Top Law Schools

I apologize if there is another thread similar to this... I just couldn't find it.

I know it's pretty unanimously decided that law review is essential for a clerkship. However, I want to work some sort of public or government litigation upon graduating. Our school you can grade on (which is reserved for top 10 %... I'm top 25 %) or you can write on. Should I spend my time on law review with this employment goal or would my time best be served focusing my time on mock trial, school year internships (at USAO, Prosecutors office, public defenders office, etc) and grades?

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station4 wrote:A few more details might be helpful - range of school and what exactly you mean by public and government litigation (local prosecutor/PD or USAO or Big Fed, for instance).

Sure. I'm most interested in criminal prosecution. So District Attorney's office, City Prosecutor, etc. I'm not oppose to PD though. USAO and AG office don't hire right out of law school in this area but I'd like to work for either office at some point. I'm interning over the summer at a legal services office and the city prosecutors office so depending on my experience, I might even be interested in a legal services sector position. I'm not sure what you mean by law school range, but according to LST my school has about a 71% employment rate with about 15% of those working public services. Aba report shows close to 20% works in the public sector or government (not including clerkships).

A fed clerkship will probably be more help to you in landing the type of job you want than any of the other things you list. And Law Review would be helpful in landing a clerkship. But of course Law Review isn't going to guarantee you a clerkship, and it doesn't sound like you are at a school where being in the top 25% makes you a shoo-in for clerkships?

If we are assuming you won't clerk, I'd imagine that the internship might be the more valuable than LR.

lawschool..amiright? wrote:Should I spend my time on law review with this employment goal or would my time best be served focusing my time on mock trial, school year internships (at USAO, Prosecutors office, public defenders office, etc) and grades?

Why not both? It would only help.

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Emma. wrote:A fed clerkship will probably be more help to you in landing the type of job you want than any of the other things you list. And Law Review would be helpful in landing a clerkship. But of course Law Review isn't going to guarantee you a clerkship, and it doesn't sound like you are at a school where being in the top 25% makes you a shoo-in for clerkships?

If we are assuming you won't clerk, I'd imagine that the internship might be the more valuable than LR.

+1

Though I will add that nothing is stopping you from doing all of the above. I know plenty of people who have been able to do that (journal+internships+mock trial) while maintaining/improving grades. Whether you can do that and, if so, whether that is worth sacrificing free time for is something you have to answer yourself.