Federal Judges Hiring Clerks Earlier, Raising Concerns About ‘Wild West Days’
An increasing number of federal judges appear to be hiring law clerks earlier than September of the 3L year, the time called for in voluntary guidelines adopted in 2003.
Some judges are choosing clerks during the summer or even earlier, the National Law Journal reports. One clerkship adviser at a top law school told the publication that many judges are seeking applications as soon as second-year grades are available.
“Are the Wild West days of federal clerk hiring back?” the story asks. “That’s what some law school administrators and judges fear.”
The story quotes Senior Judge Harry Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, who helped develop the voluntary system. “It would be nice if we could just get people to stay with the plan,” he said.
Before Edwards’ system was adopted, federal judges hired law clerks in their second year of law school.
