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Mark your calendars! OSCAR will release applications from students who entered law school in 2022 (graduating class of 2025) on June 10, 2024 at 12 p.m. EDT.
Note: Finalized clerkship applications from current third-year law students and law school graduates are already accessible to judges and chambers.
Visit the Hiring Plan page in OSCAR for more details.
Avoid using encrypted transcripts in your applications! Encrypted transcripts will corrupt applications generated by the OSCAR system.
What to Know
Law school transcripts are commonly provided by a clearinghouse and delivered as an encrypted PDF, but encrypted PDFs cannot be used in OSCAR.
What to Do
If you have an encrypted transcript, work with your law school career service office to obtain or create an unencrypted version.
Be Sure: Check Your Application Packets
To ensure that your documents display correctly to judges, always review the full application packet for each application. After creating an application, visit the Applications tab and click the Envelope icon to review.
Find answers to your recommendation letter questions in our FAQs. For even more information, see our Knowledge Base.
How do I find my recommenders?
Before building your applications, create your pool of recommenders in OSCAR. Go to Recommendations > Choose My Recommenders. Click Add Recommender and search for your recommender by name or email address. If they're not in the system, add them using the Create Recommender form.
How do I request online letters of recommendation?
Recommendation letters in OSCAR are linked to individual applications. To request a letter, create an application. When applying to a position, you select recommenders to submit letters on your behalf. OSCAR sends requests to the recommenders you choose.
How do I check the status of my requests?
You can see the status of your recommendation requests in two ways:
Applications List
In your Applications list, recommendation letters display as “L” icons. Hover over the icon to see the recommender's name and request status.
Status of Recommendations Page
Navigate to Recommendations > Status of Recommendations to view a list of judges and associated recommenders. A tag indicates whether the requested is pending, complete, or denied. You can also filter the list by Recommendation Status.
Can I finalize my applications with pending requests?
Yes! You can finalize your application with pending requests. Judges will see that the letters of recommendations are pending. Once letters are uploaded, judges can view them. If a recommender doesn't upload a letter, you can remove them and add a different one.
Can I change recommenders on a finalized application?
Yes. OSCAR allows you to add and remove recommenders on finalized applications to available positions. To change a recommender on a finalized application, follow these steps:
- Go to Applications > My Applications, find the application, and click Edit.
- OSCAR will display the Position Details. Click Update Application and proceed to Step 2 - Recommenders in the application process.
- Update your recommender selections.
- Complete the review step and select Update Application to finalize the change. OSCAR will send a request to the newly added recommender.
Can my recommender upload a letter of recommendation if the position closes?
Yes! After a position closes, recommenders have a 30-day grace period to upload letters. Note that judges may make hiring decisions before this period ends.
The Applicant Prep Kit outlines the whole OSCAR process for applicants in one place. Get guidance on eligibility requirements, searching for positions, uploading application documents, and more!
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