Got a clerkship, what now? Forum
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Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
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Anonymous User
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- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Got a clerkship, what now?
I am fortunate enough to have accepted an offer from a District Judge in a not so popular district. I am at a Top 20 school/top 10%/law review. However, I missed out on biglaw last year and ended up working a government job with no prospects of permanent employment. I want to end up in biglaw, hopefully in NYC. Anybody have any experience on the best time to start looking? Is it appropriate to start sending out applications saying I'm interested in a position after my clerkship and oh by the way I'd also like to work at your firm this summer before I start? Or do people normally wait until they've started their position to look? Thanks for any help.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
I'm also going to be doing a clerkship in a (as you put it) "not so popular district" and will be doing so without a firm lined up to start working at when I'm done.
I don't have an answer to your question (although I'm pretty sure starting the clerkship before beginning to look is the way to go... working for a firm the summer after 3L while preparing for the bar exam sounds impossible/insane), but I'd be interested in what others have to say if anyone has more detailed advice on exactly how/when to look for a post-clerkship job.
I don't have an answer to your question (although I'm pretty sure starting the clerkship before beginning to look is the way to go... working for a firm the summer after 3L while preparing for the bar exam sounds impossible/insane), but I'd be interested in what others have to say if anyone has more detailed advice on exactly how/when to look for a post-clerkship job.
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Eco
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
Clerkship is the type of experience that leads to big law.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
I'd definitely talk to OCS. You're going to be a pretty marketable candidate for those firms who don't fill their class of 2012 hiring needs, which they should know here in the next few months. But if you just send off a resume, it probably won't be flagged by the people in the know at those firms. So you need someone who will place calls for you along the lines of "I've got this guy/girl, he's clerking in federal court for a year, let me know if you need someone in his class."
Other than that, your judge may be able to make some calls, but probably only in his geographic market, and you won't know for sure about that until you start. You'll probably also be able to land a government job, which pays fairly well at the federal level. And also think about applying for a second clerkship as a 3L next spring.
Other than that, your judge may be able to make some calls, but probably only in his geographic market, and you won't know for sure about that until you start. You'll probably also be able to land a government job, which pays fairly well at the federal level. And also think about applying for a second clerkship as a 3L next spring.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
1) You need to first find out your judge's position on job searches and offers with regard to his/her clerks. Different judges have different rules.
2) Find out if your judge requires his clerks to take the bar before starting (some do).
2) Find out if your judge requires his clerks to take the bar before starting (some do).
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beaverfuzz
- Posts: 22
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
This is correct. You also need to get a sense of your judge's caseload since, depending on the locations of the clerkship and firms, there may be conflicts you will need to disclose.Anonymous User wrote:1) You need to first find out your judge's position on job searches and offers with regard to his/her clerks. Different judges have different rules.
2) Find out if your judge requires his clerks to take the bar before starting (some do).
Additionally, most firms don't start looking at post-clerkship candidates until several months before they anticipate starting.
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ggocat
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Re: Got a clerkship, what now?
1. apply now
2. tell them you're clerking next year and want to work during the month of august (or june or whatever).
3. ????
4. profit.
But seriously, people do this--they get a clerkship and then do a nontraditional 2-6 weeks of work for the firm before starting the clerkship to see if there is a good fit.
2. tell them you're clerking next year and want to work during the month of august (or june or whatever).
3. ????
4. profit.
But seriously, people do this--they get a clerkship and then do a nontraditional 2-6 weeks of work for the firm before starting the clerkship to see if there is a good fit.
