Post-Clerkship Job hunt (Fall 2014 cycle) Forum

[insideman]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

[legalese_retard]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

Glad to hear it, good luck! My only positive news is that the rejection letters finally stopped...

[Citizen Genet]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

Glad to hear it, good luck! My only positive news is that the rejection letters finally stopped...

legalese: Didn't you have a recruiting coordinator respond with a rejection but give you a lead for another firm? How'd that turn out?

[legalese_retard]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

Glad to hear it, good luck! My only positive news is that the rejection letters finally stopped...

legalese: Didn't you have a recruiting coordinator respond with a rejection but give you a lead for another firm? How'd that turn out?

No where. I emailed and called her back, but she never returned my messages.

[Anonymous User]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

In DC: Covington, Latham, Hogan, and Williams & Connolly have been conducting interviews for the past 2-3 weeks.

[Anonymous User]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

In DC: Covington, Latham, Hogan, and Williams & Connolly have been conducting interviews for the past 2-3 weeks.

Some of those firms have been interviewing since January... Skadden and Wachtell have also been interviewing. Most of the major litigation boutiques have been interviewing and hiring since January/early February as well.

[Anonymous User]

I know of clerks who have interviewed with Gibson Dunn, Wachtell, Susman, MoloLamken, Holwell Shuster, and Zuckerman Spaeder (all in NY).

[Anonymous User]

starting to see trickles of movement on the interview front, but still largely nothing.

In DC: Covington, Latham, Hogan, and Williams & Connolly have been conducting interviews for the past 2-3 weeks.

Some of those firms have been interviewing since January... Skadden and Wachtell have also been interviewing. Most of the major litigation boutiques have been interviewing and hiring since January/early February as well.

Add Sidley to the list.

[legalese_retard]

For those getting interviews in the last few weeks, when did you submit cover letters to the firms? Has anyone who sent cover letters as far back as December getting recent interviews?

I'm just wondering if I should be reapplying to firms again. At least half of the firms I applied to back in January have not responded yet. I basically view the non-responses as rejections, but if those firms are starting to interview now, I wonder if those firms will review the previously-submitted applications.

[Anonymous User]

It is mid april and not a single interview. I am past getting nervous about this and now entered a wtf zone. I knew a federal clerkship was not a magical wand but I certainly did not expect that by mid-april I would not have atleast one "potential" option. Zero leads (unless you call half of my apps out there with no responses as potential leads)!! I know some are interviewing but is my situation the norm or am I one of the few in this situation? I am really becoming numb to this whole process. If you can't even get a job after a clerkship, what the hell is left to do? lol

[Anonymous User]

For those getting interviews in the last few weeks, when did you submit cover letters to the firms? Has anyone who sent cover letters as far back as December getting recent interviews?

I'm just wondering if I should be reapplying to firms again. At least half of the firms I applied to back in January have not responded yet. I basically view the non-responses as rejections, but if those firms are starting to interview now, I wonder if those firms will review the previously-submitted applications.

I submitted mostly in January and February, and mostly got responses in mid-late March. Was in DC, though. I have no idea what's happening with other markets.

[Anonymous User]

It is mid april and not a single interview. I am past getting nervous about this and now entered a wtf zone. I knew a federal clerkship was not a magical wand but I certainly did not expect that by mid-april I would not have atleast one "potential" option. Zero leads (unless you call half of my apps out there with no responses as potential leads)!! I know some are interviewing but is my situation the norm or am I one of the few in this situation? I am really becoming numb to this whole process. If you can't even get a job after a clerkship, what the hell is left to do? lol

I feel your pain/numbness -- I've had a similar experience so far. I thought I had pretty strong credentials (district court clerkship - not DDC/SDNY/etc., but not "flyover" either, at least not in my opinion haha - top 10% at a T-14, LR, LR note, a couple years of substantive lit experience before clerking) but it's been a series of swings and misses for me. On the big-firm front, it's disappointing but not that surprising, I guess; my resume leans heavy to public interest work and I've never worked at a big firm, so I'm sure firms are not eager to take the risk that someone they're going to have to pay a sizeable bonus to will leave in 2 years, especially if there are candidates that are in it for the long haul. But it's been mostly radio silence on the government front too. Not sure if that's because government agencies just take forever to review applications (some of mine have been pending for over two months), or if they're in the thick of the hiring process and just haven't updated my status on usajobs. In any event, I guess there's nothing to do but keep applying and make more connections, and at some point, broaden the search geographically, by size of firm, etc. Good luck!!!

[Anonymous User]

I interviewed with Paul Weiss, Skadden, and Shearman, all in NY back in February. Since then, nothing. I'm ending off-cycle, though, so that's part of the problem.

