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Citations and Mentions
Thanks to all our readers and contributors who have made the Clerkship Notification Blog invaluable to law students, clerks, and judges, the ABA Journal has named us to their 2008 ABA Journal Blawg 100 List: "There’s nothing fancy in terms of layout or design, but hordes still flock here when it comes time to apply for coveted judicial clerkships. This is the spot for information about when specific judges start making offers and which judges have wrapped up hiring for the term."
David Lat at Above the Law: "If you're in the hunt for a judicial clerkship, whether state or federal, here's a great website that you should be aware of ...."
Professor Eugene Volokh of UCLA at the Volokh Conspiracy: "[The Clerkship Notification Blog] is a clearing house for applicants, clerks, and others to post information about which judges are interviewing, have hired, and the like. Sounds like a useful resource ...."
University of Illinois College of Law Professor Lawrence B. Solum at the Legal Theory Blog: "The Clerkship Notification Blog provides a clearinghouse for information about judicial clerkships--which judges have picked and filled their slots and which judges still have open positions. This information is quite important tothe efficient functioning of the process."
The ABA Journal Blawg directory: "Comprehensive information about judges and status of applications for ... clerkships, along with numerous comments."
Brian Leiter at Brian Leiter's Law School Reports confirms we are, indeed, "already gearing up for the 2009 hiring season."
65 comments:
What dates do fed. cir. judges usually hire? It looked like in last year's comments ppl were saying they finished really early, but then I thought I saw something saying they didn't even look at apps until late august or september. Also, are all positions listed on one site? OSCAR? Or are there multiple sites that I have to go to?
Judge Moore has a new opening on OSCAR for 2009-2010.
For those of us still in law school we can be getting our materials together now and be "finished" but not have actually submitted anything on OSCAR. The earliest 3Ls can submit this year is Sept 3 via OSCAR. I think practicing attorneys can submit anytime there is a posting on OSCAR.
Only 7 of the 18 Federal Circuit judges are listed as hiring on OSCAR. For the other 11, how do we know if they are truly not hiring or if they just aren't using OSCAR at all?
If you call the chambers, you can find out if they are accepting applications or not. It's still pretty early. They may not be accepting until later this summer.
Those using OSCAR may have noticed Judge Moore's position has been filled. No idea if more will open up later, or if 1 or 2 are reserved for law students (since obviously this one was filled by a graduate).
Dyk hired a UVA '07 grad.
Any idea from which schools fed. cir. judges hire? How low on the rankings totem pole do you go before you stop wasting your time?
Well, there will be two Iowa grads clerking there starting in August, so at least the top 25-30 schools have a chance. Maybe they dip lower occasionally.
At least one of those Iowa clerks is a total freaking rock star, that's all I know. And no it's not me.
Does anyone know which Fed. Cir. judges are accepting apps now from grads?
How do you pronounce Judge Gajarsa's name? I've heard a few variations....
Guy-yar-zuh
"Does anyone know which Fed. Cir. judges are accepting apps now from grads?"
You need to make an oscar.symplicity.com account and search for FCCA judges.
Several are, several aren't yet.
The deputy clerk has standing orders not to transfer clerkship questions to chambers and instead refers you to the website, which refers you to the hiring plan. Theoretically all judges will use oscar, even if to specify that they'll only be accepting paper applications.
the comment about judge dyk is incorrect. the '07 UVA grad is clerking 2008-09. he has not hired anyone for 2009 yet.
Anyone know if Gajarsa filled his 2010 spot?
I heard Moore is making deal(s) with some students - clerk on the Ct of Federal Claims for a year and then you can clerk for me in 2010-11.
Anyone heard that?
"I heard Moore is making deal(s) with some students - clerk on the Ct of Federal Claims for a year and then you can clerk for me in 2010-11.
Anyone heard that?"
No, but I did hear that her husband, a partner at Howrey, can usually get a Howrey associate to the top of the resume pile... I, of course, am not implying or suggesting anything about the merits of this person, other than a good letter of req. from her husband will likely get you an interview... I don't know if that's even remotely true, or how useful it is to anyone, unless you are deciding between an offer from Howrey and an offer elsewhere, and really want to clerk in a year or two.
"I heard Moore is making deal(s) with some students - clerk on the Ct of Federal Claims for a year and then you can clerk for me in 2010-11.
Anyone heard that?"
No, but I did hear that her husband, a partner at Howery, can usually get a Howery associate to the top of the resume pile... I, of course, am not implying or suggesting anything about the merits of this person, other than a good letter of req. from her husband will likely get you an interview... I don't know if that's even remotely true, or how useful it is to anyone, unless you are deciding between an offer from Howery and an offer elsewhere, and really want to clerk in a year or two.
Clevenger hired an alum recently.
Linn filed a position.
Was the Linn position for 2009? Or for a later term?
Any further action from the CAFC?
Bueller, Bueller?
How competitive/difficult is getting a CAFC clerkship? Are there any statistics re number of applicants? I know that each judge has 3 clerks, but don't have a sense for how many apply for these spots. Thanks.
Got a letter from Michel stating that he filled all of his positions.
Michel's positions have actually been filled for a while, so don't feel bad.
Bueller, Bueller?
Are calls being made? Anyone hearing anything from the Federal Circuit?
I haven't gotten any calls. My guess (and hope) is that most of the judges that follow the hiring guidelines won't be calling any law students until Monday.
