You’re in luck! take a moment to listen to the tips and advice from Mahrya Fulfer and member s of the Clerkship Committee HERE. Still have questions about the process? Make an appointment with the Career Center TODAY!

1. Tell the Career Center about your interview.  We may have insights about the judge or helpful contacts to share with you.  Stop by the office or email Mahrya to share the news! We can facilitate setting up mock interviews with the clerkship committee or with alumni who have clerked with that particular judge.  You should practice your answers to the questions out loud so that you feel confident in the interview.

• Let your recommenders and jcrecommendations@wulaw.wustl.edu know about your interview.  First, they will be terribly excited for you, and second it will give them a chance to prepare in the event the judge reaches out to them.  If anything has changed since the last time you spoke, make sure you send them your updated materials.  They may have tips for the interview as well.

• Research, research, research the Judge. You should conduct research on the judge, but also look into their current clerks as well.  You should NOT contact the current clerks directly, even if they are WashULaw alumni, as they will likely be part of the interview process.  You can find information about the Judge’s chambers in the Leadership Library.  

The Clerkship Interview – Common Questions

1. Why do you want to Clerk?

Carefully think about this question and use it to your advantage.  While you may be tempted to talk about how this will improve your research and writing (it will), think deeper, and develop a sincere and thoughtful response. 

• Why do you want to Clerk in my chambers/at this Court?

Consider the geographic location, the level of court (i.e., state vs federal), the type of court (i.e., trial v. appellate), and the type of judge (e.g., Magistrate, Senior, Bankruptcy, etc.). This is where research becomes important.  Your answer should reflect specific knowledge of the judge/court.  Make sure to highlight your unique qualifications for that particular court.  If you want to be a trial attorney, mention that.  If you have taken Bankruptcy courses, an interview with a Bankruptcy Judge is the time to mention this fact! 

• Why did you decide to attend law school? Why WashULaw in particular?

You have likely been asked this question in various forms throughout your interviewing process (How do you like law school?  Are you enjoying your law school experience? etc).  Keep your answer positive.  Now is not the time to vent any frustrations, as it will only serve to showcase yourself in a negative light. 

• What is your favorite opinion of mine?
• What is the biggest issue facing the court system today?
• What is your preferred theory of the law (originalism, pragmatism, etc.)
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• What qualities do you have that might make you a valuable law clerk?
• What are your long term career goals? Short term?
• What type of law interests you most?
• What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your life?
• What do you do to keep abreast of the latest development in the law?
• What other judges have you applied to and why?
• Who is your favorite Supreme Court Justice and why (HINT- don’t go with your political views!)
• What is your least/most favorite Supreme Court decision and why?  How would you have decided the case differently?
• Why are you the best candidate for this position? Why should I hire you?
• How will you improve our chambers?
• Describe the work you have done for your law journal.
• What would your classmates say about you?
• Do you prefer to work with others or independently?
• Tell me about a time that you had to juggle competing deadlines and priorities.
• If you and I disagree about a certain issue, would you have any problems drafting an opinion incorporating a viewpoint that you don’t agree with?
• How would you describe yourself?
• How would you describe your work style?
• Why did you choose your writing sample topic?
• What is the worst job you have ever had?
• Are you ok with not being involved politically while clerking?
• Are you comfortable with not being able to discuss your work with your family or friends or anyone who may inquire?
• Is there a specific body of Supreme Court cases that you particularly like or dislike?
• What do you think is the most interesting case before the US Supreme Court this term, and how do you think it should be decided?
• Tell me the most interesting assignment during your summer at XXXXX.
• What book are you reading right now?
• What Netflix series are you currently watching?
• How would your parents describe you?
• Tell me something about you that isn’t on your resume?
• What do you do in your free time?
• What achievement are you most proud of?
• How would you approach researching a legal topic you knew nothing about?
• What is your research and/or writing style or method?

