this and that
It's spring break. So that's nice. No more spring breaks after this year. Ever.
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Yeah, law students: catty. The problem, though, is that you can't necessarily make the link from anonymous nasty postings about this woman and her lack of job offers. Maybe she just doesn't interview well? Also, wouldn't you think that the people doing the Google searches can tell the difference between someone's myspace page and anonymous postings about a person, but not by that person?
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I got nothing else for you. After spring break there are six weeks left in the semester. Six weeks left in law school. Yeah. I'm going to be busy - so far I have plans to go to at least five baseball games, maybe more - but I guess I should eventually do some work.
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Did anyone else get that e-mail from the CPC today about the upcoming meeting in April about clerkships? Um, yeah. Right. I'll be telling people about how useful it is to go to her meeting. Without the meeting, you won't get a clerkship! Well, actually, you won't get a clerkship even if you don't go to the meeting!
posted by some guy @ 7:37 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
If you're in the top 10-20% of the class it's worth trying for clerkships. Be flexible. Apply for lots, all over the place. Use any personal contacts you have.
Yes, the odds are against you as there are far more applicants than places. But if you get one it is great experience, really teaches you how to be a litigator, plus it makes you far more marketable.
I am in that range. I applied. I didn't get one. Actually, the truth is that while I am bitter about many things the CPC fails to do, I had no expectations of getting a clerkship and by only applying in Florida, I didn't put myself in good position to get one.
And ever since, as I wrote last year, a federal judge told us that Dean Lynch needs to do more to get his students' clerkships, I had even less confidence in my ability to get one.
That said, I don't know a soul who got one. I don't mean to imply that I know everyone and that no one got one - I hope someone got one.
Froomkin is out of touch AGAIN!
The market for clerkships is INSANE! I now go to a top-10 school. I was in the top 5% at the time of applying for clerkships. I applied to over 100 judges (most District). I got a 2% return rate.
Now, I was gunning for only federal judges, but still. Top 5%, journal, 100 apps -- 2 hits.
Can someone from Miami clerk? Yes. However, it will be very few, and it won't be someone in the 10-20% range.
This is Froomkin again saying that "you can do it!" Without facing the realities. It is okay to encourage people to strive for the best, and if you don't apply you are de facto out, but I think Froomkin is underestimating how hard it is, and should stop giving his "pearls" of wisdom until he knows what he is talking about.
Oh yeah, another thing, the judges seem to like to see where you are spending your summer. If they see you are at a top firm, they use that as a filtering tool as well. The judge knows that firm X hires good candidates, and they use that as a proxy for they type of clerk they want. If you have one of those firms (which is lacking form many Miami students) you have a better shot.
Froomkin, stick to being proud that you don't watch t.v., and leave the career advice to those who know at least a bit.
I know two people who are graduating this year from UM and who are clerking. But, I don't think that either is clerking for a federal judge.
you ain't clerkin' unless you be federal clerkin'
To anonymous number two: according to whom?
Law firms that only pay bonuses for federal clerks (or state supreme courts, sometimes). Law schools (who only hire professors who have clerked in federal courts, for the most part). US Persecutor/US Defender (like law schools, only federal clerks will do, for the most part).
However, I do think you get an invaluable experience wherever you go. I was really just kidding, but there is a prestige/snob/status thing with federal judges. Look at your law professors.
One UM professor, who has received much attention on Equal Process lately, clerked for Justice Traynor on the California Supreme Court.
You may be right, even though I think that shouldn't matter as much. I think the trial/appellate distinction is more important, depending on the kind of experience one wants.
Perhaps, but even I think that most would say even a federal district court trumps a state appellate court. Why? Well, you will be exposed to motion practice quite a bit at the trial level (which is the same for a state court circuit clerkship), however, many fed. dist. courts will hear appeals from bankruptcy courts (which deal, many times, with issues of law beyond the bankruptcy code). Additionally, many district court judges sit on federal circuit courts a few times a year by designation. Often, these "visiting" judges will wrote the opinion, giving federal appellate exposure to the federal district clerk. So, you get the federal bling, and you get a smattering of experience in appeal work to boot.
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