2L employment decision - clerkships in mind Forum

[Anonymous User]

Need to decide which of these is the best course of action for summer employment. Planning on applying broadly to clerkships in the fall and everything on my resume is from my home secondary market so far.

Priorities:
1. how this will look when applying for federal clerkships
2. gaining good experience
3. money

Options:
1. unpaid USAO internship in prestigious district (CDCA, SDNY, EDNY, EDPA, etc.)
2. USAO internship in home secondary market - will get $6000 in funding that I can pocket
3. small firm (10 attorneys) in primary market; works exclusively in the area I want to practice; pays market; not sure about post-grad employment prospects

[vamedic03]

Need to decide which of these is the best course of action for summer employment. Planning on applying broadly to clerkships in the fall and everything on my resume is from my home secondary market so far.

Priorities:
1. how this will look when applying for federal clerkships
2. gaining good experience
3. money

Options:
1. unpaid USAO internship in prestigious district (CDCA, SDNY, EDNY, EDPA, etc.)
2. USAO internship in home secondary market - will get $6000 in funding that I can pocket
3. small firm (10 attorneys) in primary market; works exclusively in the area I want to practice; pays market; not sure about post-grad employment prospects

Option #3. There really is no question here.

(1) You'll at least get paid for the summer;
(2) you have a chance at having post-grad employment;
(3) USAO internship 2L summer is unlikely to help you for clerkships
(4) If your grades and recommendations aren't there for clerkships, this question is moot and option (3) is still the best option.

[kalvano]

There is zero chance of getting hired on to the USAO without a few years of work after law school. Just in case clerkships don't pan out, you need to put yourself in the best possible position to be employed after school. Thus, option #3.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your responses.

(3) USAO internship 2L summer is unlikely to help you for clerkships

I completely understand your other points but is it true that USAO (even a prestigious one) is unlikely to help with clerkships? I thought maybe the judges who were AUSAs may view it favorably compared to some small firm they've likely never heard of.

[Cupidity]

I think it is also important to consider the increasing role that work-experience is playing in the clerkship hiring game. More and more judges are looking for people two or three years out. If you work well this summer at the small firm, and a named partner writes you a stellar recommendation describing how closely he has worked with you and how well you performed, it may carry greater weight than a strong faculty recommendation.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your responses.

(3) USAO internship 2L summer is unlikely to help you for clerkships

I completely understand your other points but is it true that USAO (even a prestigious one) is unlikely to help with clerkships? I thought maybe the judges who were AUSAs may view it favorably compared to some small firm they've likely never heard of.

I can't underestimate enough how fiercely competitive ALL federal clerkships are. An unpaid ASAO internship in a prestigious district over your 2L summer will offer a very minimal benefit for securing a federal clerkship at best (and very likely won't offer any boost whatsoever compared to the firm job). It would be a dire mistake to choose your summer employment based on the marginal boost it might offer for applying to clerkships. Rather than your summer job at this point, the name of the game is going to be (1) excellent grades, (2) law review, and (3) professors that can strongly vouch on your behalf. Keep your grades up, start putting out feelers for recommendation letters, take the market paying job, apply to tons of judges and hope for the best. Aside from the most stellar candidates, there's a substantial amount of luck involved with applying to federal judges and, placing all your eggs in on a 2L job which surely won't offer post-grad employment solely for whatever boost it might add to your clerkship apps would be a mistake.

If the firm job is a market paying position in your preferred practice area, it's a no brainer to accept. In fact, it might look better on your resume if it's a well respected firm within the general geographic area of federal judges that would be familiar with it.

P.S.--Anonymous by accident.