Other Ways to Prepare:

Know what is going on in the world and that particular location. 

When you get to the city in which you are interviewing, grab a newspaper and see what is happening in that location.  You also want to showcase that you are a well-rounded individual, so make sure you are relatively up on national/world events.  Keep an eye on legal issues.  You don’t want to walk into an interview unaware that the Supreme Court issued a major ruling the previous day. 

Study your Resume

Go through your resume line by line and make sure that you have a story or example for every listed experience.  Be able to discuss in depth several large legal projects you have completed (which may include projects for clinics, externships and research assistant positions).  With respect to these projects, be prepared to discuss the legal issues, how you approached the problem, any challenges you faced, how you overcame those challenges and what happened with the final drafted product.  Know your skills and interests and expect to discuss them.  If you have a thesis or note or any articles that have been published, make sure you can have a brief discussion about the topics. 

Study your Writing Sample

Know your writing sample backwards and forwards.  You should be able to comment about the best arguments in support of your position, but be ready to argue it both ways and for the judge to ask about your arguments and conclusions.  Spend some time reacquainting yourself with your writing and the cases that you cited.   

Study your Transcript

Judges had favorite classes in law school.  Some still serve as adjunct professors at law schools (you’ll find that through your research!).  Know the classes you took and the professors who taught them.  Think about which class was your favorite and least favorite and be able to discuss them.  Do not be tempted to disparage the professor as a method to explain a not-so favorable grade.  We can help you prepare an answer to explain any grades or class choices. 

You’ve received a call to interview – congratulations!  Below are a few tips to help you prepare for the interview:

1. Judges generally hire on a rolling basis, which means if they like the first person they interview, they may cancel the other interviews.  Take advantage and also show your interest by scheduling the earliest available interview appointment.  If possible, interview in person.  This will give you the best opportunity to make a strong impression and convey your strong interest. You should not wait to select an interview in the hopes of getting an offer to interview with a different judge.

• It is typically expected that if you are extended an offer you will accept.  You should not utilize an offer from one judge to push an offer from a different judge.  If after an interview you feel like that judge may not be the right fit, contact Mahrya in the Career Center and we will find a tactful way to withdraw your application from consideration immediately. 

• Bailiffs, Court Reporters, Law Clerks and Judge’s Assistants typically know their judge extremely well and may have worked with them for a very long time.  Their impression of you can be very important in the decision-making process.  In every interaction with them – via email, phone or in person – make sure that you are conveying yourself in the best possible way. 

• Arrive EARLY!  Most courthouses have security and depending on the day it could be a long line to get in.  Some courthouses have odd parking situations or even shuttles.  If you arrive early, you can simply prepare or observe proceedings. Some courtrooms also may not allow you to bring your phone.  Have a plan.

• Always bring extra copies of your materials to the interview. 

• Thank you notes are highly recommended.  While an email can suffice, we recommend a hand-written note for federal clerkships.  It does not have to be long, a few sentences will be sufficient.  Make sure that you reiterate your interest and something you spoke about in the interview.  In order to make sure your notes arrive quickly, have the notes with you and take a minute right after the interview to write a personalized thank you.  Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling.  PROOFREAD your thank you note – several times.  You can then drop it in a mailbox in the city where you interviewed so that the mail delivery is faster.  Utilize the most professional stationary for this note.  Make sure that you have everyone’s names – including the judicial assistant.  After the interview, you can absolutely check back in with the judicial assistant and clarify spelling of names. 

• Remember – Judges hire largely based on “fit.”  The members of their chambers are similar to a small family and they want to make sure that anyone they bring in will fit in.  Be prepared, but also be yourself. Federal Judges are exempt from liability under federal employment statutes, such as Title VII, so it is possible that they may ask about your personal plans. 

Were you unable to attend the Clerkship Bootcamp? Need a refresher?   Watch the video here.  If you have any questions, schedule an appointment with Mahrya Fulfer in person or virtually. 

