1L with Federal Clerkship, Looking for Advice/Input Forum

[Anonymous User]

I go to a Top 6 School (MVP) and have taken two 6-week federal clerkships (not magistrate) in Philadelphia (my hometown) with the Eastern District of PA. I took the first two internships offered and had about 20 interviews pending in NYC/Philadelphia/Chicago over break that I immediately cancelled.

I recognize that I'm set for the summer, but does having 2 half-summer federal clerkships look in any way bad to BigLaw employers during 2L OCI? A lot of my classmates are now starting to interview with BigLaw firms and getting offers from COA judges, so I'm getting a little buyer's regret.

FYI: Long term, I'm interested in going into M+A for a large firm or in-house for a bank.

Any advice from anyone older and wiser than a 1L?

[Anonymous User]

Ib4 shitstorm @ obvious flame. (Clerkship v internship/extern, and t6==mvp)

[LurkerNoMore]

Newer attorneys and law students get quite in a tizzy about protecting the use of clerkship. In today's vernacular what you have is either an internship or externship (seems to be some regional variation in the use of these two).

You have a legal job for the summer. Your job in the fall is to sell the your work experience. The only disadvantage you are at over some of your classmates is that you won't be getting paid. The COA/District Court distinction isn't important. Do the best work you can. Pay attention to what you are learning. Think about how those skills can be applied to a firm job. Sell it in the fall.

[Unitas]

Newer attorneys and law students get quite in a tizzy about protecting the use of clerkship. In today's vernacular what you have is either an internship or externship (seems to be some regional variation in the use of these two).
You have a legal job for the summer. Your job in the fall is to sell the your work experience. The only disadvantage you are at over some of your classmates is that you won't be getting paid. The COA/District Court distinction isn't important. Do the best work you can. Pay attention to what you are learning. Think about how those skills can be applied to a firm job. Sell it in the fall.

Internship and externship are used to mean the same thing oddly, at first I thought externship was used when getting class credit for the work, but it appears I was wrong based on how people use it. The words just mean the same thing at my school.

If you mean to say clerkship and internship for judges are the same, here are some differences: A clerkship is a job and an internship is an internship. A clerk works directly for the judge and an intern generally works directly for the judge's long-term clerk. Clerkships are paid and internships are not (usually). Some judges hire clerks almost always from interns, some judges have blanket rules against hiring interns as clerks. The poisitions are hugely different. A lot of law students use them incorrectly interchangeably.

[LurkerNoMore]

Internship and externship are used to mean the same thing oddly, at first I thought externship was used when getting class credit for the work, but it appears I was wrong based on how people use it. The words just mean the same thing at my school.

This is school specific.

If you mean to say clerkship and internship for judges are the same, here are some differences: A clerkship is a job and an internship is an internship. A clerk works directly for the judge and an intern generally works directly for the judge's long-term clerk. Clerkships are paid and internships are not (usually). Some judges hire clerks almost always from interns, some judges have blanket rules against hiring interns as clerks. The poisitions are hugely different. A lot of law students use them incorrectly interchangeably.

No I didn't mean to say that. A clerkship is a paid position after you have completed law school and an internship/externship occurs during school -- the substantive work differences will vary from chambers to chambers. However, the vitriol over the distinction is rather new. Older attorneys often use the word clerkship to cover everything. That's all I was getting at. OP should be sure to call it either an internship or externship, depending on what is used at their school.

[ggocat]

Any advice from anyone older and wiser than a 1L?

Stop worrying about the prestige of your job compared to your peers. Learn this lesson early, and you will be much happier in life.

You've already accepted an internship. You're not going to back out, so don't worry about it.

[MrKappus]

I recognize that I'm set for the summer, but does having 2 half-summer federal clerkships look in any way bad to BigLaw employers during 2L OCI? A lot of my classmates are now starting to interview with BigLaw firms and getting offers from COA judges, so I'm getting a little buyer's regret.

You're going to be at a pretty significant disadvantage when OCI rolls around. Just try to enjoy the summer and glean whatever minimal experience you can out of the jobs. Best of luck, but at this point, things aren't looking too good for you.

[JordynAsh]

Just be happy you have an offer of any kind of employment!

As others have pointed out, MVP =/= T6.

- Bitterly gradeless 1L

[Anonymous User]

The lack of constructive feedback on this forum is staggering. I just wanted to know if this route that I've chosen is considered less than stellar compared to some of my classmates.

[MrKappus]

I just wanted to know if this route that I've chosen is considered less than stellar compared to some of my classmates.

Very, very much so.

[patrickd139]

The lack of constructive feedback on this forum is staggering. I just wanted to know if this route that I've chosen is considered less than stellar compared to some of my classmates.

Yes. From a (wiser and older) 2L.

[ggocat]

The lack of constructive feedback on this forum is staggering. I just wanted to know if this route that I've chosen is considered less than stellar compared to some of my classmates.

Phrased like that, of course it is.

I repeat solely for your benefit the advice I gave above: stop worrying about the prestige of your job compared to your peers.

/s/ an older and wiser law clerk.

[of Benito Cereno]

I go to a Top 6 School (MVP) and have taken two 6-week federal clerkships (not magistrate) in Philadelphia (my hometown) with the Eastern District of PA. I took the first two internships offered and had about 20 interviews pending in NYC/Philadelphia/Chicago over break that I immediately cancelled.

I recognize that I'm set for the summer, but does having 2 half-summer federal clerkships look in any way bad to BigLaw employers during 2L OCI? A lot of my classmates are now starting to interview with BigLaw firms and getting offers from COA judges, so I'm getting a little buyer's regret.

FYI: Long term, I'm interested in going into M+A for a large firm or in-house for a bank.

Any advice from anyone older and wiser than a 1L?

your 1l mvp classmates are not interviewing with biglaw firms....

[concurrent fork]

I recognize that I'm set for the summer, but does having 2 half-summer federal clerkships look in any way bad to BigLaw employers during 2L OCI? A lot of my classmates are now starting to interview with BigLaw firms and getting offers from COA judges, so I'm getting a little buyer's regret.

You're going to be at a pretty significant disadvantage when OCI rolls around. Just try to enjoy the summer and glean whatever minimal experience you can out of the jobs. Best of luck, but at this point, things aren't looking too good for you.

+1
Most of your classmates will score 1L SAs at V10 firms.

[Anonymous User]

what? you dont go to a top six school. your 1L classmates have a lot of big law interviews and COA internships? In a major market? i highly doubt this, there are only a handful of firms that hire 1L's, and most wont interview you until you have grades in unless you have a connection or something.

[darkarmour]

*still surprised TLS is so easily trolled by OP*

[patrickd139]

*still surprised TLS is so easily trolled by OP*

Post-count fodder, friend. You'll catch on eventually.

[dood]

*still surprised TLS is so easily trolled by OP*

Post-count fodder, friend. You'll catch on eventually.

lol 180

[dood]

The lack of constructive feedback on this forum is staggering. I just wanted to know if this route that I've chosen is considered less than stellar compared to some of my classmates.

Phrased like that, of course it is.

I repeat solely for your benefit the advice I gave above: stop worrying about the prestige of your job compared to your peers.

/s/ an older and wiser law clerk.

everything above is true.

/s/ an older and wiser 2L who interned with a CoA judge 1L summer.