U.S. Magistrate v. State District Forum

[A'nold]

Is it worth moving for the summer to clerk for a U.S. Magistrate Judge when the position is unpaid and I'm poor? Would a local state district ct. clerkship suffice? 1L.

[Esc]

Is it worth moving for the summer to clerk for a U.S. Magistrate Judge when the position is unpaid and I'm poor? Would a local state district ct. clerkship suffice? 1L.

IMO interning for the Magistrate would be immeasurably better, as long as you won't starve.

[hmlee]

I'm also a 1L, so take this for all that it's worth (probably not much). My career services office told me that while it is technically nicer to intern with a fed judge over a state trial court judge, internships don't carry the same sort of prestige and anti-prestige that clerkships (after you graduate) do. Further, they said that when OCI comes around, all that really matters is having a convincing reason for why you took a state court job over a fed job... such as, you wanted to see litigation in the area where you plan to practice after school. (Or some such).

[A'nold]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I can make it work financially, but it would be tough. Plus, I'd have to spend the week away from my wife and baby and drive home for the weekends....not very fun. So, one says worth it and another says no?

[Anonymous User]

I'm also a 1L, so take this for all that it's worth (probably not much). My career services office told me that while it is technically nicer to intern with a fed judge over a state trial court judge, internships don't carry the same sort of prestige and anti-prestige that clerkships (after you graduate) do. Further, they said that when OCI comes around, all that really matters is having a convincing reason for why you took a state court job over a fed job... such as, you wanted to see litigation in the area where you plan to practice after school. (Or some such).

Or just don't tell them about the fed level job to begin with.

[hmlee]

I'm also a 1L, so take this for all that it's worth (probably not much). My career services office told me that while it is technically nicer to intern with a fed judge over a state trial court judge, internships don't carry the same sort of prestige and anti-prestige that clerkships (after you graduate) do. Further, they said that when OCI comes around, all that really matters is having a convincing reason for why you took a state court job over a fed job... such as, you wanted to see litigation in the area where you plan to practice after school. (Or some such).

Or just don't tell them about the fed level job to begin with.

Well yeah, that was the first course of action advised by them, but they said that it was good to have a reason ready in case it came up (as unlikely as it was) if the interviewer looked down on the state internship.