Should I cancel this interview? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am a 3L at a top 50. Top 20% of class. Had a big law SA and was cold offered, and was never really given a straight answer why, but was sent on my way with excellent references/letters of Rec. When I was cold offered, I started applying to literally every clerkship. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a bankruptcy judge in a very small border town in the Southern District of Texas. I have an interest in bankruptcy but don't want to do small scale consumer stuff, which is likely to be the majority of cases in this jurisdiction. I have had two big law interviews recently that I think went well, and have a honors program call back and an interview with a mid size market paying (in the small market where I go to school) firm next week.

If the bankruptcy clerkship could advance my career and get me into a big law bk group when it was over I would be willing to stick it out in the RGV for two years. I have been searching these boards and based on what I've seen though, a bk clerkship in a small place like this might not be great leverage for getting back into big law. I have also heard that the region this clerkship is located in is super insular and hard to fit in if you're not Mexican. I love Hispanic culture but I am definitely a gringa/wera, and my Spanish is not great. I've also read that you basically need to speak Spanish in this part of Texas.

I think if I keep hustling I will eventually get a firm job or a gov job in a more preferable location. Also, it is a major pain in the ass to get to the courthouse. I have to fly into Brownsville and then take an Uber for an hour, and I'm also very stressed about money right now and will have to do all of this on my own dime. Part of me wants to cancel the interview since I would probably prefer any other job to advance my career goals/any other market to live in. Part of me thinks I should just suck it up and go. Maybe I will be quite taken with the Rio Grande Valley and love two years filled with burritos and desert vistas. Basically, I have to decide whether or not to cancel ASAP. I realize I don't have the job yet, and this may sound a bit presumptuous, but I don't want to waste time and money I don't have on something that would be totally wrong for me/my long term goals. Any insight into what this clerkship could do for my career (or not do), would be highly appreciated. Also, if anyone has any insight into this part of the country that would also be appreciated. For what it's worth, I live in a very unique, fun city where there is always something happening and I definitely like city life. I really love Hispanic culture though and do make friends easily, so I am taking that into account as well.

[runinthefront]

I would cancel the interview.

[Anonymous User]

OP here- thanks for your response. Just wondering if you have a reason why/have any more insight into what a clerkship like this could do for me long term or into the region in general.

[kdev1203]

Are you sure this judge does mostly consumer stuff? Texas is very hot right for large chapter 11s.

[Anonymous User]

OP here- I have to look more into her docket but she's in a tiny town in the Rio Grande Valley and it is my instinct that chapter 11s are in courts located in Houston/surrounding area. I will be five hours from Houston.

[runinthefront]

OP here- thanks for your response. Just wondering if you have a reason why/have any more insight into what a clerkship like this could do for me long term or into the region in general.

You had a biglaw SA. You have had more interviews with various private firms since your cold offer. You're not super interested in bankruptcy work. You don't want to live in the region where your bankruptcy judge is located. Your bankruptcy clerkship is unlikely to net you a biglaw job in a market outside of where the bankruptcy gig is located. The market that this clerkship is located in is very insular. But all of that aside, your own words made my recommendation and easy one:

I Part of me wants to cancel the interview since I would probably prefer any other job to advance my career goals/any other market to live in.

Life's too short. Your grades aren't bad. You've shown a knack for getting interviews. Just cancel this one.

[Anonymous User]

I did a week of pro bono work in Harlingen and Brownsville. I do speak Spanish (CA native, but non-latino) and it is very, very latino there.

Plusses:
The food! OMG the food. So good.
You're a few hours from South Padre Island.
The Rodeo was awesome. I almost got to grease the pigs for the piglet wrestling and it was one of the highlights of my trip.
You can literally go across the border for dinner and cheap Rx drugs. (We did!)

Minuses:
It's hot.
It's VERY far from anywhere else. One of the attorneys at the organization we volunteered with was doing a two year stint, and she had to drive HOURS to find dates with other professionals. HOURS. She lied and said she lived in Austin or San Antonio or something, because saying she was in Harlingen was a non-starter.
The food--you will gain 1 million pounds. It's so good.

That's all I got.

Separately, I have a classmate who is from there who did a federal clerkship down that way. She was stoked about it. I really enjoyed visiting and seeing a very different part of the country, but truly, I could not imagine living there. It's very different.

I would keep applying--you still have time. This may not be the job for you. GL.

[lolwat]

This is more difficult because the nature of clerkships is that you basically do not have time to consider an offer if you get one.

I would likely cancel in this circumstance--with runinthefront's comments in mind--but also think hard about it before you do. You might be okay and land something much better, or you might strike out at all four of your interviews (I hope not, though) and wish you had taken the BK clerkship instead. It's hard to tell.

[landshoes]

A two year bankruptcy clerkship in the middle of nowhere? No, no, hell no. Cancel the interview. Even if it's a nice place to be for two years, it sounds like a career dead end (at least for what you want to do).