Can AI prepare me for a clerkship interview?

It seems like everywhere I look I am hearing something about generative AI. Lawyers are freaking out that we will be replaced, judges are freaking out that attorneys are over relying on it, and academics are freaking out about how to manage it in the classroom. Schools, including law schools, are adopting AI policies. For example, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University has announced that students may use generative AI to prepare their applications.

Between prepping a new class for the fall and sending my kids to new schools (including the start of kindergarten for my youngest!), I haven’t been able to keep up with the AI drama. But, after a meeting with some colleagues I decided to play around with Google Bard a bit. In the spirit of Jayne Woods’s excellent post on using ChatGPT to prepare for oral argument, I decided to see if Google Bard could prepare me for a clerkship interview. Spoiler alert–it did a pretty good job with the general questions.

As an initial matter, I picked Google Bard because it is free and we are a Team Android family (there are no fruit branded devices in our house). Plus, Bard is a cool name.

I first asked Bard to tell me what questions a judge might ask in a clerkship interview. Here is what it said:

Sure, here are some questions a judge might ask in a clerkship interview:

• • Why do you want to clerk? This is a common question that judges ask to get a sense of your motivation for wanting to clerk. Be sure to have a thoughtful answer that highlights your interest in the law and your desire to learn from a judge.
  • Why do you want to clerk for me? This question is a chance for you to sell yourself to the judge. Be sure to mention specific things that you admire about the judge’s work, and how you think you would be a good fit for their clerkship.
  • Why do you want to clerk for a trial/appellate court? This question is important because judges have different expectations for their clerks depending on the type of court they sit on. Be sure to have a clear understanding of the differences between trial and appellate courts, and why you think you would be a good fit for one type of court over the other.
  • What are you looking for in a clerkship? This question gives you a chance to talk about your specific interests and goals for your clerkship. Be sure to mention things like the type of cases you want to work on, the level of responsibility you want, and the kind of learning experience you’re looking for.
  • To which other judges/courts have you applied? Why did you choose them? This question is a way for the judge to gauge your interest in other clerkships. Be sure to have a thoughtful answer that explains why you applied to the other judges/courts and why you think they would be a good fit for you.
  • Why did you go to law school? This question is a way for the judge to get to know you better. Be sure to have a thoughtful answer that explains why you decided to go to law school and what you hope to achieve in your legal career.
  • What are your career plans after law school? This question is important because judges want to know that you’re serious about a career in law. Be sure to have a clear plan for your future, and how your clerkship will help you achieve your goals.
  • How does a clerkship fit into your long-term career plans? This question is similar to the previous one, but it’s more specific to clerkships. Be sure to explain how a clerkship will help you develop the skills and experience you need for your future career.
  • Where would you like to work ultimately? This question is a way for the judge to get a sense of your long-term goals. Be sure to have a realistic answer that takes into account your qualifications and the current job market.
  • How would you describe yourself? This question is a chance for you to sell yourself to the judge. Be sure to highlight your strengths and accomplishments, and how you would be a valuable asset to the judge’s clerkship.
  • How would you describe your work style? This question is important because judges want to know that you’re a hard worker who can manage your time effectively. Be sure to mention things like your attention to detail, your ability to meet deadlines, and your willingness to go the extra mile.
  • How would you describe your writing style? This question is important because judges want to know that you can write clearly and concisely. Be sure to mention things like your attention to grammar and punctuation, your ability to organize your thoughts logically, and your ability to explain complex legal concepts in a way that is easy to understand.
  • What is your favorite course in law school and why? This question is a way for the judge to get to know your interests in law. Be sure to choose a course that you’re passionate about and that you can speak intelligently about.
  • What is your least favorite course in law school and why? This question is a way for the judge to get to know your weaknesses. Be sure to choose a course that you struggled with, but that you learned from.
  • What are your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses? This question is a chance for you to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to focus on your strengths and how they would make you a good clerk, and be prepared to discuss how you’re working on your weaknesses.
  • Tell me about your work with (journal/clinical). This question is a way for the judge to get to know your experience outside of the classroom. Be sure to highlight your accomplishments and how your work has prepared you for a clerkship.
  • Who is your favorite Supreme Court justice and why? This question is a way for the judge to get to know your views on the law. Be sure to choose a justice who you admire and who you can articulate their views on the law.
  • **What do you think about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in ______?

