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Does your SA position affect your ability to clerk?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:52 pm
by Anonymous User
I'm deciding between a V10, a V25, and a V100 (although the V100 is Patterson Belknap).
I'm having a tough time making a decision because I really liked all of them and felt really comfortable at each, and they all seem to have pros and cons to working there.
One thing I'm wondering is if it makes a difference at all in terms of applying for clerkships If the judge sees a V10 on my resume, rather than a V100 (or V25, etc)?
Re: Does your SA position affect your ability to clerk?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:57 pm
by Anonymous User
In this exact same boat, including PBWT, so I'd be interested to hear as well.
Re: Does your SA position affect your ability to clerk?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:06 pm
by thesealocust
It won't make a difference.*
*The exception is if it's something you can't really predict - i.e. if you meet people in the firm who know the judge, if the judge has an idiosyncratic preference, if the firm's geography is more appropriate, etc. But that's basically impossible to plan for.
Re: Does your SA position affect your ability to clerk?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:19 pm
by r6_philly
thesealocust wrote:It won't make a difference.*
*The exception is if it's something you can't really predict - i.e. if you meet people in the firm who know the judge, if the judge has an idiosyncratic preference, if the firm's geography is more appropriate, etc. But that's basically impossible to plan for.
I think having a partner or two to write letters for you or call the judges is a huge plus. But like you said one can't plan for these kind of things unless one's plans are pretty concrete.
Re: Does your SA position affect your ability to clerk?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:34 pm
by anon168
Anonymous User wrote:I'm deciding between a V10, a V25, and a V100 (although the V100 is Patterson Belknap).
I'm having a tough time making a decision because I really liked all of them and felt really comfortable at each, and they all seem to have pros and cons to working there.
One thing I'm wondering is if it makes a difference at all in terms of applying for clerkships If the judge sees a V10 on my resume, rather than a V100 (or V25, etc)?
At best, marginally. At worst, not at all.
One instance where it might matter, and this is very rare, is if you summered at a firm like Altshuler Berzon, and then applied to, oh I don't know, Judge Berzon on the 9th (or others of her ilk like Reinhardt, Fletcher (Betty and Willy), etc.)
But other than that, it's almost irrelevant. Judges, unlike you folks, rarely if ever look at much less care about Vault rankings or prestige of firms. They, like people should, care about lawyers, not law firms.