Should I do a second clerkship? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I graduated from HYS in 2013, and spent the last year as an associate in NYC. I am now doing an appellate court clerkship in a non-NYC east coast city that I wouldn't want to stay in long-term. I was recently offered a district court clerkship in a different east coast city, where I also would not want to stay long-term. Should I take it? I eventually want to end up in government in CA. AUSA would be ideal, but obviously difficult. I have the option of going back to my firm in NYC in either 2015 or 2016, but I have no intention of doing so, and given my experience last year, am wary of going into private practice at all.

Any thoughts? I'm a little worried about not being able to get a government job out of my clerkship, and being forced back into private practice. I'd also imagine that my private practice options would be limited as an entering fourth-year with only 9 months of actual firm experience.

[Anonymous User]

I would do it.

I'm a d. ct. clerk. I interned at a state COA for about 9 months in law school (summer + semester) and I was treated like a clerk, FWIW. I would do a fed COA clerkship in a heart beat, but I don't think that's in the cards for me.

The skills you learn at a d.ct. are very, very different from appellate. Trial-level experience is a whole different world than appellate and, IMO, it is MUCH more applicable to litigation practice. I can't imagine you could get into AUSA positions nowadays without trial experience, and a d.ct. clerkship is fantastic for that.

I firmly believe that a d.ct. clerkship is going to open up WAY more opportunities than close them. In fact, I don't think it will close any. All the clerks here have gone on to big law or gov't positions with seemingly minimal ease, and we're in a semi-flyover district.

[Anonymous User]

saturday morning bump. appreciate any advice.

My issue is not whether a clerkship is valuable - I think that it is. My issue is whether a dist court clerkship will add to my resume, even if its not in the right city/state and if there's any substantial disadvantage to searching for jobs as a 4th year instead of a 3rd year.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think a district court clerkship will definitely add to your resume, as it is completely different skills than COA. I also think USAOs will value district court over COA (depending on the office/openings - there are just generally a lot fewer appellate AUSAs than trial AUSAs). Certainly a clerkship in the location where you're going to practice is ideal, but the skills/knowledge are valuable regardless of where the clerkship is.

I can't speak to firms' reactions, but there are lots of 2-clerkship people (COA + Dist) out there at firms, I don't see how having had one year of firm work on top of that would really make you undesirable. Maybe they just wouldn't give you 2 full years of credit. But this is just speculation.