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I'm a 2L at a T50, top 8% of my class with Moot Court and Law Review. I have an SA lined up at a V30, and although they don't hire SA's specifically to practice groups, the partner who hired me wants me for their corporate transactional practice. I hope it turns into a permanent offer. That aside...

I am considering taking a run a federal clerkships. My school doesn't place clerks very well, but every year a few get selected. I'm unsure how much help this would be for a transactional practice. Instead, my main interest is in beefing up my resume for exit options and potentially (long down the road) teaching at my alma mater.

My question is this: will biglaw firms generally defer an incoming associate for a federal clerkship if that associate is going to work in a transactional practice? Would it depend on the clerkship (I have no illusions about CoA; a non-prestigious district court is the best I dare hope for)? Does that make it obvious that I'm considering exit options, and if so, does it matter?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Normally V30's would allow deferral for fed clerkships (as well as a 50K bonus and a pay bump to your class level) because it adds to the prestige of their incoming class. Although this sounds like an excellent question to ask your firm. No one at your firm will hold it against you or think worse of you if you ask.

Good luck, good job, and congrats on the jerb.

V20 junior associate here.

I'm a corporate associate, and some of the partners gently mock the associates who got clerkships. It's pretty well known that it's not experience that translates well to transactional corporate skills. However, nobody would ever say not to get one, at least not a federal clerkship. It's quite a resume line, even for corporate attorneys, and the firm loves it as marketing since the attorney will list it in their public biography.

I didn't do a clerkship, but I kind of wish I had just because everyone who did one has said how great it was. I'd recommend you aim for for the Delaware federal district, just because you might get to see cases involving Delaware General Corporate Law.

Anonymous User wrote:V20 junior associate here.

I'm a corporate associate, and some of the partners gently mock the associates who got clerkships. It's pretty well known that it's not experience that translates well to transactional corporate skills. However, nobody would ever say not to get one, at least not a federal clerkship. It's quite a resume line, even for corporate attorneys, and the firm loves it as marketing since the attorney will list it in their public biography.

I didn't do a clerkship, but I kind of wish I had just because everyone who did one has said how great it was. I'd recommend you aim for for the Delaware federal district, just because you might get to see cases involving Delaware General Corporate Law.

You don't need a federal district court clerkship in Delaware to see cases involving Delaware Corporate law. Any district that has a fair number of shareholder derivative suits will see plenty of Delaware Corporate law, because (a) most companies are Delaware corporations and (b) the internal affairs doctrine from conflict of laws means that Delaware corporate law will apply to those cases, regardless of the forum.

-DoubleClerk

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a 2L at a T50, top 8% of my class with Moot Court and Law Review. I have an SA lined up at a V30, and although they don't hire SA's specifically to practice groups, the partner who hired me wants me for their corporate transactional practice. I hope it turns into a permanent offer. That aside...

I am considering taking a run a federal clerkships. My school doesn't place clerks very well, but every year a few get selected. I'm unsure how much help this would be for a transactional practice. Instead, my main interest is in beefing up my resume for exit options and potentially (long down the road) teaching at my alma mater.

My question is this: will biglaw firms generally defer an incoming associate for a federal clerkship if that associate is going to work in a transactional practice? Would it depend on the clerkship (I have no illusions about CoA; a non-prestigious district court is the best I dare hope for)? Does that make it obvious that I'm considering exit options, and if so, does it matter?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Do it. Especially if you want to teach down the road.