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2L interested in practicing bankruptcy law...2 externships with bankruptcy judges under my belt. Have a 2L summer offer at US trustee and a medium sized bankruptcy firm. I want to clerk for a bankruptcy judge after law school. Which should i take?

I assume the bankruptcy firm specializes in commercial bankruptcies, right? Or is it a foreclosure firm with a bankruptcy department?

If us trustee is paid /honors program funneling l'd go with that.

Edit: yeah go with whatever has the best possibility of permanent employment, though slight edge for government work imo.

How likely is the medium sized firm to turn into a permanent offer?

not likely to get an offer from the medium sized commercial bankruptcy firm...they don't guarantee any offers after summer.

$10k stipend for us trustee's office...vs about $20k in summer compensation from firm

Does the US Trustees job possibly lead to permanent employment? Perhaps through an Honors Program?

Has the firm you are considering had summers before? Do you know if they were offered? Do you know what percentage?

I'm leaning towards the small firm because I've worked in summer jobs for government before and very few of them lead to full-time offers. And I can't see that changing especially with the state of the federal budget.

Oh, and have any of the lawyers at the small firm clerked for BK judges? Might make good contacts there that could help you get a clerkship. Just putting that out there. (You could make the same consideration for the US Trustee Program, but that would probably harder to figure out).

Are the US Trustee and small firm positions both in the same area?

Anonymous User wrote:Does the US Trustees job possibly lead to permanent employment? Perhaps through an Honors Program?

Has the firm you are considering had summers before? Do you know if they were offered? Do you know what percentage?

I'm leaning towards the small firm because I've worked in summer jobs for government before and very few of them lead to full-time offers. And I can't see that changing especially with the state of the federal budget.

Oh, and have any of the lawyers at the small firm clerked for BK judges? Might make good contacts there that could help you get a clerkship. Just putting that out there. (You could make the same consideration for the US Trustee Program, but that would probably harder to figure out).

Are the US Trustee and small firm positions both in the same area?

What district is the U.S. Trustee's office in? If in Delaware or the S.D.N.Y., i would be more apt to consider it...

Can you do a termtime internship at UST instead?

Firm unless (1) eoust AND (2) you want to be a career ustp trial attorney. Exit opps aren't good at ust, especially if you get placed in a field office.

Assuming the firm is reasonably reputable and not a volume consumer bankruptcy firm or a volume creditors rights firm.

Bankruptcy clerk here. Both would help with finding a bankruptcy clerkship and would provide good experience. Can you split your summer? That'd be ideal. Otherwise, I'd personally go for the firm because of the better pay. Just make sure your résumé screams bankruptcy and you'll do great come clerkship interview season.

Anonymous User wrote:Bankruptcy clerk here. Both would help with finding a bankruptcy clerkship and would provide good experience. Can you split your summer? That'd be ideal. Otherwise, I'd personally go for the firm because of the better pay. Just make sure your résumé screams bankruptcy and you'll do great come clerkship interview season.

As a fellow bankruptcy clerk, I'll say that field office UST doesn't make you stand out relative to anything else bankruptcy-related you might do. It's generally less competitive and less helpful than a judicial externship. (Cali, Il, and tex seem to have an absurd number of externs so those don't stand out).

Most important is to be in the geographic area where you want to clerk and work at a well-respected place there.