JVMS 2ed states the following regarding <clinit> methods:
  --- Excerpt-from-spec ---
  3.9 Specially Named Initialization Methods
  
  A class or interface has at most one class or interface initialization
  method and is initialized (2.17.4) by invoking that method. The
  initialization method of a class or interface is static and takes no
  arguments. It has the special name <clinit>. This name is supplied by
  a compiler. Because the name <clinit> is not a valid identifier, it
  cannot be used directly in a program written in the Java programming
  language. Class and interface initialization methods are invoked
  implicitly by the Java virtual machine; they are never invoked
  directly from any Java virtual machine instruction, but are invoked
  only indirectly as part of the class initialization process.
  --- End-Of-Excerpt ---

However, if a class contains non-static <clinit>()V method then the method
is still called by JVM as in case of "right" static <clinit>()V method.