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After graduation, I will be clerking for a judge who has sent a few clerks to the Bristow Fellowship and to the Supreme Court over the years. I intend to apply to both with the full understanding that they are long shots. That said, I have a few questions.

How often do Bristow Fellows who apply for SCOTUS clerkships not get one? I would assume that getting a Bristow Fellowship signals SCOTUS clerk-level credentials; so why would someone who gets a Bristow not be able to get a SCOTUS clerkship afterward? Do Bristow Fellows who do not clerk on the Court get a firm bonus comparable to the $280k SCOTUS bonus or just the normal bonus for their pre-Bristow clerkship(s)?

I'm in a very similar position (I wonder if it could be the same judge?). And I have thought the same question - why some Bristows don't get SCOTUS clerkships. I assume it is kind of like when the occasional Kavanaugh or Garland clerk (i.e. clerks for judges that usually send 3 or 4 per term) does not get a SCOTUS clerkship. SCOTUS Justices, like other judges, are probably very particular about who they hire, and I bet sometimes a candidate just strikes out.

I don't know how SCOTUS clerk hiring really works (is it normal to interview with several justices for the same term?), but I can definitely imagine a candidate who, despite coming from Bristow, just doesn't do well enough in the interview to get the job.

Also, I have never heard of a Bristow getting the SCOTUS bonus without the SCOTUS clerkship.

Just a theory, not backed by much in the way of evidence: perhaps Bristow hiring is less driven by professor connections, which I believe play a significant role in SCOTUS hiring. Put another way, Bristow hiring might, in a sense, be more "purely" meritocratic and therefore select people from schools that don't have SCOTUS connections. This comes to mind because I personally know two non-SCOTUS Bristows who went to Minnesota and NYU -- which aren't really SCOTUS clerkship powerhouses. Again, this is basically just wild speculation.

Does anyone know more about how Bristow hiring works? I've read the application requirements, which sound pretty basic. I assume there is an interview? Also, what qualifications (aside from top-of-the-class grades and an appellate clerkship) are important? For example, does the program care if the applicant has appellate advocacy experience (moot court and the like)?

Bump

Any more insight into Bristow hiring?

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bump - anyone know what the timeline is for this thing?

bump

I believe the process is mostly you apply and then you get a call sometime in November if you get the Fellowship. The shutdown may have affected things, but I don't believe there's an interview process.

any news on this?

I'm contemplating applying for next year - how many people apply? What are the stats on those waiting to hear?

good luck!

Anyone know of anyone who's heard from the Bristow committee? Seems like they made their calls around this time last year.

Very interesting that they do the hiring without any interviews. Other than phenomenal credentials, what helps you get hired? Calls from people with inside connections?

I haven't heard of anyone yet - maybe delayed by shutdown? Anyone else?

I give up

Just got word they were announced

Anonymous User wrote:Just got word they were announced

So who are they?

Moderator note: TLS now has an updated, source-verified guide on this topic: Bristow Fellowship Guide: OSG Eligibility, Pay, Deadline. It covers current deadlines, pay, eligibility and how to apply, with official sources, and links back to this thread. For every other program and deadline, see the legal fellowships directory. Please keep questions and experiences coming here.