what do i need to do for a SCOTUS clerkship?

[rhombot]

hi there.

i'm looking for advice. i recently got it in my head that i'd like to get a clerkship on the U.S. supreme court, preferably with justice scalia. i'm a 2L at a high t2, and have a good GPA (3.60). i'm not especially interested in constitutional law, but i'd be willing to take some more courses in it if it helps. i'm not on any journal, but i'm a good writer, and used to be editor of my school newspaper.

i'm not U.S. citizen, but i could probably stay in country if i wanted to. i'm also a leftist. i worked for legal aid last summer and will work for a union this summer.

i realize there may be some obstacles, and that other people may be better qualified than me on paper. but i get girls who are way out of my league, so why not jobs? so i need advice - what can i do to persuade justice sclia (or whomever?) that i should get the clerkship?

[thorc954]

Im pretty sure this is a flame, but whatever.

you do not have a shot at a scotus clerkship.  they are typically reserved for law review kids near the top of their class at t25.  the fact that you arent on law review kinda closes off some doors.  Very few kids outside the top 14 get these clerkships and they are usually superstars.  I think the only one that hired outside that range is justice thomas and he was all over the board.  regardless, conservative judges arent going to want a liberal as a clerk. 

stick to getting girls and possibly consider clerking on a court back in your home country.

[Peaches]

If it's a flame, it's a d**mn good one.  94 previous posts about working as a non-US citizen, tier2 school, legal aid...

I'm torn between "You're a moron" and "Bravo"...

[McLovin]

If it's a flame, it's a d**mn good one.  94 previous posts about working as a non-US citizen, tier2 school, legal aid...

I'm torn between "You're a moron" and "Bravo"...

Well said.

However, just to reinforce:  You have no shot.

[Peaches]

At the risk of giving this person impossible hope, I have heard that SCOTUS judges occasionally select students who do not share their political views. 

[thorc954]

At the risk of giving this person impossible hope, I have heard that SCOTUS judges occasionally select students who do not share their political views. 

not from tier 2s though, and i would like to think that scalia would be above that. 

[craven]

Dittoing McLovin.

[Alamo79]

Scalia wouldn't hire a leftist to landscape his lawn, much less help him write his opinions.

If you had amazing connections w/Ginsburg or Stevens . . . I'd still say you didn't have a shot.  I'm not normally one to scoff at dreams, but history is not on your side here.

[cesco]

Scalia wouldn't hire a leftist to landscape his lawn, much less help him write his opinions.

If you had amazing connections w/Ginsburg or Stevens . . . I'd still say you didn't have a shot.  I'm not normally one to scoff at dreams, but history is not on your side here.

You know, I recently read something that said that Scalia has a history of regularly hiring a liberal to be one of his clerks so that he can see both sides of an argument when writing/developing his opinion. Of course I dont know where I read this, so I tried to do a google search on it.  All I got was a bunch of random blogs contemplating the idea. It may be a myth, who knows.

Also, I think the OP is a flame.  The tiniest bit of research will reveal that SCOTUS clerks have amazing qualification and are not by any standards average.

[Alamo79]

Scalia wouldn't hire a leftist to landscape his lawn, much less help him write his opinions.

If you had amazing connections w/Ginsburg or Stevens . . . I'd still say you didn't have a shot.  I'm not normally one to scoff at dreams, but history is not on your side here.

You know, I recently read something that said that Scalia has a history of regularly hiring a liberal to be one of his clerks so that he can see both sides of an argument when writing/developing his opinion. Of course I dont know where I read this, so I tried to do a google search on it.  All I got was a bunch of random blogs contemplating the idea. It may be a myth, who knows.

Also, I think the OP is a flame.  The tiniest bit of research will reveal that SCOTUS clerks have amazing qualification and are not by any standards average.

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if you're right.  I could see Scalia getting a big kick out of having a liberal punching bag.