Career Advice
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 12:13 pm
I am a current biglaw associate at a top ranked firm. I have been here a bit over a month, and have quickly realized I want to move to something else ASAP (original plan was 2-3 years but I'd be surprised if I can make it to the 1.5 year mark).
My current plan has three potential options:
1. Apply for clerkships for the 2020 term. The issue is that the vast majority of clerkships for 2020 are obviously gone and most of the ones I am seeing that would work for me are magistrate clerkships which I've read aren't necessarily beneficial for someone in my position. My firm would likely take me back afterwards, which would give me a security blanket to not be unemployed if I can't find a non-firm position after the clerkship.
2. Apply for the February bar in the state I want to work, study and take it while working at my firm, and start applying for jobs after passing the bar while working at my firm. If I did the clerkship option, I'd still try to take the state bar during the clerkship probably.
3. Stay at my firm and ride it out as long as I can before ultimately leaving and taking the bar in the state I want to be in.
My ultimate goal is and has been to eventually work in state government in the state I am from originally. So the only difference between my previous plan and now is moving the date up a year or two. I will have fairly large loans (~80k) assuming I only stay for a year, but my plan is to make the minimum payment and save the rest of my money and shoot for PSLF with my next job.
Tldr: I am a T14 grad-top 25%, working at a top vault ranked firm, want to move as soon as possible to something else. Would I be doing myself a disservice by applying for magistrate clerkships as a way out? How would you go about making this transition?
My current plan has three potential options:
1. Apply for clerkships for the 2020 term. The issue is that the vast majority of clerkships for 2020 are obviously gone and most of the ones I am seeing that would work for me are magistrate clerkships which I've read aren't necessarily beneficial for someone in my position. My firm would likely take me back afterwards, which would give me a security blanket to not be unemployed if I can't find a non-firm position after the clerkship.
2. Apply for the February bar in the state I want to work, study and take it while working at my firm, and start applying for jobs after passing the bar while working at my firm. If I did the clerkship option, I'd still try to take the state bar during the clerkship probably.
3. Stay at my firm and ride it out as long as I can before ultimately leaving and taking the bar in the state I want to be in.
My ultimate goal is and has been to eventually work in state government in the state I am from originally. So the only difference between my previous plan and now is moving the date up a year or two. I will have fairly large loans (~80k) assuming I only stay for a year, but my plan is to make the minimum payment and save the rest of my money and shoot for PSLF with my next job.
Tldr: I am a T14 grad-top 25%, working at a top vault ranked firm, want to move as soon as possible to something else. Would I be doing myself a disservice by applying for magistrate clerkships as a way out? How would you go about making this transition?