Starting at firm with clerkship credit Forum

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the help all.

[Anonymous User]

I started as a 2d year at my firm after clerking for two years (single clerkship). Am now a fifth year at the same market paying firm. In my experience, it took about a year for me to be treated as what my class year actually reflected. Clerkship experience is really nothing like biglaw experience--legal research and writing just aren't as important as biglaw "skills" like understanding wtf a partner means, email etiquette, turning horrible handwritten comments and cranking out redlines quickly, etc. Accordingly, your immediate superiors (mid to senior associates) honestly won't care that you clerked and are technically a third year.

I think you should grin and bear it for a few more months and try to get your bearings before trying to throw your weight around. In the meantime, as you develop relationships with more senior associates, gently remind them that you have clerkship experience and are hungry for more responsibilities. If you do good work, gradually you will get more responsibilities and hopefully will be elevated over true first years.

Totally understand that it's a tough position and why you are worried that the partners will judge you as a third year when you were never given a chance to do third-year level work But starting as a third year with no biglaw experience is a tough sell tbh.

[ghostoftraynor]

Above is good advice. Getting acclimated to class year takes time. Your legal skill set is likely above first years, which is why firm gave you credit, but a good chunk of biglaw is not really legal. A lot of it is process that you only learn from going through the process.

In my experience, clerks are treated like first years when they join. But, people start treating them like their class year the longer they are in. Just use the time to buildup your biglaw skill set and be ready to take a jump up much quicker than your peers.

Honest question, look at what your equivalent third years are doing. Do you think you have the knowledge relevant to the job they do? If you think yes, think you probably need to do some self-reflection. If you think no, use this time as an opportunity to get there.

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

I started as a 2d year at my firm after clerking for two years (single clerkship). Am now a fifth year at the same market paying firm. In my experience, it took about a year for me to be treated as what my class year actually reflected. Clerkship experience is really nothing like biglaw experience--legal research and writing just aren't as important as biglaw "skills" like understanding wtf a partner means, email etiquette, turning horrible handwritten comments and cranking out redlines quickly, etc. Accordingly, your immediate superiors (mid to senior associates) honestly won't care that you clerked and are technically a third year.

I think you should grin and bear it for a few more months and try to get your bearings before trying to throw your weight around. In the meantime, as you develop relationships with more senior associates, gently remind them that you have clerkship experience and are hungry for more responsibilities. If you do good work, gradually you will get more responsibilities and hopefully will be elevated over true first years.

Totally understand that it's a tough position and why you are worried that the partners will judge you as a third year when you were never given a chance to do third-year level work But starting as a third year with no biglaw experience is a tough sell tbh.

OP here. Thank you and this makes a lot of sense. I'll grit my teeth for a while longer.