T14 2015 Grad w/ No-Offer: Better to work at Shitlaw or a "bad" Clerkship? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Basically the title.

The clerkship would be basically city-level (not prestigious at all). However, it would buy me a year and, possibly, give me a second bite at the BigLaw apple. Firm is letting me say I have an offer on my resume, FWIW.

Other option is a shitlaw firm (contracts/some lit) that pays similarly.

Thoughts?

[trebekismyhero]

Basically the title.

The clerkship would be basically city-level (not prestigious at all). However, it would buy me a year and, possibly, give me a second bite at the BigLaw apple. Firm is letting me say I have an offer on my resume, FWIW.

Other option is a shitlaw firm (contracts/some lit) that pays similarly.

Thoughts?

Sorry about the no offer. Are you currently a 3L or did you graduate? If you are a 3L, I would keep mass mailing, depending on your market there are many firms that don't do 3L hiring until closer to graduation.

If it is between the two, I guess go with the clerkship. Idk if that will give you a bite at big law, but could help get you a better clerkship that might give you a better shot at big law or gov't.

[Anonymous User]

Basically the title.

The clerkship would be basically city-level (not prestigious at all). However, it would buy me a year and, possibly, give me a second bite at the BigLaw apple. Firm is letting me say I have an offer on my resume, FWIW.

Other option is a shitlaw firm (contracts/some lit) that pays similarly.

Thoughts?

Sorry about the no offer. Are you currently a 3L or did you graduate? If you are a 3L, I would keep mass mailing, depending on your market there are many firms that don't do 3L hiring until closer to graduation.

If it is between the two, I guess go with the clerkship. Idk if that will give you a bite at big law, but could help get you a better clerkship that might give you a better shot at big law or gov't.

OP: Sorry, I meant C/O 2015 -- so I have graduated/passed the bar and whatnot. Thanks!

[20160810]

Flesh out what you mean by shit law. If you're talking about a decent 20 person firm I'm inclined to say do it. If you're talking about insurance defense for 45k take the clerkship. Even if there's no prestige it's easy work and you'll learn skills.

[Anonymous User]

Flesh out what you mean by shit law. If you're talking about a decent 20 person firm I'm inclined to say do it. If you're talking about insurance defense for 45k take the clerkship. Even if there's no prestige it's easy work and you'll learn skills.

OP: fewer than 10 people doing law focused on helping small- to mid-sized businesses, basically. Not insurance defense or anything like that. Salary is 40-50k like the clerkship.

[20160810]

Flesh out what you mean by shit law. If you're talking about a decent 20 person firm I'm inclined to say do it. If you're talking about insurance defense for 45k take the clerkship. Even if there's no prestige it's easy work and you'll learn skills.

OP: fewer than 10 people doing law focused on helping small- to mid-sized businesses, basically. Not insurance defense or anything like that. Salary is 40-50k like the clerkship.

I think it might depend on what city you're in. If this is a really small town where for some external reason you actually want to live and the cost of living is low enough to make that salary work I would consider it. Otherwise I lean heavily on clerkship. Even if it isn't the sort of clerkship that will drop panties in recruiting offices it's a good way to spend a year investing in yourself. I did a not terribly prestigious clerkship myself as a jobless 3L and it was a great experience. I learned a lot and am definitely a better researcher and attorney because of it.

[Anonymous User]

Flesh out what you mean by shit law. If you're talking about a decent 20 person firm I'm inclined to say do it. If you're talking about insurance defense for 45k take the clerkship. Even if there's no prestige it's easy work and you'll learn skills.

OP: fewer than 10 people doing law focused on helping small- to mid-sized businesses, basically. Not insurance defense or anything like that. Salary is 40-50k like the clerkship.

I think it might depend on what city you're in. If this is a really small town where for some external reason you actually want to live and the cost of living is low enough to make that salary work I would consider it. Otherwise I lean heavily on clerkship. Even if it isn't the sort of clerkship that will drop panties in recruiting offices it's a good way to spend a year investing in yourself. I did a not terribly prestigious clerkship myself as a jobless 3L and it was a great experience. I learned a lot and am definitely a better researcher and attorney because of it.

OP: major market city (NY/LA/CHI, etc). I have been leaning toward the clerkship for similar reasons (lack of panty-dropping aside, sadly). Thanks for sharing your experience!

[deepseapartners]

My inclination is to say to take the city clerkship if your ultimate goal is another bite at the Biglaw apple. I can't imagine a very compelling answer to a future interviewer's question about why you took a small law office job over Biglaw, but city has the ring of PI interest that you could maybe spin into "I wanted to see if it was for me."

[Anonymous User]

I think the biglaw ship has sailed. Maybe you could play the public interest card, but I am skeptical.

If the court is one of limited jurisdiction, I'd take the firm. You'll learn skills at the clerkship, undoubtedly, but I'm not sure it will help you get a job and you'll be looking again in a year. What you will be doing at the clerkship won't be very related to what you would be doing at a firm.

If it is a court of general jurisdiction, then I'd take the clerkship. It might not be prestigious, but the court will be doing the kinds of things you will be doing as an attorney at the firms you'd rather be at. That's true at the firm, but you'll be there making shit money for at least 2 years before you could make a move.

[SportsFan]

Just IMO but if you think you'd be totally happy at the firm, do that. If you have doubts about it, do the clerkship and you have a year to find anything else.