Thoughts on the EDNY and DNJ Forum

[Anonymous User]

Are they close in prestige to clerking on the SDNY, or would something in DC or Boston be generally more well regarded. Specifically how are the judges on these courts generally viewed?

[Anonymous User]

Federal clerkships, regardless of district, will always carry a high level of prestige. I wouldn't spend too much time trying to make distinctions of prestige that really don't exist. No one is going to poo poo a district court clerkship just because it was in EDNY or DNJ vs. SDNY.

Do you actually have clerkship offers from these places? I'm from NJ, and I know that it is incredibly insular. I was an intern in the district court there, and every clerk I met was from NJ. All from the top schools aside from a few, but the judges in NJ make it very clear that they don't want people who shoot for NY, miss, and look for a closeby backup.

[Anonymous User]

More edny than dnj I guess. I'm on the cusp for SDNY but I'm not sure if its worth doing another district.

[Anonymous User]

More edny than dnj I guess. I'm on the cusp for SDNY but I'm not sure if its worth doing another district.

Of course it would be worth doing EDNY if the option comes up. Keep in mind my overarching point: Federal district court clerkships are prestigious across the board, and the tiny distinctions regarding prestige should be a non-factor. It would be nonsensical to think it would be "worth" doing SDNY, while at the same time thinking it is not "worth" it to do EDNY (assuming that is the only offer you get/have). If you get one in SDNY, then great. But if EDNY is where you end up with an option, absolutely go for it if you are set on clerking.

[anon168]

More edny than dnj I guess. I'm on the cusp for SDNY but I'm not sure if its worth doing another district.

Of course it would be worth doing EDNY if the option comes up. Keep in mind my overarching point: Federal district court clerkships are prestigious across the board, and the tiny distinctions regarding prestige should be a non-factor. It would be nonsensical to think it would be "worth" doing SDNY, while at the same time thinking it is not "worth" it to do EDNY (assuming that is the only offer you get/have). If you get one in SDNY, then great. But if EDNY is where you end up with an option, absolutely go for it if you are set on clerking.

While I agree that clerkships are prestigious across the board, and valuable experiences, I do not think that the distinctions in prestige between districts is "tiny". A clerkship in SDNY is far more prestigious than one in, say, D.Neb. for example.

[Anonymous User]

More edny than dnj I guess. I'm on the cusp for SDNY but I'm not sure if its worth doing another district.

Of course it would be worth doing EDNY if the option comes up. Keep in mind my overarching point: Federal district court clerkships are prestigious across the board, and the tiny distinctions regarding prestige should be a non-factor. It would be nonsensical to think it would be "worth" doing SDNY, while at the same time thinking it is not "worth" it to do EDNY (assuming that is the only offer you get/have). If you get one in SDNY, then great. But if EDNY is where you end up with an option, absolutely go for it if you are set on clerking.

While I agree that clerkships are prestigious across the board, and valuable experiences, I do not think that the distinctions in prestige between districts is "tiny". A clerkship in SDNY is far more prestigious than one in, say, D.Neb. for example.

I meant that, among the districts he is considering, the prestige difference shouldn't be much of a factor. Both EDNY and DNJ are very highly regarded districts and are all very competitive. Someone targeting these districts obviously isn't targeting districts in Nebraska, South Dakota, etc.