When will the applications be released to judges?

Student applications will be released to the judges on Wednesday, September 3, 2008.  Applications from law school graduates are released at the time of submission.

What Internet browsers does OSCAR prefer?

Refrain from using tabbed windows in any Internet browser. Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, Netscape Navigator 7.2 or higher, and Firefox.  DO NOT use Safari (please use Firefox).

Can the OSCAR Help Desk tell me my password?

No, the application does not allow the OSCAR Help Desk to view passwords. You can use the Forgot Password feature that is available on the login page. By entering your username, a new password will be emailed to you. If you forgot your username, please contact your OSCAR Law School Administrator or the OSCAR Help Desk at 202-354-3005 or email oscar-support@ao.uscourts.gov.

Why haven't I received an Evite email?

• Has the applicant applied to a clerkship position? The trigger for an Evite to be sent is when an applicant creates an application for a clerkship. As each letter of recommendation is associated with a specific application, an applicant must apply to a position before you will receive a request.
• Have you already received an Evite? Recommenders receive only ONE Evite email. Recommenders do not receive a new Evite every year or every time an applicant uses them because Evite emails reset passwords.
• The Evite may have been filtered by your email server.  Please check the “Junk,” “Trash,” “Bulk,” or “Spam” folder(s) in your email account. As the Evite is sent from a server, anti-spam filters sometimes block the Evites and may be placing the email in a folder other than your Inbox. Look for an email from "oscar-support@ao.uscourts.gov" with the subject line "Letter of Recommendation Requested."

Where can I find help and information on using OSCAR?

• Go to the OSCAR Information web site at: http://oscar.dcd.uscourts.gov/home
• by clicking on Resources link in the left-hand menu bar, you can access the Recommender Resources section, or
• Once logged into OSCAR, go to the links on the lower left corner of the Home tab for additional links to the User Guide, illustrated Tip Sheets and online help, or
• Throughout OSCAR, you may access online help specific to the tab you are on by clicking the    , located in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

My name/email address is misspelled. How can this be fixed?

Please contact your OSCAR Law School Administrator or the OSCAR Help Desk.

What file types can be uploaded into OSCAR?

OSCAR only allows .PDF documents to be uploaded into the database. Recommenders can also create letters inside of OSCAR using the built-in online editor. Text from a word processing document can be pasted into the online editor using the “Paste as Plain Text” feature, , which eliminates most hidden codes found within word processing documents.

How do I see my pending recommendations?
Click on the Recommendation Requests tab at the top of the screen. When the screen refreshes, the Requested Recommendations tab will be displayed, showing a list of the applicants’ names, the law school the applicant is from, and the number of requested recommendations. Red lettering is for pending recommendations, green lettering is for completed recommendations, and gray lettering is for applications that have been withdrawn.

How do I submit letters of recommendation?

Click on the Recommendations Requests tab. Then click on an applicant's last name, and the screen will change, displaying the Submit Recommendation tab. In the "Attach to Applications" section, select the judges the letter is to be sent to by clicking in the boxes next to the judges' names. For each of the judges listed, you can either upload a PDF file or you can use the online editor with the merge functions, described on the right-hand side of the page, to send a single letter that is customized to multiple recipients.

Moving down the screen, in the "Recommendation" section, leave the button on the "online editor" if you are entering the letter in the box below. Use the Label field to save a copy of your letter for re-use (e.g., if the applicant applies for additional clerkships within the next few days and generates new recommendation requests). An example of a Label would be the applicant's name. If you are uploading a PDF file, change the button to ".pdf file" and the screen will change, replacing the the Online Editor box with a "Browse" button so you may upload the .pdf file from your computer or network drive.

Once the letter of recommendation is entered in the Online Editor, or the filename can be seen next to the Browse button (for PDF files), click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.  The screen will refresh and a "Confirm Recommendation" button will be displayed. The request is NOT filled until this "Confirm Recommendation" button is selected.

An applicant is going to apply to more judges.  Will my letter be associated with all future requests from the applicant?

No. Recommendation letters are individually associated with applications to specific judges. This design allows recommenders to personalize letters of recommendation.

Can I use the same recommendation letter(s) already uploaded?

