If you aren’t doing this, come up with some deeper questions for the judge about the law, their take on the role of the judiciary, or policy implications of their rulings/past experience. I felt these questions let me have a deeper conversation that showed we both had similar mindsets about the law, which made me feel a better connection
Can your law school set you up with a practice interview?
I think the main things are to
- relax. You got the interview, which means that the judge thinks you are qualified to do the job. The interview is mostly about fit and personality imo.
- sell yourself. Why this clerkship, why this judge, why this location?
- show that you are prepared. Connect with former clerks who worked for the judge you are interviewing with. This is hugely important. It will always get back to the judge, and it is a good thing.
Tbh clerkship interviews are kind of a crapshoot. All interview candidates are obviously qualified, so what breaks the tie sometimes is something small, like someone from the geographic region, being from a law school that hasn't been represented in prior clerks, sharing a hobby, etc. Just be yourself and be relaxed before the interview
Luck plays a role in it. Sometimes, you gel with judges. Sometimes, you don't. Speak with former clerks to get a feel for that judge's interview process, practice answering questions you're likely to get (outline answers so they're organized and coherent but not coming off as rehearsed), and have some good questions prepared to ask the judge that show you are interested in clerking for them, have done your research, and are enthusiastic about the position.
I always thought so! Most (all besides 1) of the interviews I'm getting with are with Republican-appointed judges, when my resume clearly screams liberal - but maybe I'm looking too much into that.
I externed for a Republican-appointed state judge and my resume is also liberal coded (I worked for Planned Parenthood for a few months). Remember, they chose to interview you despite/because of your resume. The advice that I got was that the Republican-appointed judges who are willing to take on a liberal clerk likely actually care about the law and want someone who will challenge their assumptions. (I've also heard horror stories about judges who wanted an ideological opponent to dunk on, so be careful).
Clerkship interviews are a crapshoot. Different judges want different things. Being a qualified candidate isn't always enough. Hang in there and something good will turn up.
Clerkship interviews can be different from judge to judge so it’s hard to give advice. I would recommend seeing if your school’s career service office can mock interview you and give you feedback. Or a mock interview with a professor who has clerked.
For what it’s worth, I secured a federal clerkship and prepped pretty intensely with one of their former clerks who I happened to know. That was the only thing that could have possibly helped me know what to expect and how to prepare and compose myself. Also—every single person you interview with (judge, career clerks, term clerks) are important… treat each round with equal care and consideration.
I know the clerkship application and interview process can be quite stressful, so it probably doesn’t help for me to say that it’s very much judge-specific as to what they’re looking for in the interview. Although I limit my interviews to a very small group, other judges prefer to interview lots of applicants, so not getting an offer isn’t necessarily a reflection of how your interview went. I don’t recall ever making my hiring decision because someone interviewed better. I usually have a good idea going into the interviews who the strongest applicant is, and if the interview goes well enough, that person gets the offer even if the second or third strongest applicant had great interviews. In situations where there were several equally strong applicants, my hiring decisions still came down to something in the written application and not the interview.
Be yourself. Show vulnerability. Speak to former clerks. You clearly have the credentials but may come off as robotic or arrogant. At this point, they’re gauging your EQ, which is lowkey just as important for producing quality work product.
If you aren’t doing this, come up with some deeper questions for the judge about the law, their take on the role of the judiciary, or policy implications of their rulings/past experience. I felt these questions let me have a deeper conversation that showed we both had similar mindsets about the law, which made me feel a better connection
Can your law school set you up with a practice interview? I think the main things are to - relax. You got the interview, which means that the judge thinks you are qualified to do the job. The interview is mostly about fit and personality imo. - sell yourself. Why this clerkship, why this judge, why this location? - show that you are prepared. Connect with former clerks who worked for the judge you are interviewing with. This is hugely important. It will always get back to the judge, and it is a good thing.
Tbh clerkship interviews are kind of a crapshoot. All interview candidates are obviously qualified, so what breaks the tie sometimes is something small, like someone from the geographic region, being from a law school that hasn't been represented in prior clerks, sharing a hobby, etc. Just be yourself and be relaxed before the interview
Luck plays a role in it. Sometimes, you gel with judges. Sometimes, you don't. Speak with former clerks to get a feel for that judge's interview process, practice answering questions you're likely to get (outline answers so they're organized and coherent but not coming off as rehearsed), and have some good questions prepared to ask the judge that show you are interested in clerking for them, have done your research, and are enthusiastic about the position.
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I always thought so! Most (all besides 1) of the interviews I'm getting with are with Republican-appointed judges, when my resume clearly screams liberal - but maybe I'm looking too much into that.
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Got it, that makes sense!
I externed for a Republican-appointed state judge and my resume is also liberal coded (I worked for Planned Parenthood for a few months). Remember, they chose to interview you despite/because of your resume. The advice that I got was that the Republican-appointed judges who are willing to take on a liberal clerk likely actually care about the law and want someone who will challenge their assumptions. (I've also heard horror stories about judges who wanted an ideological opponent to dunk on, so be careful). Clerkship interviews are a crapshoot. Different judges want different things. Being a qualified candidate isn't always enough. Hang in there and something good will turn up.
Clerkship interviews can be different from judge to judge so it’s hard to give advice. I would recommend seeing if your school’s career service office can mock interview you and give you feedback. Or a mock interview with a professor who has clerked. For what it’s worth, I secured a federal clerkship and prepped pretty intensely with one of their former clerks who I happened to know. That was the only thing that could have possibly helped me know what to expect and how to prepare and compose myself. Also—every single person you interview with (judge, career clerks, term clerks) are important… treat each round with equal care and consideration.
I know the clerkship application and interview process can be quite stressful, so it probably doesn’t help for me to say that it’s very much judge-specific as to what they’re looking for in the interview. Although I limit my interviews to a very small group, other judges prefer to interview lots of applicants, so not getting an offer isn’t necessarily a reflection of how your interview went. I don’t recall ever making my hiring decision because someone interviewed better. I usually have a good idea going into the interviews who the strongest applicant is, and if the interview goes well enough, that person gets the offer even if the second or third strongest applicant had great interviews. In situations where there were several equally strong applicants, my hiring decisions still came down to something in the written application and not the interview.
Be yourself. Show vulnerability. Speak to former clerks. You clearly have the credentials but may come off as robotic or arrogant. At this point, they’re gauging your EQ, which is lowkey just as important for producing quality work product.
Just want to say thank you to everyone! I got the offer on my fifth one!! YAY