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What are the differences between federal and state court externships? Are federal courts much more prestigious? I know some firms want judicial intern/extern/clerk experience but are they looked at all the same?

First of all, clerking and interning are not remotely comparable. Many firms want clerks and are willing to pay big bonuses to get them. Firms don't really care about judicial internships any more than they care about any other law-related 1L summer gig. That said, federal judicial internships are definitely more preftigious than state ones. It will probably only make a tiny, tiny difference to a law firm. But, if you decide to apply for clerkships after law school, it could make a tangible difference there.

If you are confused about the difference between state and federal clerkships, you'll need to do some research on this board to understand that part of the legal profession. It's very important but too complex for me to explain here.

ResIpsa21 wrote:First of all, clerking and interning are not remotely comparable. Many firms want clerks and are willing to pay big bonuses to get them. Firms don't really care about judicial internships any more than they care about any other law-related 1L summer gig. That said, federal judicial internships are definitely more preftigious than state ones. It will probably only make a tiny, tiny difference to a law firm. But, if you decide to apply for clerkships after law school, it could make a tangible difference there.

If you are confused about the difference between state and federal clerkships, you'll need to do some research on this board to understand that part of the legal profession. It's very important but too complex for me to explain here.

more or less what he said ^. however, i'd add that some firms do care about externships more than other law-related 1L summer gigs. for example, all else the same, having an federal judicial externship > state judicial externship> interning for the city department of housing/water/whatever. if you want to see how court works and may not have the grades/cv for a clerkship, i recommend doing both state and federal so you can see the difference (and most importantly, not be an ass in court when your time comes)