Yes. If the letter was uploaded as a .PDF or saved as an online editor Template, then the letter may be easily associated with the new requests.

How can I create a Template?

•     There are two ways to create a Template: on-the-fly when entering a letter on the Recommendations Requests tab, or from the My Templates tab:
•     From the Recommendations Requests tab, enter a file name in the Label field.  After the Confirm Recommendation button is selected, the letter will be saved as a Template.
•     You can also enter the letter on the My Templates tab.  Go to the My Templates tab.  Click on the Add New button and the screen will change to show the Template Details tab. Type in a Label for your Template and begin typing your letter in the body of the Online Editor. On the right-hand side of the screen, the Merge Fields are available so that you can personalize your letter. All you need to do with the Merge Fields are to copy and paste them into the appropriate spaces within your document. Use the Save button often to prevent losing your work from network interruptions or system time outs. Once you are finished preparing your document, click the Upload button to save your Template in the My Template section of OSCAR and return to the My Templates list.

TIP:  Do NOT leave the My Templates tab without clicking either the Upload or Save button OR your work will be lost. To re-use the letter, the next time you return to the Recommendation Requests tab there will be a new pull-down menu above the Online Editor box: Use Template.

Use the pull-down arrow to select the Label entered for this applicant.

How can I preview letters created using the Online Editor and insure the merge codes were typed correctly?

Before you click the Confirm Recommendation button, you can preview your letters of recommendation as finished .PDF files.  Just above the Confirm Recommendation button, there is a section titled "Attach to Applications" with a numeric list of all the judges who will receive this letter. Between the number and the judge's name, there is a small .PDF icon. Click on this .PDF icon to launch Adobe Reader in a new window.  You will now see your letter as the judge will see it; the merge codes will be replaced with the requested data within OSCAR.

If the merge codes did not behave as expected, close the Adobe Reader window and click the Edit Recommendation button in OSCAR to return to the previous screen.  If you are satisfied, close the Adobe Reader window and click the Confirm Recommendation button. NOTE: The Confirm Recommendation button must be selected to fill the recommendation request.

Why don’t the Merge Codes work?

The Merge Codes are computer commands and must be entered precisely as they are written in the Merge Fields box on the left-hand side of the screen. The easiest way to fix this issue is to copy the desired Merge Code from the left-hand side of the screen and paste into the online editor.

NOTE: Merge Codes only work for those letters entered in the online editor. Merge Codes do not work for uploaded .PDF files.

What happens if an application is released to the judge before the recommendation letter is submitted?

Letters of recommendation can continue to be uploaded to the applicant’s applications by recommenders even after they have become Finalized and are viewable to the judges. The judges will see the letters are still pending, as if “the letters are in the mail.”

Can letters be modified after the application has been released to the judge?

No. Once the application is released to the judge, those uploaded recommendation letters are locked.  However, if the requests for recommendation are still pending for that application that has been released to the judge, you may still upload letters of recommendation.

Can I receive a notification when new requests for letters of recommendation occur and/or there are pending requests?

•     Yes. In the My Account tab, there are two e-mail notification settings that enable you to receive an email notification:
•     If you would like to be notified of new recommendation requests, select Each Request, Weekly, or Never.
•     If you would like to receive a weekly reminder there are requests for letters of recommendation pending, select Yes or No.
•     Click the Update Email Notifications button to save your selections.

I accidentally uploaded the wrong letter. What can I do?

If the application has NOT been released to the judge, the letter can be deleted and the request filled again:

•     Click on the Completed Recommendations tab, located at the top of the screen.
•     When the screen refreshes, locate the application. A grid will be displayed showing all the letters of recommendation that have been filled, first by applicants name and  then by judge. Use the Applicant keyword search field in the gray area above the grid to narrow down searches.
•     Check the box(es) in the left-hand column and then go to the Batch Options pull-down menu, located above the grid on the left-hand side.
•     Click the down arrow associated with the Batch Options pull-down menu and choose “Delete Recommendations.”
•     The letters will be deleted and the requests will return to the Recommendation Requests tab to be re-filled.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?

Call the OSCAR Help Desk at (202) 354-3005, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  Questions can also be directed via email at oscar-support@ao.uscourts.gov.