State Intermediate Court Exit Options Forum

[TTT_allstar]

TTT graduate from regional powerhouse with below median grades...

What are my exit options from State Intermediate/ Trial Court clerkship? Midlaw? Shitlaw? Biglaw ever?

[Anonymous User]

TTT graduate from regional powerhouse with below median grades...

What are my exit options from State Intermediate/ Trial Court clerkship? Midlaw? Shitlaw? Biglaw ever?

I knew two state court of appeals clerks who got legit biglaw gigs coming out of their clerkship. They both did their degrees at regional flagships. However, both had really good grades. They also networked their ASSES off and were more persistent and dedicated to meeting people and showing their interest in their relevant fields than I could ever imagine - so the jobs were much more about those abilities than being a state COA clerk. Everyone else I know who got biglaw had an offer waiting for them before they got the clerkship. There were quite a few people in local mid/small law (in this market, that's pretty small).

I also think that exit options vary by market, and also that state COA exit options are generally much better than state trial clerkship exit options (except maybe if you're in NJ, where for some reason state trial clerkships are relatively decent outcomes).

[TTT_allstar]

State trial court exit options are worse? It's not like trial court clerkships are easy to get. They usually go to top 30 percent or so of a ls class. Plus, they are good practical experience in motion practice.

What kinds of jobs do such clerks usually get?

[Anonymous User]

State trial court exit options are worse? It's not like trial court clerkships are easy to get. They usually go to top 30 percent or so of a ls class. Plus, they are good practical experience in motion practice.

What kinds of jobs do such clerks usually get?

I don't know what state you're talking about, but again, unless it's NJ, state trial court clerkships aren't considered especially hard to get/helpful, no. I haven't seen that grade requirement (and also that would depend on the school you're coming from). In some states trial level clerks do a lot more docket handling than any legal research or writing.

At least, this is my understanding. I'm not trying to justify it, just passing it along. Again, states differ, so maybe that's not the case at all where you are.

My impression is that state trial court clerks tend to go into very small firms, often family or criminal defense, depending on the docket of their court. But it's a very small sample so hard to generalize.

[ggocat]

State trial court exit options are worse? It's not like trial court clerkships are easy to get. They usually go to top 30 percent or so of a ls class.

My intermediate COA would probably limit it to top 10% from a TTT, which might even be pushing it. Plenty of grads from T14 apply. I know some state trial courts hire top 30% or even lower from TTT schools. There's a big difference in 10% and 30% from a TTT, at least for legal employment (not necessarily for any good reason). Top 10% frequently get biglaw interviews; not so for top 30% unless you are IP or diverse.

Exit options are all over the place and, I think, generally correspond with what the clerk was capable of obtaining before taking the clerkship. So some people do biglaw, others small law, others government, other federal or state supreme clerkships. Most of the small law offices are generally respectable (not necessarily boutiques, just respectable), paying decently for the market (under $100K, but perhaps close to it with bonus). I know only one clerk who finished unemployed, but he was targeting crim defense only and found something in that field within 6 months.

Edit: just saw below median grades, so I really don't think you're getting biglaw/midlaw unless you have IP/diversity.

[TTT_allstar]

So midlaw firms will not value a trial court clerkship?

Do people who finish trial court clerkships (non-new jersey (by the way, I've heard that NJ trial clerkships were the shittiest, not the best... perhaps the original responder had this inverted?)) often have difficulty finding a job? This sounds fishy, because I have never heard of any clerk that had a hard time finding work post-clerkship.

[bk1]

This sounds fishy, because I have never heard of any clerk that had a hard time finding work post-clerkship.

What? Even some federal clerks are struggling to find employment. See http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=216841

[ggocat]

So midlaw firms will not value a trial court clerkship?

Sure. But that doesn't mean (1) trial court clerkship with below median grades > (2) top 10% 3L.

[TTT_allstar]

So is midlaw possible with less than median and a trial clerkship?

Also, with a good recommendation from my Judge, is it possible to get a clerkship w/ the State Supremes? If a less than median goes SSC, then will midlaw firms come running?

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I know a handful of NJ trial/App/SC clerks. They typically draw from the top half of the class, or lower if you're politically connected.

[TTT_allstar]

Nah, it's not a troll thread (I dunneven know what a 'troll thread' is). I just am confused about state trial court/ appellate court clerkships. Everyone on here is always just salivating and shooting their loads about Art. III; meanwhile state court clerkships are largely neglected. I'm just a NW US clerk looking for some good info about my prospects post-exit.

I have seen peeps on this forum saying a broad spectrum of things about the foregoing. Everything from, "barely a job" and "mark of shame" to "very valuable experience...[and TTTT trial clerks have pulled v50 firm jobs with no SA.]"

[ggocat]

So is midlaw possible with less than median and a trial clerkship?

Also, with a good recommendation from my Judge, is it possible to get a clerkship w/ the State Supremes? If a less than median goes SSC, then will midlaw firms come running?

Anything is possible, and it depends on whether the judge has connections and is willing to pull them in for you.

[TTT_allstar]

This sounds fishy, because I have never heard of any clerk that had a hard time finding work post-clerkship.

What? Even some federal clerks are struggling to find employment. See http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=216841

yea, because they're trying to get biglaw at cravath and its ilk. if these fed dist. clerks applied to small law or the local pd office, i'm pretty sure they'd be alright.

[paintbynumbers]

anyone know anything about MD intermediate court prospects after clerkship? DC Superior?

[Anonymous User]

So midlaw firms will not value a trial court clerkship?

Do people who finish trial court clerkships (non-new jersey (by the way, I've heard that NJ trial clerkships were the shittiest, not the best... perhaps the original responder had this inverted?)) often have difficulty finding a job? This sounds fishy, because I have never heard of any clerk that had a hard time finding work post-clerkship.

I don't know anything about the quality of NJ trial clerkships, I've just heard that they're actually a better route into firm work than in most other states. Could be totally mistaken. All I know is that in my state (not east coast or west coast) state trial clerkships don't really get you into another job. Obviously that will vary depending on the person, their judge, and what the person does with that year (or however long it is). Clerkships can provide more time to network and make connections, so they can help an applicant that way, but employers aren't looking to hire state trial clerks particularly. I don't think I've ever seen more than one or two firm bios (at very small firms) that included a state trial clerkship, for instance, whereas you see state COA and SSC all the time. Fair or not, federal court has more prestige than state, and appellate has more prestige than trial.