Are 3Ls hired after passing bar or before? Forum

[[1L]Hopeful]

Upon obtaining your JD, do you first take the bar and then become employed, or are job offers made straight out of 3L?

[r973]

i believe it depends on your area of law you want to work in. for example, law firms usually would give you a job offer at the end of your summer after 2L to come back after graduation to work. but that has been all complicated by deferrals and such.

government/public interest would interview you during your third year and give you an offer to work after you graduate. i was talking to this local district attorney (in a big city) and she stated after she graduated, she had some time to study for the bar, take the exam, then began work as an ADA. she already finished her first trial before she had even gotten back her results from passing the bar exam (ultimately she did pass).

i dont really know how clerkships all work though...thats a different procedure i think.

so it all depends on where you want to work

[ScaredWorkedBored]

You don't need to be admitted to the bar to clerk.