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Ok - so I know the normal response, "If you don't know, then you don't want to do it," but I have wanted to be a clerk since starting law school, but I am starting to get cold feet. If I am looking to go corporate/ transactional work, is there a reason to go after Fed clerkships? I am considering state business courts, and was planning on doing the full run at fed clerkships, but assuming I have an corp law offer (MASSSSIVE assumption), does clerking give me anything?

I know people who have clerked and come from or gone into corporate work. If you want to do it, then the question you really need to ask is: will it hurt me? The answer is no.

My Con Law professor was summa cum lade at Stanford. He clerked in the 9th circuit and then for the Supreme Court PRIOR to doing big law for three years. He really felt that his clerkships gave him a significant edge.

From the advice of many other people I have been told, if you don't need the money right away (if you can clerk for a couple years at 40k+ or whatever it is), it can really benefit you in your future career.

I know some attorneys who clerked and then did transactional work say it helped their practice, but I sort of doubt that is really the case. I get the feeling it's more of a post hoc rationalization. That being said, by all accounts clerking is often a great personal and professional experience, so if it's something you want to do, go for it. I don't think there is any change it would hurt your transactional career.

Any clerkship will help you in corporate transactional work. The Delaware Court of Chancery will be the best. The SDNY will also be good, given its securities docket, and so will Article III bankruptcy courts. But any clerkship is worthwhile, and there are a lot of very successful transactional lawyers who have clerked before going into big law. It makes you a more rounded lawyer, and clients and employers value that.

Anonymous User wrote:Any clerkship will help you in corporate transactional work. The Delaware Court of Chancery will be the best. The SDNY will also be good, given its securities docket, and so will Article III bankruptcy courts. But any clerkship is worthwhile, and there are a lot of very successful transactional lawyers who have clerked before going into big law. It makes you a more rounded lawyer, and clients and employers value that.

Maybe splitting hairs, but there are no Article III bankruptcy courts.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Any clerkship will help you in corporate transactional work. The Delaware Court of Chancery will be the best. The SDNY will also be good, given its securities docket, and so will Article III bankruptcy courts. But any clerkship is worthwhile, and there are a lot of very successful transactional lawyers who have clerked before going into big law. It makes you a more rounded lawyer, and clients and employers value that.

Maybe splitting hairs, but there are no Article III bankruptcy courts.

Great use of anon.

I agree that specialized courts like DE Chancery or bankruptcy are valuable, but I honestly think you learn a lot more about transactional work in your first year as a transactional lawyer than writing opinions on 10b-5 cases in the SDNY (the latter of which I've done).

Lincoln wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Maybe splitting hairs, but there are no Article III bankruptcy courts.

Great use of anon.

Clicked anonymous by accident.