Join the Clerkship Committee and Mahrya Fulfer for Clerkship 101
Friday, May 3, 2019 @ 11:00am in ABH320

While many judges are abiding by the rules of the new court plan, there are a few that have already begun the interview process.  If you are interested in a clerkship (and you should be!), don’t wait to start sending out paper applications or to update any paper applications that you have already sent.  For updates to a previous application, please make sure you are also including your writing sample, resume, and transcripts from the first packet. 

Here is a sample of what an updated clerkship cover letter may include.   This way, if chambers no longer has your first packet, they will have all of the materials they need. You should also be uploading all of your materials into OSCAR.

For letters of recommendation, please make sure that you are sending an email to jcrecommendations@wulaw.wustl.edu after you have sent off your paper applications. You do not have to include the judges you are applying to via OSCAR in the spreadsheet you send to JCREC. Aside from your attached spreadsheet, the email should include:

Subject:  Clerkship Letters of Recommendation

Hello,

I am a year in school, I will graduate in XXXX I have submitted paper applications for the judges listed in the attached excel spread sheet. (Please attach spreadsheet for the judges to which you have applied).  I have spoken to Professor 1, Professor 2, and Professor 3 who have all agreed to be my references.  I have sent them a follow up email letting them know that I have sent out applications.  Could you please forward their letters of rec.  Additionally, can you please upload the letters of rec to OSCAR. 

Best,

Student Name

After you send this email to JCREC, you should also update your recommenders that you have sent out your applications (and again thank them for agreeing to serve as your recommender).  That will let them know that you have gotten the ball rolling. 

Some tips:

1. If you are selected for an interview, please make sure that you reach out to tell jcrecommendations@wulaw.wustl.edu as well as Mahrya mfulferpage@wustl.edu .  JCREC can make sure that your letters of rec have been sent.  Mahrya can help you prepare for your interview. 
2. If your recommender is an adjunct member of the faculty or someone outside of WashULaw, that is fine!  Ask your recommender to send a word letter of recommendation to: jcrecommendations@wulaw.wustl.edu.  In the email they should give permission for JCREC to utilize the document for a mail merge thus inserting the proper addresses and salutations.  JCREC will take care of uploading it into Oscar as well.
3. Always update Mahrya and your recommenders about any clerkship interviews and/or offers.  We have a lot of alums and connections that could help you prepare! 
4. If your recommender has told you that they updated the letter of rec or if you have new letters, send an email to jcrecommendations@wulaw.wustl.edu letting them know that you have a new letter and that you want it sent to the attached spread sheet.  And then attach the spreadsheet you want them to use. 

Welcome to New Applicants : The OSCAR Program Office is pleased to welcome all new applicants and assist you in your clerkship and staff attorney application process. To get started, check out the Applicant Prep Kit. You can also find upcoming training events for applicants in the Training & Resources section learn more here.

Accelerate Your Clerkship Search Ready to fnd your dream clerkship? OSCAR makes it easyto search and applyfor positions online. Take advantage of features such as saving your advanced searches so you can quicklyfind clerkships based on previouslysaved criteria without having to enter the same criteria each time. Even if a judge is not currently hiring, you can view their profile and hiring practices to learn about their hiring schedules. Learn more here.

Upcoming Webinars: Smart Break Training for Applicants The OSCAR Program Office is offering a series of training sessions for applicants to provide an overview of OSCAR. Topics will include how to manage applicant profiles, search for judicial clerkships and staff attorney positions, upload documents, and select recommenders. Register for your preferred date using the links below. Wednesday, April 3 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET Thursday, April 4 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET and Friday April 12:00p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET

Please apply on the La Crosse County website. While we are happy to answer questions concerning the position, submissions not sent through the official application cannot be considered. If you have questions about the process, the position, or about La Crosse in general, you are welcome to contact the current law clerk, Chad Post, at chad.post@wicourts.gov.