[Anonymous User]

Ive given up on the cycle. I refuse to have my future dangled around infront me constantly. If busting my ass in LS, performing well, and clerking cannot even get me one interview out of gazillon applications, then they can have it. I am going to extend my current fed clerkship in a flyover district for another year and enjoy my peace of mind!

[legalese_retard]

Ive given up on the cycle. I refuse to have my future dangled around infront me constantly. If busting my ass in LS, performing well, and clerking cannot even get me one interview out of gazillon applications, then they can have it. I am going to extend my current fed clerkship in a flyover district for another year and enjoy my peace of mind!

Good luck. My judge gave me the option to extend a year a few months ago. Unfortunately, I turned him down and he already hired my replacement. I'm beginning to regret that decision.

[Anonymous User]

Ive given up on the cycle. I refuse to have my future dangled around infront me constantly. If busting my ass in LS, performing well, and clerking cannot even get me one interview out of gazillon applications, then they can have it. I am going to extend my current fed clerkship in a flyover district for another year and enjoy my peace of mind!

Ive given up on the cycle. I refuse to have my future dangled around infront me constantly. If busting my ass in LS, performing well, and clerking cannot even get me one interview out of gazillon applications, then they can have it. I am going to extend my current fed clerkship in a flyover district for another year and enjoy my peace of mind!

Good luck. My judge gave me the option to extend a year a few months ago. Unfortunately, I turned him down and he already hired my replacement. I'm beginning to regret that decision.

Like wise. I have not communicated my decision yet either so sometimes I think "what if". But I figure it is going to be a gamble for either option and you might end up regretting your decision based on what happens during the next couple of months. So unfortunately it is a gamble which ever route we choose. I hope it turns out well for you

[Anonymous User]

I don't think firms are done hiring! Don't give up quite yet; the clerks who were before me both got their jobs very late (one, I think, in July -- a few months before the clerkship was over).

An update on my own situation -- I sent out about 15 apps in DC; rejections from about 8 or 9, radio silence from 1 or 2. Four callbacks; one I got dinged after the callback, and the other three led to offers.

(district court, T14, top 10%, LR)

[Holly Golightly]

Anyone else applying to non-biglaw jobs?

[legalese_retard]

Anyone else applying to non-biglaw jobs?

Yup. I've been applying to small insurance defense and foreclosure firms. I applied to one small law firm that was paying less than my clerkship salary, but was rejected a week later.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think firms are done hiring! Don't give up quite yet; the clerks who were before me both got their jobs very late (one, I think, in July -- a few months before the clerkship was over).

An update on my own situation -- I sent out about 15 apps in DC; rejections from about 8 or 9, radio silence from 1 or 2. Four callbacks; one I got dinged after the callback, and the other three led to offers.

(district court, T14, top 10%, LR)

Good job! I have similar stats but it's been nothing but rejections and radio silence. Do you have previous biglaw experience?

[Citizen Genet]

For people who have been struggling finding jobs post-clerkship, could you please PM me. I'd like to collect this anecdotal data so I can be real with people about whether they should accept a clerkship or to what extent it will or won't help.

If you could let me know your school, rank, type of clerkship, markets you've been targeting, and whether you had firm experience (SA or otherwise), I'd really appreciate it. I'd like to come back mid-summer and post something in here to let future applicants know what kind of situations people faced.

EDIT: And it goes without saying this would all be kept completely anonymous. I don't have the time or desire to out anyone. And beside, A Nony has me dead to rights on identity so if I did anything out of line, I'd be done.

[mi-chan17]

I'll be in this boat next year (2-year clerkship), but my predecessor left a spreadsheet of his applications (dates sent in, responses) and even though he didn't even apply until April, he still ended up in biglaw. So they may just not have gotten to hiring clerks yet at some firms.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else applying to non-biglaw jobs?

i'm the anon from above; i also sent out a bunch of federal govt applications but heard nothing.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think firms are done hiring! Don't give up quite yet; the clerks who were before me both got their jobs very late (one, I think, in July -- a few months before the clerkship was over).

An update on my own situation -- I sent out about 15 apps in DC; rejections from about 8 or 9, radio silence from 1 or 2. Four callbacks; one I got dinged after the callback, and the other three led to offers.

(district court, T14, top 10%, LR)

Good job! I have similar stats but it's been nothing but rejections and radio silence. Do you have previous biglaw experience?

no biglaw experience -- i went straight through from college to law school to clerkship, and i was not at a firm 2L summer.

[legalese_retard]

I'll be in this boat next year (2-year clerkship), but my predecessor left a spreadsheet of his applications (dates sent in, responses) and even though he didn't even apply until April, he still ended up in biglaw. So they may just not have gotten to hiring clerks yet at some firms.

That's what stinks. I applied to firms in January, but if they are looking now or later this summer, I don't know if my resume will still be considered if I never received a rejection letter. I will probably resend my resume to these firms, but I don't know if now is the best time, or if I should wait another month.