Top Law Schools

2L locked into positions in a middle/large sized city....need help on deciding what to do this summer (all unpaid):

-State AG's office - advantages in hiring after graduation (skip initial interview and proceed to round 2)
-Local US Attorney's Office - no employment prospects after graduation, but federal experience
-Local federal magistrate judge clerkship

Post-grad goals: IP/patents, but open to doing other areas. Shut out of local IP firms for the summer. Committed to my location (as per above).

Have an offer from state AG, feel confident about offer from USAO, going to interview with magistrate.

Any advantages/disadvantages to the above positions?

Thank you for the advice.

None provides an advantage for your post-grad goal of IP work, unless the magistrate is in a "hot" IP district (something you probably would have mentioned).

So I'd probably go with the one that has any potential for post-grad employment: the state AG office.

AG in a heartbeat because you'd get trial experience quick. Stay on top of IP stuff on the side (CLE, bar seminars, maybe even audit an evening class, etc) and then search for a gig at a firm a few years out (assuming that's still what you want.)