clerking is bullshit Forum

[Anonymous User]

clerking in one of nd/cd cal. mods can check my history if they want. non-flame.

this is stupid. i wish i'd externed and got what i need out of it. i'd rather be making a ton more money litigating this crap.
taking questions.

[fatduck]

does the judge ever let you bang the gavel?

[Anonymous User]

does the judge ever let you bang the gavel?

no but he/she does let me gavel the bang
shit this job would be 10x fun if there was a gavel involved

[Anonymous User]

i'll make a list
1. money sucks
2. not much to judging. "magic" ain't happening in chambers. order writing is just a less persuasive form of motion writing. less fun.
3. no interaction with anyone except judge and co-clerk
4. judge ain't mentoring shit (maybe this is 50% of it)
5. money sucks

[ilovesf]

What were your stats and school range?

[JusticeJackson]

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[dixon02]

what're your hours like

[fatduck]

Taking my clerkship was the best decision of my life. The job was fulfilling, in that I had a real impact on the law. It was also a nice break from the long hours I had before and after my clerkship. Additionally, it opened up doors and provided job security I didn’t have before. When I started my clerkship, I was lucky as hell to have a job offer from one firm. As my clerkship wrapped up, I had at least 6 firms call me and tell me that if I apply, the job is mine. I know if the firm I’m at lays me off tomorrow, I could call up a number of firms that will hire me solely because of the clerkship.

D. Ct. clerkship? COA? something else?

[JusticeJackson]

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[target]

do you think COA vs. Dist. Ct. could have made the difference of experience?

[ilovesf]

do you think COA vs. Dist. Ct. could have made the difference of experience?

Probs. District Court has to deal with tons of shit motions and pro ses who write terribly.

[wiseowl]

goodness. GTL Rev's corpse isn't even cold yet and this hits the board?

[ilovesf]

goodness. GTL Rev's corpse isn't even cold yet and this hits the board?

Did something happen to him?

[wiseowl]

goodness. GTL Rev's corpse isn't even cold yet and this hits the board?

Did something happen to him?

Quit board and deleted all posts. Says he was "burned out." If you discuss it, you get a bullet between the eyes. I am in grave danger.

[gotmilk?]

edit- sry accidental anon

[gotmilk?]

Do you think a lot of your bad experience is due to your judge not being the best mentor? Or are there a lot of other clerks in your courthouse who are having bad experiences?

[target]

do you think COA vs. Dist. Ct. could have made the difference of experience?

Probs. District Court has to deal with tons of shit motions and pro ses who write terribly.

true. although COA still has to take a lot of appeals from pro ses since sometimes dist. ct. don't care to be that thorough.

ETA: didn't know about GTLRev. damn, hope he will be ok.

[hiima3L]

Can I take your job? I live a few blocks away.

Sincerely,
A lowly Hastings grad with no shot at N.D. Cal.

[Anonymous User]

What were your stats and school range?

good enough for nd/cd cal

[Anonymous User]

Taking my clerkship was the best decision of my life. The job was fulfilling, in that I had a real impact on the law. It was also a nice break from the long hours I had before and after my clerkship. Additionally, it opened up doors and provided job security I didn’t have before. When I started my clerkship, I was lucky as hell to have a job offer from one firm. As my clerkship wrapped up, I had at least 6 firms call me and tell me that if I apply, the job is mine. I know if the firm I’m at lays me off tomorrow, I could call up a number of firms that will hire me solely because of the clerkship.

"you" had no impact on the law. anyone would have done your job. and everyone would have come to the same decisions you wrote orders for (if you wrote orders). maybe you're using a very weird definition of "impact," i.e., people cite cases I wrote. If that's "impact," then ok, i guess. Nobody knows you made any impact, though. And it's not much of an achievement to make an impact when working for a judge. Better to make an impact as a litigant.

maybe your job situation is different from mine. i dont need this clerkship to get a job. so if thats the case, sure, clerkship is worth it.

[Anonymous User]

what're your hours like

45 hour weeks on average. Most are either 40-hour or 50-hour weeks. Occasionally, I'll hit 55-60 for a particularly important motion which requires special attention.

It's nice for the first few weeks after big law. Then you get your fed paycheck. And then you miss big law.

[3ThrowAway99]

I agree.. fuck that shit. Not even interested.

[Anonymous User]

do you think COA vs. Dist. Ct. could have made the difference of experience?

god yes. i would die of boredom at COA. At least here, there's more action.

[Anonymous User]

Do you think a lot of your bad experience is due to your judge not being the best mentor? Or are there a lot of other clerks in your courthouse who are having bad experiences?

Probably got a lot to do with it. But my guess is that mentoring judges make their clerks work hard and have really high expectations. I don't talk shit about my experience with co-clerks. I don't want to get a reputation for not liking my job at the workplace.

My guess is most of them are jaded after the first two months or so. Some are still giggly about getting a clerkship, but they're the strivers.

[JusticeJackson]

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