Quick FAQ:

Q: Which judge in La Crosse will I be working for?
A: All of them! This position offers the candidate a unique opportunity to be the clerk for five elected judges and the family court commissioner.

Q: What if my mediation / arbitration experience isn’t in law, per se?
A: That’s okay! The important thing is that you have experience mediating disputes as a neutral party.

Q: What if my experience in mediation is only academic?
A: That’s okay too! During the interview process, the current law clerk will run you through a few real-world scenarios to assess your mediation skills.

Q: Do I have to pass the bar to be selected / to keep my job?
A: You’re welcome to sit for the bar if you like, but it is absolutely not required, either to get the job or to remain in the position.

Q: I’m a foreign trained LLM. Can I apply?
A: Absolutely.

——————–

Overview

La Crosse County has an opportunity for a Law Clerk to to assist the Courts in legal research and in mediating small claims settlement. Employee in this class must have specialized legal training to perform the required research. Position breaks down into 60% traditional law clerk duties, 30% mediation related tasks, and 10% special project work.

Application Instructions

Complete the on-line application and upload the following as attachments:
1. Cover Letter
2. Résumé
3. Law School Transcript
4. Writing Sample addressed to Judge Ramona Gonzalez

Applicants who do not submit the required paperwork will not be considered.

This full-time (40 hrs/wk), salaried position qualifies for our excellent benefits package!

Benefits include, but are not limited to:
•Health insurance at an affordable monthly cost to you with low deductibles and options for free services at retail clinics.
•Dental insurance with many services covered at 100%
•Life insurance with short and long-term disability.
•Wisconsin Retirement System.
•Generous paid time off benefits such as vacation and holidays.

Starting salary depends on qualifications – Minimum: $40,393. La Crosse County Respects Diversity

——————–

***** Essential Job Functions *****

This list of duties is subject to change. For a full list of duties, qualifications and requirements, including physical demands, please see the complete job description attached below. The most up-to-date job description is always available on the La Crosse County website at: http://www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/

• Reviews motions and briefs submitted by parties, offering legal opinions as requested.
• Conducts independent legal research and provides advisory opinions for the judges and court staff.
• Prepares memoranda, decisions, and orders for the judges.
• Advises judges on novel and unusual legal issues as they arise.
• Stays current on statutes and precedential case law, advising judges and court staff of critical developments affecting the operation of the court.
• Responds to letters from attorneys and pro se litigants on behalf of the judges. Maintains a record of assignments, balancing workloads from multiple judges to comply with due dates and assignment requirements.
• Assists the judges and the Clerk of Courts with other projects as required. Mediates all small claims cases in La Crosse County before trial, including all landlord/tenant disputes and eviction cases.

Training, Experience and Other Requirements

• Juris Doctorate or an L.L.M. from an accredited law school or a foreign equivalent required. Bar passage is not required.
•  Legal research experience and practical experience drafting legal memorandums preferred.
•  Arbitration and/or mediation experience preferred.
•  Knowledge of landlord/tenant law is a plus.
•  Familiarity with Wisconsin law is a plus, but is not required.

If you haven’t thought about clerkships you should!  Clerking is an invaluable experience that provides great training as well as mentorship.  By obtaining a clerkship, you will not only be a better attorney, but you will have the skills and background to help you move throughout your professional career, whether in private practice or government and public interest work.  The much anticipated date when 2Ls can login and begin to upload their materials in Oscar is quickly approaching.  On February 6 from 3-5 come to Bryan Cave courtroom to hear members of the clerkship committee discuss clerkships and the nuts and bolts of applications as well as get a chance to login to Oscar and begin exploring.  Bring your laptops so you can immediately get to work.  Peer career mentors will be attending to help with any logistical questions. 

OSCAR Access Dates

Law school students graduating in 2020 will gain access to OSCAR on February 6, 2019, to register for an account, upload documents, search for clerkship positions, and build online applications. The system will store these applications and release them to judges on June 17, 2019.