Overall I thought that both the questions and Bard’s little explanation about each question were quite good.  My only quibble is with the question “What are you looking for in a clerkship?”  While that is certainly a question you might get, you need to be careful about being too selective about a certain type of case you want and describing “the level of responsibility you want.” If you aren’t careful, you might just explain yourself out of a clerkship. I do think that judges try to give clerks at least one case a term that falls into a subject matter interest, but most judges don’t get to decide what cases they hear, so you (and the judge) are stuck with the docket. 

Next, I decided to be a little more specific. I asked Bard, “What questions might a trial judge ask me in a clerkship interview?”  Again, Bard did a nice job:

Trial judges might ask you the following questions in a clerkship interview:

• • Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. This question is a way for the judge to assess your judgment and decision-making skills. Be sure to choose a situation where you had to weigh the pros and cons of different options and make a decision that was in the best interests of everyone involved.
  • How would you handle a case where the evidence is unclear? This question is a way for the judge to assess your ability to think critically and analyze evidence. Be sure to explain how you would gather all of the relevant evidence, evaluate it carefully, and make a decision based on the facts.
  • What do you think is the most important quality in a trial judge? This question is a way for the judge to get a sense of your values and priorities. Be sure to choose a quality that is important to you and that you believe would make you a good trial judge.
  • What is your experience with trial practice? This question is important because trial judges need clerks who have experience with the trial process. Be sure to mention any internships or externships you have done that involved trial practice, and be prepared to discuss your experiences in detail.
  • What are your views on the role of a trial judge? This question is a way for the judge to get a sense of your understanding of the role of a trial judge. Be sure to explain what you believe the role of a trial judge is, and how you would fulfill that role.
  • What do you think is the most challenging part of being a trial judge? This question is a way for the judge to assess your understanding of the challenges of being a trial judge. Be sure to mention some of the challenges that you think trial judges face, and how you would deal with those challenges.
  • What do you think is the most rewarding part of being a trial judge? This question is a way for the judge to get a sense of your passion for the law. Be sure to mention some of the things that you think are rewarding about being a trial judge, and why you are interested in clerking for a trial judge.

In addition to these questions, trial judges may also ask you questions about your specific interests and qualifications. Be sure to do your research on the judge and the court before the interview so that you can answer these questions intelligently.

A few of the question explanations seemed to tie too closely to the clerk wanting to be a trial judge, but I think that most of the actual questions are ones that clerk applicants should be prepared to answer.

Finally, I asked Bard about questions an administrative judge or a state judge might ask in a clerkship interview (I asked the question once using administrative judge and once using state judge). The answers it gave were almost identical (just swapping administrative law or judge with state law or judge. Here is the answer:

Here are some questions that an administrative judge might ask you in a clerkship interview:

• • Tell me about yourself. This is a common question that interviewers ask to get to know you better. Be sure to highlight your strengths and accomplishments, and explain why you are interested in a judicial clerkship.
  • Why do you want to clerk for an administrative judge? This question is an opportunity for you to explain why you are interested in clerking for an administrative judge specifically. Be sure to mention what you admire about administrative judges and what you think you can learn from them.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses? This is a classic interview question that allows you to showcase your positive qualities and areas for improvement. Be honest and specific, and be prepared to explain how you are working to improve your weaknesses.
  • What is your experience with administrative law? If you have any experience with administrative law, be sure to highlight it in your answer. If you do not have any experience, be prepared to explain how you are familiar with administrative law and how you are interested in learning more.
  • What are your thoughts on the role of an administrative judge? This question is an opportunity for you to share your views on the role of an administrative judge. Be sure to mention the importance of judicial independence and the need for judges to be impartial and fair.
  • What is your favorite case? This question is a way for the judge to get to know your interests and values. Be sure to choose a case that is relevant to your clerkship goals and that you can discuss in detail.
  • What are your salary expectations? This is a question that you will likely be asked at the end of the interview. Be prepared to answer it honestly and confidently.

It is also important to be prepared for behavioral questions, which are questions that ask you to describe a specific situation and how you handled it. These questions can be challenging, but they are also an opportunity for you to showcase your skills and experience.

Here are some examples of behavioral questions that an administrative judge might ask you:

• • Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult client.
  • How do you handle stress?
  • Describe a time when you had to work on a tight deadline.
  • What is your greatest strength?
  • What is your biggest weakness?

The best way to prepare for behavioral questions is to think about specific examples from your past that illustrate your skills and experience. Be sure to be specific and to use examples that are relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

I hope this helps!

Thanks Bard, it helped.  While these questions were not as tailored, they were still a helpful starting place.

I can imagine other variations of this exercise, but the point is that AI can be a useful way to think about questions you might get in an interview. I would, however, be cautious about asking it for overly specific information about a judge–there are other resources for that.