federalist Society connections, and so on. there are way more insanely-well-qualified people for any given clerkship than there are spots. you want to stand out.

if you're reading this thread, you are not above paper applications.

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody have tips for mailing apps beyond using resume paper? Obviously I plan to use those big stiffer envelopes so nothing arrives folded, but should we include a folder inside it as well?

[hlsboi2020]

Thanks for your helpful responses!

One other question: if sending paper apps, it would be weird to have one rec letter submitted through Oscar, right? (And note in the cover letter, X reference letter on Oscar). I just feel bad for 1 of my recommenders who doesn't have an assistant helping with the mailing (although I'm going to provide addressed envelopes and all that).

Thanks!

[LBJ's Hair]

Thanks for your helpful responses!

One other question: if sending paper apps, it would be weird to have one rec letter submitted through Oscar, right? (And note in the cover letter, X reference letter on Oscar). I just feel bad for 1 of my recommenders who doesn't have an assistant helping with the mailing (although I'm going to provide addressed envelopes and all that).

Thanks!

Yeah that's tricky. No way the clerkship office can handle it?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your helpful responses!

One other question: if sending paper apps, it would be weird to have one rec letter submitted through Oscar, right? (And note in the cover letter, X reference letter on Oscar). I just feel bad for 1 of my recommenders who doesn't have an assistant helping with the mailing (although I'm going to provide addressed envelopes and all that).

Thanks!

Yeah that's tricky. No way the clerkship office can handle it?

I don't think the clerkship office can handle it. Thanks for the input though! It's the kinda thing where I can ask the recommender to do more paper letters for me, I just wanted to double check that I couldn't make it a bit easier for them.