District Court Profile: D. Mass.

The main courthouse for the District of Massachusetts is located in downtown Boston, just a few miles from three of the nation's best law schools -- Harvard, Boston University, and Boston College.  Currently, ten district judges, two senior district judges, and seven magistrate judges serve on the court. Given the court's size and location, competition for clerkships on the D. Mass. is extremely competitive.  Most clerks tend to hail from the three schools mentioned above, as well as Yale and handful of other elite schools in the northeast.

The court's website lists short bios for each judge, a history of the court, a telephone directory (for those all-important faculty calls!), and even information on artwork located in the ultra-modern Boston courthouse.  Currently, Judge Zobel and Magistrate Judge Neiman are hiring for 2012; none of the D. Mass judges have OSCAR listings up for 2013 yet.  Judge Nieman's entry states that he prefers prior clerkship experience.  Judge Zobel's is more direct: "Candidates are REQUIRED to have ONE TO TWO YEARS MINIMUM of post-law school experience, either in an appellate clerkship or other legal setting."  In other words, 2Ls need not apply.

Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
One Courthouse Way, Room 5110
Boston, MA 02210-3002

District Judge Denise Jefferson Casper
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
One Courthouse Way, Room 5130
Boston, MA 02210-3002 (more after the jump . . .)
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The Early Outlook: Who's already hiring for 2013?

The spring off-plan hiring season is still a few months away, but we are already receiving quite a few reports of off-plan and alumni hiring.  Judges on the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits have already hired clerks for 2013-14.  Some of those judges have even hired 2Ls.  And on the Second Circuit, a few judges have begun hiring for 2014-15.

So who is looking now for 2013?  Here is a rundown of the current list of "available" positions on OSCAR.  Note that many of these judges may review alumni applications early, but student applications on-plan.  The fact that a judge is accepting apps now does not mean that the judge is reviewing apps now.  Likewise, a judge is not "off plan" simply because he or she appears on this list.  For a list of judges known or rumored to be off-plan, see this post.

• Bybee (9th Cir.)
• Calabresi (2d Cir.)
• Carney (2d Cir.)
• Chagares (3d Cir.)
• Chin (2d Cir.) (continued after the jump . . .)

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District Court Profile: C.D. Cal.

The Central District of California is among the busiest federal district courts.  It services nearly 20 million residents in southern California, most of whom live in the greater Los Angeles area.  The court's docket includes a significant number of media law and copyright cases, due to Hollywood's presence, as well as a substantial number of criminal and immigration cases.  The court is also part of the recently-announced patent pilot program, which means it will be an attractive target for applicants interested in IP litigation.

These characteristics have made the Central District a very popular target for clerkship applications.  Although no judges on the Central District have begun hiring for 2013, a handful -- District Judges Morrow and Pfaelzer, and Magistrate Judge Wilner -- are still hiring for 2012 term clerkships.  Here are the mailing addresses for each of the district and magistrate judges:

Chief District Judge Audrey B. Collins
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Courthouse
255 East Temple Street, Suite 670
Los Angeles, CA 90012-3332

District Judge Percy Anderson
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
United States Courthouse
312 North Spring Street, Suite 163
Los Angeles, CA 90012-4701

District Judge Cormac J. Carney
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse
411 West Fourth Street, Suite 9-079
Santa Ana, CA 92701 (continued after the jump . . .)

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State court clerkship guides

hose interested in state court clerkships should check out NALP's updated guide.  The guide does not cover all fifty states, but does include detailed information on judicial clerkships in California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia.

Vermont Law School puts out an annual report covering all fifty states.  The 2010 version is available here.  The key takeaway for applicants is this: state courts hire on a variety of different timelines.  Some hire much earlier than federal courts; others much later.  If you are thinking about including state court clerkships in your game plan, you should read up on the process during the winter of your 2L year.

Expanded feeder judge data: OT 2002-13

Our feeder judge page lists the federal court of appeals judges with the strongest Supreme Court clerk placement records between October Term (OT) 2006 and OT 2013.  That is arguably the most relevant snapshot for current applicants, as feeder patterns shift over time.  In just the last two terms, several newer judges -- such as Judges Griffith (D.C. Cir.) and Gorsuch (10th Cir.) -- have established a strong presence in the rankings.  


For those interested in a longer view, here is a data set that looks back to OT 2002.  This list includes ten years of complete data (OT02-11) and two years of the most recent incomplete data (OT12-13). Only current judges are listed.  If a person clerked for two court of appeals judges prior to clerking on the Supreme Court, each court of appeals judge was counted.  However, if a person clerked on the Supreme Court twice (e.g., for a new Justice), their court of appeals judge was counted only once.  