Any calls to non-student applicants?
I'm a non-student who applied in June. I haven't gotten any phone calls, but I also didn't get a letter from Judge Michel stating that his positions were filled. That could mean that he might still be considering people for the following year (2010-11) or that mine got lost. Who knows. I'm on pins & needles. PINS & NEEDLES!
J. Newman recently filled a 1-year spot with a 1999 graduate (for 2009-10). (Yes, she normally does 2 year terms.) Also, Lourie is full (not sure if that's news or not).
2:32,
I submitted an application for 2010-2011. I received a letter saying Michel's positions were full for 2009. Either they ignored your materials or you're still in the running. Clearly, they either did not read mine or I was given the shred.
Anybody know what kind of stats are typically required to be a serious contender on the Fed Cir? Would top 5% + LR at a top school put one in the running, or do judges care significantly more about things like advanced degrees and science-related work experience? As opaque as the clerkship application process is generally, it seems even more opaque for CAFC due to the extra things that judges seem to consider.
I'm not sure what they consider, to be fair. I was top 5% at a top 6 school, LR, published a comment on patent obviousness, and I have a physics degree from Harvard, and I never even got an interview for Fed Cir when I applied as a 3L (ended up getting a lot of notice from other Circuits, but zilch from Fed Cir). Maybe there's some kind of networking involved.
Dyk is calling.
Some things to consider.
Many of the Federal Circuit judges only hire non law students.
Many/most of the Federal Circuit judges hired 4 law clerks for 2008 even though funding exists for 3. The extra clerk normally has a position a year later if funding does not come through.
If you want to clerk on the Federal Circuit I would suggest going to a firm that has a very good reputation for patent litigation and at least 5 or more partners who actually clerked on the federal circuit. Work with those former clerks and you should be able to get your resume onto the desk of a judge for consideration.
Remember even the judges who hire law students get a few hundred resumes for 3 positions. There is at least one current federal circuit clerk who was nonoffered at a summer associate gig. Thus, who you know can be more important than the resume.
Have any 3Ls received calls today? I know that Dyk made some calls over the weekend. Anyone else?
ANY calls? Particularly to graduates??
Has Dyk given out any offers for 2009? He called a Georgetown 3L today for an interview tomorrow.
Clevenger recently hired an NYU grad and Mayer just hired a Texas grad from the same firm.
Does Mayer still have any openings? Was this a 2009-2010 hire? Or for a later term?
Is Federal Circuit is done hiring? Any news about Rader, Prost, or Gajarsa? Any chance that they are still making calls?
I guess I am still hoping, considering we only have reports of Dyk making calls yesterday. I know that many of the judges have already completed their hiring, but I was expecting a few more reports of phone calls yesterday.
I'm hoping for some calls. Anyone know if the lone Dyk call was for '09 or '10?
I know that at least one Dyk call was made for 09.
Another Dyk call was for '09.
Prost has called.
Prost for '09?
Fine. I didn't want to work for her anyway. *sniff*
Now where's that bottle of bourbon...
Have people just thrown in the towel and stopped contributing to this blog, or have no other calls gone out? I wouldn't think it is over, since according to OSCAR, Judge Newman hasn't even starting interviewing yet. Come on, we can't let the last word of this blog be from a drunken smartass.
Seems like there's complete silence coming from the Fed Circuit right now. I applied a couple months ago (grad and current clerk), still never heard anything from any of the judges. I wish there would be more information forthcoming.
Dyk hired a Georgetown '09 grad.
Heard that Gajarsa was on vacation last week- don't know if he's back.
To 9/11, 7:30 AM, look at 9/4, 5:19 PM.
I hate to say it guys, but I think except for Gajarsa, all of the judges have made their calls and scheduled their interviews.
9/11 @ 4:47,
How do you know this information? Has the Fed Circuit really hired everyone under the radar?
Just to add to these comments, even if we were to assume that the clock has struck midnight on my chances to become a clerk, what happens next? Do we get polite rejection letters on expensive paper? This whole process is so unbelievably opaque that I don't even know what to expect. Furthermore, if we wanted to apply next year as a graduate, when should we apply? If we were already graduates, should we apply again, or would our applications roll into next spring when the judges decided to hire all of these graduates? Perhaps we'll get lucky and have one of the judges cold call us 6 months from now with an offer to make it all better?
9/11 @ 8:00 --
You just have to try again. You may need to wait until you have at least a year of post-law school experience. I am finding that the Fed Circuit is particularly opaque. Not a word being heard from these chambers. It's disappointing.
Currently OSCAR says Prost, Newman, Linn, Gajarsa, Clevenger, and Bryson are hiring.
Linn is listed as full
Prost has
Newman hired a one year clerk (9/4 comment), who knows if there is another slot
Clevenger only has one slot since he's taken senior status...so likely is full (9/8 comment)
So that leaves Gajarsa and Bryson...no idea there
A lot of the judges don't hire many/any 3Ls so they won't hire on the plan. I know Rader has a clerk start every couple months (it's rolling)...so it's worth checking and reapplying for sure
I meant Prost has called, sorry
Prost is done.
Prost is done for 2009-2010, right?
Has anyone heard anything from Gajarsa?
Has anyone heard from Rader?
For those who don't know, Law Clerk Addict is covering the 2010-11 cycle, and has a notifications section as well as a section devoted to the Federal Circuit.
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