US Attorney's Office SDNY vs. Judicial Internship EDNY Forum

[Anhimal]

Hey guys, I was just wondering which one is better for a resume if I ultimately want a firm job? A USAO or a judicial internship?

[Renzo]

USAO, SDNY definitely. Do you actually have an offer, or is it a hypothetical?

[Anhimal]

Wow, definitely? I didn't know there's such a slam dunk distinction in terms of desireability. Shows how much I know.

[Anhimal]

Nevermind.

[Anonymous User]

LOL! Poll-smack-downed.

I think the big difference here is jurisdiction. If both jobs were EDNY, or both SDNY, it would be a toss up. You couldn't go wrong either way, so it would come down to your gut from having talked to people at both as to which you would be more comfortable at (I had the same choice in a different set of jurisdictions and I chose the USAO. I plan to get my judicial shadowing done in a clerkship. I get to handle violent crimes all summer, yippee! ). But with one in the Southern district and the other not, I think it is pretty obvious which job you should pick.

[Renzo]

LOL! Poll-smack-downed.

I think the big difference here is jurisdiction. If both jobs were EDNY, or both SDNY, it would be a toss up. You couldn't go wrong either way, so it would come down to your gut from having talked to people at both as to which you would be more comfortable at (I had the same choice in a different set of jurisdictions and I chose the USAO. I plan to get my judicial shadowing done in a clerkship. I get to handle violent crimes all summer, yippee! ). But with one in the Southern district and the other not, I think it is pretty obvious which job you should pick.

It still wouldn't be a toss up. If you want to work in NY, both the EDNY and SDNY USAO are extremely highly regarded summer programs because they are so competitive. Judicial internships in general just aren't as "special," everyone knows you really were interning for the clerk, not the judge (in most cases), so you don't get the kind of substantive work you will in the USAO.

[Anonymous User]

LOL! Poll-smack-downed.

I think the big difference here is jurisdiction. If both jobs were EDNY, or both SDNY, it would be a toss up. You couldn't go wrong either way, so it would come down to your gut from having talked to people at both as to which you would be more comfortable at (I had the same choice in a different set of jurisdictions and I chose the USAO. I plan to get my judicial shadowing done in a clerkship. I get to handle violent crimes all summer, yippee! ). But with one in the Southern district and the other not, I think it is pretty obvious which job you should pick.

It still wouldn't be a toss up. If you want to work in NY, both the EDNY and SDNY USAO are extremely highly regarded summer programs because they are so competitive. Judicial internships in general just aren't as "special," everyone knows you really were interning for the clerk, not the judge (in most cases), so you don't get the kind of substantive work you will in the USAO.

I was trying to be polite to the people working as Judicial interns, but I agree with you. USAO work is WAY more interesting. Hence why I picked it.

[Bosque]

Huh, I didn't mean to be posting all of that Anonymously. My bad, I don't want to abuse the feature.

[Unemployed]

So what does it take to get SDNY as a 1L? Good interview + top 10%?

[legends159]

So what does it take to get SDNY as a 1L? Good interview + top 10%?

applying by Dec. 1st

[Unemployed]

So what does it take to get SDNY as a 1L? Good interview + top 10%?

applying by Dec. 1st

Fair enough.

[legends159]

no seriously, they fill up quick.

Is judicial internship at SDNY really that much of a push over? I can understand civil division of US Attorney's office being ridiculously competitive, but the criminal division accepts a lot of people, roughly 50 a year.

Since not every judge in SDNY hires 1L or interns for the summer and they take anywhere from 2-4 isn't it about the same level of competitiveness.

As for the type of work you will be doing, I've heard that USAO would be more interesting, but I've also heard that it can be quite boring most of the time. Same with working for a judge.

I wonder, for someone who doesn't want to do anything having to deal with criminal law, is the decision that much of a no-brainer?

[Unemployed]

no seriously, they fill up quick.

Is judicial internship at SDNY really that much of a push over? I can understand civil division of US Attorney's office being ridiculously competitive, but the criminal division accepts a lot of people, roughly 50 a year.

Since not every judge in SDNY hires 1L or interns for the summer and they take anywhere from 2-4 isn't it about the same level of competitiveness.

As for the type of work you will be doing, I've heard that USAO would be more interesting, but I've also heard that it can be quite boring most of the time. Same with working for a judge.

I wonder, for someone who doesn't want to do anything having to deal with criminal law, is the decision that much of a no-brainer?

TBF they are doing a bunch of OCI's right now...

[legends159]

you're right. But who knows how many slots they reserved for OCI.

and for those who don't attend school on the east coast, fighting for those non-OCI slots demands early applications.

[Anonymous User]

So what does it take to get SDNY as a 1L? Good interview + top 10%?

applying by Dec. 1st

False, I applied in mid-Jan and got an interview. Not through my school's OCI even though the came a week or so later for OCI.

[Anonymous User]

USAO SDNY is really really prestigious. CN 1L - only about 2 people from my class did it last summer v. 10+ who worked at the EDNY. I'm 100% sure that's not self selection but rather SDNY being more selective. 50 slots isn't very much if you think about the fact that people from every law school all over are probably applying.

Also, the casework at SDNY is amazing. Same w/ EDNY. Lots of really high profile stuff - terrorism, fraud, etc. It's almost better to be in criminal b/c the case load - and it will not matter if you don't want to do criminal at the end of the day. Legal experience is legal experience.

One benefit to EDNY over SDNY is that their interns are allowed to sit at the counsel's table and speak in court on smaller hearings or motions. It's one of the only USAOs that allows this.