2 year magistrate clerkship? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a 2L currently applying to clerkships. I have an interview next week with a fed mag judge and he's only interviewing 2 people. My understanding is once you get an offer you can't really say no... so I'm wondering if I should go to this interview.

I have 2 SA positions this summer.. fairly confident I'd get an offer from one of these. But the firms are smaller and I know they won't hold a spot for me, especially if I take a 2 year clerkship.

T30s, top 15%, secondary journal - published

I guess my question is whether a mag clerkship is worth it for my situation.. or whether I should only take a clerk position if it's at the district level.

[Anonymous User]

bump

[rpupkin]

Why do you want to clerk?

[mjb447]

What are your long term goals? If you're pretty sure you'd be happy at one of those firms, for example, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Anonymous User]

I like these firms but I wonder if a clerkship would open better doors - particularly a district clerkship. Not sure if magistrate position helps though... the judge is in a remote area of the state, is it possible to get stuck there?

[CanadianWolf]

What are your career goals & where would you like to live & work ? How small are the 2 firms at which you had summer clerkships ? Are they general practice firms ?

[Anonymous User]

What are your career goals & where would you like to live & work ? How small are the 2 firms at which you had summer clerkships ? Are they general practice firms ?

Yes they are... one has about 10 attorneys (in my hometown) other one has about 25 (in suburb of major us city).

not sure exactly what I want to do, but I'm fairly sure I don't want to do litigation. However, my grades significantly improved last semester (fall 2l year) so I was thinking a clerkship might open doors that were closed during OCI.

Don't really care where I work, but would prefer a smaller city.

[CanadianWolf]

If you don't want to do litigation, then a Mag. clerkship may not offer much value to you.

[Anonymous User]

Current magistrate clerk here, I don't think it would make sense to accept a position as a mag clerk right now. With your stats, you will most likely be able to get one after you graduate, if you want one. You may not be able to get a district judge clerkship, But who knows maybe you can. A mag clerkship would definitely help you get a district clerkship, but so would working for a firm for a year. Mag clerkships are much easier to get, and typically judges don't hire so far out, I wouldn't let myself in so early if I were in your position.

[Anonymous User]

Current magistrate clerk here, I don't think it would make sense to accept a position as a mag clerk right now. With your stats, you will most likely be able to get one after you graduate, if you want one. You may not be able to get a district judge clerkship, But who knows maybe you can. A mag clerkship would definitely help you get a district clerkship, but so would working for a firm for a year. Mag clerkships are much easier to get, and typically judges don't hire so far out, I wouldn't let myself in so early if I were in your position.

If I wanted to use mag. to get to dis. ct., is a two year position with a mag. judge too long? Not sure how firms would respond to 3-4 years of clerking?

Also, my plan was to try for a bankr. ct. since I think it has more applicability with transactional law. Is this a better idea than mag. if I can't get in with dist. ct.

[mjb447]

If you don't want to do litigation, then a Mag. clerkship may not offer much value to you.

I tend to agree with this. Mag. clerkships are less "prestigious" but can offer you valuable exposure to really important phases of litigation (particularly discovery and/or settlement). If you're not interested in litigating I'm not sure you'd get that much out of it. (Two years is also kind of a long time to do mag. clerk work if you're not that into it.)

[Anonymous User]

If you don't want to do litigation, then a Mag. clerkship may not offer much value to you.

Agreed. OP - why are you even thinking about clerking if you dont want to do litigation? You will not gain transactional skills during any fed. court clerkship, and definitely not during mag. clerkship, which (at least in my district) focuses on discovery issues and criminal law. A bankruptcy clerkship may be transferrable, or DE Chancery (but your grades are not competitive for that). If you want to do transaction, two years at a firm would be better experience and be looked upon more favorably than clerking.

[Anonymous User]

A bankruptcy clerkship may be transferrable, or DE Chancery (but your grades are not competitive for that)

Not competitive for bankruptcy clerkship? My understanding is that these care more about an interest in bankr. (bankruptcy internship, banrkr. course work etc.) than grades

[Anonymous User]

But ok thanks guys... I'll most likely cancel the interview with the mag. judge

[lavarman84]

A bankruptcy clerkship may be transferrable, or DE Chancery (but your grades are not competitive for that)

Not competitive for bankruptcy clerkship? My understanding is that these care more about an interest in bankr. (bankruptcy internship, banrkr. course work etc.) than grades

Anon is saying that OP is not competitive for a Delaware Chancery clerkship.