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I have an offer outstanding from a state supreme court judge in NYC (FYI - this is the trial court in New York State). I have to accept the offer by tomorrow.

However, I recently received 2 invitations to interview with federal judges in the SDNY/EDNY. Unfortunately, I was unable to schedule the interviews until next week, so I cannot get an offer before tomorrow's deadline. I would much prefer to work in one of these positions if I received an offer.

Let's assume I can't get an extension from the state court judge, but that it is permissible for me to turn down the offer without ruining my legal career (this was explicitly communicated to me). Let's also assume I'm a good but not great interviewer. I'm basing this off the fact that in the past, I've gotten an offer for most, but not all, of the positions I've interviewed for.

Given these circumstances, would it be a bad idea to turn down the offer from the state court judge, or are the odds pretty good that of the 2 federal judge interviews, I'll end up with 1 offer? I'd prefer to work for a federal judge, but I know it's late in the game and that many federal positions have been filled. I sent out applications not too long ago, and it's possible I'll get more interviews, but it's impossible to know for certain.

Any advice for my situation, or even any insight generally into how common it is to receive an offer following an interview for a federal judicial internship, particularly in the SDNY/EDNY, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help.

If you want federal, just wait for your interviews. Even if you end up without an offer, NY Sup. Ct. isn't some golden opportunity you'd give up, and it's still relatively early in the process as far as finding a summer gig goes.

Lincoln wrote:If you want federal, just wait for your interviews. Even if you end up without an offer, NY Sup. Ct. isn't some golden opportunity you'd give up, and it's still relatively early in the process as far as finding a summer gig goes.

I tend to agree with this. I'm assuming this is for your 1L summer, correct? If you feel comfortable doing so, call the Supreme Court judge or his/her clerks and be honest; state that you have two pending interviews (don't need to mention that they are federal judges, you don't want to try to sound like you're trying to "upgrade") and ask if an extension is possible. If it is, great. If not, I would go with the above poster's advice. You are very early in the process. Good for you for being proactive, most of your classmates will likley still be looking for internships well into March and the serious slackers will be looking in April/May.

Let me assure you, though, that the value of a federal judicial internship vs. state may be a bit overblown in the OCI context (if that is what is concerning you). What matters most are grades and having enough experience from your summer/prior internships to be able to demonstrate that you've actually done/seen some interesting and useful things. I was shut out from three federal judges during my 1L summer, ended up working for a state agency, still had plenty of experience to talk about during OCI, couple that with strong grades, and I'll be at a V5 this summer. The federal versus state distinction is certainly more relevant if we're talking post-grad clerkships, but as a 1L it is far from the end all be all. Good luck!

If you turn down the state offer and strike out at both of the other interviews, you'll still have time to find something else. It's pretty early in the 1L job hunt process.

What if you received an offer for a judicial internship from a Supreme Court judge in MO? Is that stupid to turn down in the hopes of a firm job your first year? (top 25% at T-20)