Worth it to clerk for state court? Forum

Verity · Post by **Verity** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:08 pm

If I want to clerk after I graduate, and I don't get an Art III clerkship, but I do get a clerkship with a state superior court, will taking that help me get a district court clerkship the next year?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:11 pm

no, i had interview with state judge and asked this
he said no
and then didnt give me a job

duckmoney · Post by **duckmoney** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:13 pm

What's the alternative? If you have an offer, just go to the firm and skip clerking. You don't have any other plans, the state clerkship sounds like a pretty good gig.

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:18 pm

Define "superior court" here. Some states call their trial courts "superior courts". Or do you mean appellate / supreme court?

If it's a trial court, then no, it won't help. Appellate / supreme can be helpful.

Verity · Post by **Verity** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:22 pm

kalvano wrote:Define "superior court" here. Some states call their trial courts "superior courts". Or do you mean appellate / supreme court?

If it's a trial court, then no, it won't help. Appellate / supreme can be helpful.

It's trial and appellate.

ggocat · Post by **ggocat** » Mon May 28, 2012 3:31 pm

Verity wrote:If I want to clerk after I graduate, and I don't get an Art III clerkship, but I do get a clerkship with a state superior court, will taking that help me get a district court clerkship the next year?

Probably not unless your (superior court) judge makes a phone call on your behalf. That doesn't mean it's not "worth it," though. Depends what your options are.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue May 29, 2012 1:05 am

Donno if it will really help much with clerkships, though judges in general are always very connected people, so maybe it will. But it absolutely will help with firms, even big law firms, based on some anecdotal info I have.

Also, it will be fantastic experience, assuming it's in the state you're going to practice in.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue May 29, 2012 2:04 am

why would you want to spend a whole year of your life in hopes of parlaying it into the truly desired job.

That's like dating a girl so you can get at her mother.

ben4847 · Post by **ben4847** » Tue May 29, 2012 2:09 am

Anonymous User wrote:why would you want to spend a whole year of your life in hopes of parlaying it into the truly desired job.

That doesn't make sense. It's no different from spending 3 years in law school so that you can get the job you want.

Verity · Post by **Verity** » Tue May 29, 2012 2:28 am

ben4847 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:why would you want to spend a whole year of your life in hopes of parlaying it into the truly desired job.

That doesn't make sense. It's no different from spending 3 years in law school so that you can get the job you want.

Well, technically it is: you can't get a lawyer job without law school (I think), but you can always definitely get the mother without going for the daughter first (in fact, that's probably the only way).

I think that answered my question. Sort of.

IAFG · Post by **IAFG** » Tue May 29, 2012 8:07 am

Anonymous User wrote:no, i had interview with state judge and asked this
he said no
and then didnt give me a job

180 post worthy of the TLS poetry thread.

cantaboot · Post by **cantaboot** » Tue May 29, 2012 9:43 am

some of you are a little short-sighted. I know at least a couple of people who clerked for the state court and then got a biglaw job. another couple of people clerked for the state trial court first before getting to clerk for the SJC - often in the same building. Then it wold be easier to get a district court clerkship.

ToTransferOrNot · Post by **ToTransferOrNot** » Tue May 29, 2012 9:48 am

cantaboot wrote:some of you are a little short-sighted. I know at least a couple of people who clerked for the state court and then got a biglaw job. another couple of people clerked for the state trial court first before getting to clerk for the SJC - often in the same building. Then it wold be easier to get a district court clerkship.

Taking two state-court clerkships in hopes of getting a district court clerkship is not worth it, because a district court clerkship itself is not worth a three-year investment. Even ignoring the obvious money problem, draining three years into clerkships is a lot of time to put in. The only three-year clerkship investment that makes sense is something that ends with SCOTUS.

ETA: OP, as others have said, whether taking the trial-court clerkship makes sense depends on what your alternatives are.

cantaboot · Post by **cantaboot** » Tue May 29, 2012 9:50 am

I gave that 'advice' because I dont know OP's full circumstances.
I personally would not take any state trial/appellate court clerkship if I already have something more lucrative.

Younger Abstention · Post by **Younger Abstention** » Tue May 29, 2012 6:42 pm

Only if it's for a state's supreme court.

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