Judge	Clerks OT02-13	Bristows 2002-12	Total
1. Garland (D.C. Cir.)	32	3	35
2. Wilkinson (4th Cir.)	27	5	32
3. Kozinski (9th Cir.)	26	2	28
4. Tatel (D.C. Cir.)	21	3	24
5. Boudin (1st Cir.)	19	1	20

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Michigan Law OCS: On Top of the Game

Welcome Wolverines!  We understand that the MLaw Office of Career Services mentioned this site during a clerkship presentation earlier today.  Career services offices vary widely in their response to off-plan hiring.  Some, like NYU's, have responded proactively to changes in hiring practices -- thus putting their students at a competitive advantage.  Others have essentially ignored the plan's demise, much to their students' detriment.  Kudos to UM for firmly establishing itself in the first group, and good luck to UM students this cycle!

Bristow Fellows

The Solicitor General's office hires four Bristow Fellows each year.  According to DOJ, Bristows

assist OSG attorneys in drafting briefs in opposition to certiorari filed against the government in the Supreme Court of the United States, preparing petitions for certiorari and briefs on the merits in Supreme Court cases, preparing recommendations to the Solicitor General regarding authorization of government appeals in the lower courts, and assisting in the preparation of oral arguments in the Supreme Court.

Bristow Fellows generally come directly out of high-end appellate clerkships.  The application window is open from July 15 to September 1 for positions starting the following summer (instructions here); selections are usually made in late fall.

Above The Law has covered Bristow Fellow selections in recent years.  But there is no central database listing where former Bristows clerked or went to law school.  This post seeks to fill that void for the past decade.

2012: Kavanaugh (D.C. Cir.)/YLS; Wilkinson (4th Cir.)/UVA; Sutton (6th Cir.)/Thapar (E.D. Ky.)/GULC; Niemeyer (4th Cir.)/NU

2011: Garland (D.C. Cir.)/SLS; Fletcher (9th Cir.)/Boalt; Randolph (D.C. Cir.)/Penn; Gorsuch (10th Cir.)/Chicago (continued after the break . . .)
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District Court Profile: SDNY

Federal district court clerkships come in all shapes and sizes.  Arguably the most popular, prestigious, and busy are those on New York's Southern District, commonly known as "SDNY."  The district court's website has this to say:

Once a 'leisurely one man court,' the Southern District of New York currently has forty-four United States District Judges and fifteen United States Magistrate Judges presiding over the highest civil caseload in the country.  These forty-six men and thirteen women determine matters ranging from admiralty business, the backbone of the Court’s work in early years, to anti-trust prosecutions, patent, copyright, trademark, anti-racketeering, income tax, and violations of Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) laws.  Occasionally, one or more of the District (Article III) Judges of the Southern District of New York may sit by designation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Due to the heavy workload and complexity of the docket, many SDNY judges prefer to hire clerks with a post-law school experience working in a firm or government agency.  Some require this.  Applicants should consult OSCAR to get a sense of which judges fall into these categories.  The upshot is that SDNY clerkships can be quite difficult for students to get; the increasingly common "work-clerk-work" approach may be the only way in the door for some.

Three SDNY judges -- District Judges Karas and Nathan, and Magistrate Judge Freeman -- are currently hiring for 2013-14 on OSCAR.  Without further ado, here is contact information for each SDNY District and Magistrate Judge:

Chief District Judge Loretta A. Preska
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street, Room 2220
New York NY 10007-1312

District Judge Deborah A. Batts
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street, Room 2510
New York NY 10007-1312

The list continues after the jump . . .

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The Hiring Plan: what it is, and why is it imploding.

Just a few years ago, a group of federal judges introduced the law clerk hiring plan.  This proposal -- commonly referred to as the "hiring plan," or just "the plan" -- set standardized dates for clerkship applications, interviews, and hiring.  It was designed to bring order to what had become absolute chaos.  Prior to the plan, many judges were hiring clerks as early as their 1L summer -- well before applicants had built up a meaningful law school record.  Many judges felt they had to do this, lest their competitors snatch up all the best talent.  That impulse drove hiring to occur earlier and earlier in a vicious cycle.

The plan is, and always was voluntary for all involved.  By its own terms, it applies only to law students applying to clerk the year after graduation.  Alumni are not covered.  Nor are students applying to clerk in a year other than the year after graduation.  Most law schools, and many federal judges, opted in when the plan was first announced.

Initially, a small number of judges declined to follow the plan.  Some of these judges decided the plan put them at a disadvantage -- for instance by favoring judges in major metropolitan areas, or on the coasts.  Others simply rejected the notion that they should be constrained in their hiring practices.  These "off-plan" judges put applicants in a bind.  On the one hand, law schools were telling their students not to apply off-plan (enforcing the rule by withholding letters of recommendation).  On the other hand, the off-plan judges were still somehow finding 2Ls to hire.  

What started out as a trickle has now become a torrent.  (more after the jump)

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Does your school publish a clerkship listing?

