New Law Clerk Hiring Plan Faces Familiar Defector Problems

A new federal law clerk hiring plan offers benefits for everyone involved, but risks collapsing like a prior plan, court watchers told Bloomberg Law.

The pilot plan, which is voluntary for judges, provides that for students who began law school in 2017 or after, “the application and hiring process will not begin until after a law student’s second year.”

It also says that judges will keep clerkship offers “open for at least 48 hours, during which time the applicant will be free to interview with other judges.”

Many top judges currently consider and hire applicants immediately after their first ...