Learn more about OSCAR access dates here.

Coming Soon: OSCAR Version 8

The following system enhancements will be released

on February 12, 2019:

• Provide access to students with 2 years of law school grades and joint-degree, part-time, or other alternate graduation dates that do not align with the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan access dates
• Opt-in or opt-out feature for non-faculty recommenders and law school administrators

Search by state in basic search and save searches

Learn more about OSCAR v8 here.

Training & Resources

Need help applying, submitting a recommendation, or assisting applicants or recommenders?

The OSCAR Program Office provides training for all users throughout the year. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming webinars and training events for 2019.

Training at Your Own Speed
The OSCAR Program Office offers
one-on-one training to all users

Request a One-on-One Training Session with the OSCAR Program Office >

There are many new appointments for the Judiciary available and you should apply.

Search newly appointed judges HERE.

Search all Judiciary jobs HERE.

Schedule an appointment with the Career Center for more information.

How Do I…Update My Application Documents?

by OSCAR Admin | Read comments

As summer comes to an end, you may need to update your profile and applications to reflect a growth in skills and experience, or grades from the previous semester. To update your resume, cover letters, or grades on finalized applications, follow the instructions below.

Please Note: Any changes to your work experience, prior judicial experience, education, contact information, etc. should also be made within your My Profile tab. Information from your profile is automatically transferred to your existing applications, and hiring judges and staff attorney offices can perform searches on criteria in your profile, so it is important that all information is kept up to date.

Update Resume or Cover Letter

The best way to update your resume or cover letters is to upload new files. To do so:

1. Go to the My Documents
2. Click the Add New
3. Enter a unique document label and select the document type, then click Upload.

Note: OSCAR has a maximum limit for how many resumes and cover letters you can have uploaded at a time, so you may need to delete one of the old to make room for the new.

Update Grade Sheets

To update your grade sheets:

1. Go to the My Documents
2. Find your grade sheet, then click on the name to open it and access the editable fields.
3. Before you make any edits, you must update the Document Labelto a new name (we recommend using a title and date, for example, “Grade Sheet_August 2017”).
4. Make your changes, then click Save and Upload.

Update Applications

To update your existing application(s) with a new resume, grade sheet, writing sample, or cover letter:

1. Go to the My Applications
2. Locate the application you want to update, then click Edit.
3. Find the relevant section, remove the old document, and select the new.
4. When you are done, scroll down and click the Update Application
5. Repeat this process for each application you wish to update.

Please Note: If you wish to replace your resume or cover letter for multiple applications at one time, there is a convenient batch option to do so. Within the My Applications tab, scroll down to Batch Options, check the box to select the relevant application(s),and then click Replace Resume/Cover Letter to select the new documents you want to update your application with. There is no batch option to upload new grade sheets to multiple existing applications, so you must go into each existing application and select the updated grade sheet as outlined above.

More Information

For more information, see the tip sheets titled Upload Application Documents, Create an Applicant Grade Sheet, and Update Your Profile located under “Help” when logged into your account.

Further information helpful to applicants can be found within the Application Process Overview and the Applicant Prep Kit.

RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING JUDGES

Whether you are preparing for an upcoming interview or deciding where you should apply, here are some tips for researching the judiciary.

►       OSCAR (Online System for Clerkship Application and Review) https://oscar.uscourts.gov. OSCAR is a single, centralized resource for federal clerkship information. It includes a searchable database of federal law clerk hiring information, including the length of the clerkship term, the application period, the preferred method of application, and the required application materials. Judges can also post that their positions are filled or indicate that they are not hiring clerks. There is also general information about clerkship duties, salary, and benefits under the “Resources” tab. In addition, your OSCAR account allows you to save your searches, receive email updates, and apply to participating judges online.