Some law schools publish a list of the clerkships obtained by their graduates.  Some do this annually -- for instance, the University of Virginia's 2009-10 term list is here.  Others maintain an omnibus list for all years, like this one from George Mason.  These lists are helpful to students trying to determine which judges tend to hire from their school.  And they help us verify and expand our historical hiring data.

If your school maintains such a list, or if you know of one from another school, please let us know (with a link!) in the comments.  Thanks!

Frequently Asked Questions (by J.)

Frequently Asked Questions

by J.

Every year, a new crop of 2Ls jumps into the clerkship application process.  This post covers a few of the questions they tend to ask most frequently.  It was last updated on April 11, 2012.

1.  What are my chances at landing an Article III clerkship?

The answer depends on many factors, most notably your school's rank, its history of sending clerks to Article III judges, your GPA and class rank, the strength of your resume, writing sample, and letters of recommendation, and whether you are on Law Review.  The hiring process can be very quirky, so chance plays a significant role as well.  The best way to identify your own chances is to join the legal employment forum at top-law-schools.com.

2.  Is a clerkship "worth it"?

Again, the answer depends on your individual circumstances -- your career goals, practice interests, personality, and background.  For many students, only some clerkships are worthwhile.  Students going into transactional practices, for instance, generally do not benefit much (professionally, at least) from a district court clerkship.  But they might get a significant boost from a year spent on the Delaware Court of Chancery (details on that particular clerkship here). The People's Therapist offers a different take here.
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Sample Cover Letters

Below are five sample cover letters, each adapted from actual cover letters sent by clerkship applicants in prior cycles.  Example 1 is the most common kind used.  Each sample is followed by commentary on the letter's strengths and weaknesses.


Example #1: The Short Letter

[Applicant's name and contact information in header]

[Date]

[Address Block]

Dear Judge [Name]:

I am a rising third year student at [law school name] and an editor of the [school name] Law Review. I am very interested in clerking for you in the 2013-14 term.

I have enclosed my resume, law school transcript, and writing sample. The writing sample is a recent case comment on the [omitted] Circuit decision in [case name], which appeared in the [month/year] issue of the Law Review. You will be receiving, under separate cover, letters of recommendation from the following individuals:

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Please let me know if I can provide any further information.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Commentary: This is a very well-executed "short" cover letter. Most Harvard Law School students use a similar letter as their template.  The applicant's contact information is easy to find, right at the top of the letter. All of the key information appears, including recommender contact information, in an organized, straightforward fashion. Plus, the letter gives some brief background on the writing sample. This is the best template to use when you have no particular ties to a judge. You could even use it if you did have ties, by customizing the second sentence in the body.  The main drawback to the short format is that it often comes across as sterile.


Example #2: The Second Clerkship

[Applicant's name and contact information in header]

[Date]

[Address block]

Dear Judge [Name]:

I am a third-year student at [law school] and would like to be considered for a clerkship in your chambers for the next available term.

I will clerk for [Judge Name] in the District of [jurisdiction] during the 2012-13 term and hope to clerk for a circuit judge the following year. I am particularly interested in working in [city] a second year, as my family has close ties to the area.  Please find enclosed my resume, official transcript, writing sample, and four letters of recommendation. The writing sample is my note, which the [school] Law Review will publish this year. It shows that [brief characterization of what the note covers].

The recommendation letters are from three professors and one practitioner: [Professor 1 Name], [Phone #], for whom I worked as both a research assistance and a teaching assistant; [Professor 2 name], [Phone #], who taught [class name]; [Professor 3 name], [Phone #], who taught a seminar on [issue]; and [AUSA name], [Phone #], for whom I worked in the United States Attorney's Office for the [jurisdiction].

If you would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [phone #] or [e-mail]. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Commentary: This is a format used by people with one clerkship when applying for a second.  All of the essentials are easy to find.  Note that the applicant's first clerkship should be included in his or her resume.  The most common format for such listings is:

The Hon. [Name], U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Pasadena, CA
Law Clerk, anticipated August 2012 - August 2013

Three more letters -- including two that illustrate common mistakes made by applicants -- appear after the jump.
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Great site to keep track of nominees

For those of you tracking the progress of recent nominees, http://judicialnominations.org/ provides a comprehensive listing by circuit and district.

Welcome

This site's purpose is simple: provide people with up-to-date information about hiring for Article III clerkships.  This information will include an overview of the on-plan and off-plan hiring processes; sample cover letters; lists of off-plan judges and feeder judges; contact information for paper applications, and data on judges' past hiring trends.  In other words, everything your school's career services office should provide, but does not.  User submissions will play a key role, so please comment any time you have something to add -- particularly with respect to hiring data.  Information from comments will periodically be integrated into the court pages.

The site is a work in progress.  For now, it contains one page for each of the federal courts of appeals.  These pages can be accessed via links in the right-hand column.  We expect that users will add information to each using the comment feature.  In time, we hope to add additional pages for district courts as well.