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to get a permanent offer from a smallish firm that does not routine offer such positions to its temporary law clerks/ interns?

recently , I have read a number of posts on TLS about how people unexpectedly receive offers from these nice firms that do not usually offer full time positions to their law clerks/interns.

What does it take to get an offer form these firms, which do not have very regular hiring practices like biglaw firms?

those people who got offers - did you perform extraordinarily well ? did the firms just happen to have vacancies?

I am working in such a firm (although after graduation I'm going back to the big law firm I spent my summer with).

There are a few attorneys in the office that were clerks while in school, but only one single lawyer who was offered a post-graduation job. This is because they can't possibly hire someone unless they have work for them, no matter how much they like him or her. So the timing would have to work out perfectly for me to turn this job into an offer. But, if I waited until they had a position open, I'm confident they would hire me over someone else, as they know me and have seen my work.

thanks.

but since there are other former law clerks who worked for them, i think they will pick the one they like most.
so ....

It's easy to say and hard to do: Do good work and be liked by everyone, including clients. Then hope they have an opening.