Remember that this is a voluntary system, and some judges may choose not to participate. Approximately two-thirds of the judges have created accounts and more join each year. If a judge has no information listed anywhere in the system, come and chat with members of the Career Center.  We can help navigate next steps. Additionally, if you notice a judge that has no positions or has filled them a long time ago and hasn’t given an explicit plan for future hiring, you may wish to investigate further into whether that judge has only career clerks or has any plans to hire.

►      Leadership Connect: This is the online version of the Judicial Yellow Book. It contains biographical profiles and contact information for more than 3,500 federal and state judges, including education and previous experience. Staff information, when provided by chambers, includes the names of law clerks and the law schools they attended. WashU Law has a subscription accessible through the library website.

►       Federal Judicial Center: www.fjc.gov. You can find biographical information on all past and present federal judges, court histories, educational materials, and links to other legal resources. After selecting “Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, 1789-present,” then “Diversity on the Bench,” you can search for judges based on the characteristics of gender or ethnicity.

►       Federal Judiciary: www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts.aspx. On this website, there is information about and links to federal courts. You can also view the online version of The Third Branch at www.uscourts.gov, the federal judiciary’s newsletter. In the “Judicial Milestones” section of the newsletter, you can look for nominations, confirmations, and other status changes.

►       Senate Nominations: www.senate.gov/reference/Nominations/Index.htm. You can find the most up- to-date listings of recent nominations and confirmations, judicial and others.

►       Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov. The Nominations section includes information about judicial nominees, including their detailed questionnaire, as well as hearing dates, and votes.

►       DOJ Office of Legal Policy:  www.usdoj.gov/olp. The OLP site provides tables and statistics on nominations, as well as background information on judicial nominees.

►       National Center for State Courts: www.ncsc.org/Information-and-Resources.aspx. This website links to numerous state and international court sites.

►        The Guide to State Judicial Clerkship Procedures: http://forms.vermontlaw.edu/career/guides.

Produced by the Vermont Law School Career Services Office, this Guide provides information on

clerkship opportunities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Please see the Vermont Law School website for information about subscriptions.

►       LEXIS®–NEXIS® and WESTLAW®: www.lexisnexis.com and www.westlaw.com. Reading a judge’s opinions and news articles can give you insight into the judge’s thinking and can provide valuable background for the interview. Lexis also has Courtlink, a new feature for researching the caseload of the circuit and district courts, several state courts, and individual district court judges. The AFJ database in WestLaw also reports on caseloads for the federal judges.

At the request of judges, the OSCAR Program Office would like to offer a friendly reminder. Please remind your students to withdraw their applications when they accept a job offer or become unavailable. This will ensure judges and staff attorney offices can make the best use of their time when reviewing applications and setting up interviews.

Applicants can withdraw applications quickly and easily in one of two ways when logged into their OSCAR accounts.

 1.    Update Account Status to “Unavailable”

1. Under My Profile in the main menu, select My Account.
2. Scroll down to the “I am unavailable” field and select Yes.
3. You will be prompted to a) enter a reason for your unavailability and b) specify the period of time you will be unavailable. Click Update to complete.
4. OSCAR will display a warning message. Click OK to accept.
5. All current outstanding applications will automatically be withdrawn.

2.    Withdraw Indiviudal Applications

1. Under My Applications in the main menu, select Clerkship Applications or Staff Attorney Applications.
2. Locate the application(s) and click the Withdraw button in the Options column on the right.
3. OSCAR will display a warning message. Click OK to withdraw the application.
4. The withdrawn icon will be visible in the Application Status column of your applications.

If you have any questions, please contact the OSCAR Program Office at 866-666-2120, Monday through Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM, or email oscar-support@ao.uscourts.gov

Bookmark Senate Nominations Website
Current listings of recent judicial nominations and confirmations. Click on “civilian nominations” to look through pending or confirmed.  Applying for judges that have not been confirmed yet can put you ahead of your competition!

Also, read this helpful article about why New Judges need Clerks too!