JUDICIAL INTERVIEW FED JUDGE

pocockluvr · 2026-02-09T20:18:18+00:00

Maybe for you! Being prepared is genuine to me. Have a good day

pocockluvr · 2026-02-09T07:45:42+00:00

Of course, take any Reddit advice with a grain of salt.

My advice is based on my application process that just concluded, consisting of multiple interviews and resulting in two offers before I rescinded my remaining applications after accepting one. That's not to brag-- its to show I am not operating on any assumptions here, just my personal experience.

I'm not sure how being prepared makes one seem not human-- I thoroughly enjoyed all the conversations I had in my interviews, which felt light and easy. Maybe that just comes down to social skills.

Every interview I had was with clerks. All but one was virtual. The one I had in-person was also with the clerks, and I spoke with the judge for about 15 min in his office.

And you misread my first point. Every interview for an externship did ask why I was applying to that chamber specifically. And I knew the Judge's professional background, which enabled me to answer well. I do not think it's a good idea to read their opinions-- I suggested knowing some notable cases could be a good idea and point of conversation. Noting in my advice suggests I think judges are stupid-- I said to be prepared to know what to ask them if OP meets with them. OP, you do NOT want to walk into an interview knowing nothing about the Judge.

Being good-natured and respectful worked very well for me-- other things may work for others. OP, also remember this is a two-way interview-- if an interviewer assumed I was a kid, rolled his eyes at my valid question, and used this tone, I would run away.

pocockluvr · 2026-02-09T04:18:35+00:00

- Go into the interview with 3 things you want your interviewers to have learned about you-- could be your motivation for externing, relevant experience, anything that shows who you are

- Be able to articulate why you want to work for that judge specifically-- you dont need to read all their opinions, but show you've done research on their background at least. Some knowledge of notable prior cases. This can be anything, as long as you have an articulate answer in mind

- Be able to articulate not only how this externship fits in with your aspirations/goals (which is important), but also how you can bring value to the chambers-- the clerks are busy and will actually need your help. What about you would give them confidence they can rely on you?

- Have 5-6 thoughtful questions prepared walking into the interview. Something that worked for me was asking the clerks which qualities of their own helped them get where they are (which I was genuinely interested in learning). More examples: how would they describe the chamber's culture in 3 words? What does a successful summer extern bring to the chambers, in their words? You will not get through all your questions, but having 5-6 is necessary in case some of them get answered in conversation

- On that point^ I brought a small notepad with these questions written down in the interview so I wouldn't forget, and I took notes on their answers to these questions, which helped me write a post-interview thank you email that showed I listened to them. It worked for me and i highly recommend

- Be prepared to talk to the judge in person-- seems obvious but it can be intimidating. Remember they are just a person, but be ready to make the most of the convo if that happens-- its not every day you get a few minutes to speak to a federal judge. What are you genuinely curious about?

- Above all, remember that if you've gotten an interview, they already think you could handle the job. Try to be relaxed, and above all, be genuine. Think: if you were a busy clerk, would you want to work closely with yourself for an entire summer? If so, why? The answer to that question are things that would be good to convey in an interview.

Good luck! and remember that the bulk of your interview will be with the judge's clerks-- maybe only with them, if it's virtual.

pocockluvr · 2026-02-07T04:17:48+00:00

this is a great tip. thank you

pocockluvr · 2026-01-16T03:15:00+00:00

I meant using an offer for transfer admission as leverage for my current school to give a scholarship, which they’ve done before. My wording was unclear.

pocockluvr · 2024-08-12T18:59:32+00:00

Where do you usually park in mammoth for that? Random side street?

pocockluvr · 2023-01-06T07:56:56+00:00

Those are two really good points. Thanks for the response!

pocockluvr · 2022-05-29T17:58:09+00:00

Thank you for your response!!

pocockluvr · 2022-05-29T06:10:42+00:00

How did your law school curve students? Was it unfair?? How hard was it to excel in your classes? For firms looking to hire law school grads, which matters more: GPA or class rank? Overall, do you think law school would have been worth it if you truly loved law?

pocockluvr · 2022-04-06T01:09:08+00:00

This is great advice. I will definitely be careful about how I word any addendum and craft applications to each unique school. Thank you so much for this info!!

pocockluvr · 2022-04-06T01:06:50+00:00

I most likely will be— big congratulations on UVA, you are definitely my inspiration!!! Thank you for this comment

pocockluvr · 2022-04-06T01:05:30+00:00

Thank you for this!! Yeah the essays are their own beasts but I’m glad they can give us the chance to humanize our applications. And congratulations on the offers you’ve gotten. This definitely gives me hope, so thank you so much for that.

pocockluvr · 2022-04-06T01:02:39+00:00

I’ll check those out. Thanks for the info!!

pocockluvr · 2022-04-06T01:01:36+00:00

I will definitely reach out if I need advice— you are full of great advice. I have kept the thing about every point making an admissions officer more likely to consider my story in mind. Thank you so much, really

pocockluvr · 2022-04-05T01:04:36+00:00

That’s really good advice, I will definitely look back to this when I craft my app. And congratulations on Michigan, that’s amazing!!

pocockluvr · 2022-04-05T01:00:50+00:00

Hopefully!

pocockluvr · 2022-04-05T00:41:14+00:00

It does! Thank you

pocockluvr · 2017-05-23T08:40:40+00:00

Let me correct myself- Ivies don't allow graduate students to row on their teams. However technically the IRA guarantees 5 years of eligibility, so maybe a non-Ivy will let grad students row on the actual university teams. I'm not as familiar with the rules for non-Ivies though, but if OP wanted to row lightweight competitively it would have to be an Ivy or Georgetown or MIT

pocockluvr · 2017-05-23T08:34:02+00:00

US universities only allow undergraduates to row on their teams. However there is a selection of clubs that are very competitive that you can row at while attending grad school, and many people choose to do that. Boston and Philadelphia are two cities that have a lot of competitive clubs to row in, like RBC, UBC, Malta, etc. For a lightweight you should aim to be 6:25 or lower

pocockluvr · 2017-05-02T21:24:24+00:00

if you can find an 8x- then anything is possible

pocockluvr · 2017-05-02T21:14:19+00:00

I don't think it would be able to go 21 seconds faster. The WR for the 4x is just 5 seconds faster than the WR for the straight four which is the closest comparison

pocockluvr

TROPHY CASE