Honolulu Big Law/Hawaii Clerking Forum

[mca39]

Hi,

For reference, I've searched through the brief mentions of Honolulu big law on this thread and the separate thread that specifically handles clerking in Hawaii.

I am attending a HYSCCN school and I am currently a 1L. I am interested in Hawaii big law/clerking in Hawaii. I have a lot of experience working in asia/pacific (though not Hawaii), which is why Hawaii is up there on my places of interest. I don't want to go into more specific details for fear of doxxing, but there is a cohesive narrative that I believe would make sense for targeting an office like Honolulu or a Hawaii clerkship.

Would this type of narrative be enough to get BL call backs for Honolulu offices/get my foot in the door? How does one frame this type of experience outside of geographic mentions on a resume? I have literally lived all over in my time before law school- Europe, US, Asia, and Oceania, so i don't aim to situate my application as a 'vacation' app.



Thanks in advance

[Anonymous User]

There's nothing that really resembles biglaw in Hawaii. There are several boutiques with biglaw-ish prestige (check the Chambers Hawaii rankings) but I doubt they hire out of law school much if at all, and not having any ties only makes things harder. The clerkships are also going to be an uphill battle, they are pretty much as desirable as any non-feeder clerkship can be, everyone wants to live in paradise for a year, and the judges are supposedly very focused on ties.

Remains to be seen how many firms will end up having fully remote positions but that could be an option down the line. In the meantime, just go there on vacation like everyone else.

[mca39]

Thanks for your response. So basically, if they don't see 'Hawaii' anywhere on my resume, they automatically toss it out?

[Anonymous User]

This is a small comment of only very limited utility, but I can tell you that I know someone who is doing a federal clerkships in Hawaii with absolutely no ties. So might as well try!

[Anon-non-anon]

There's a few mid law ish hawaii firms i believe (knew someone who worked in LA office of Carlsmith). And for what it's worth, my wife and I both interviewed for clerkships in Hawaii with no ties (both rejected, which in hindsight was prob good), though our school had a bit of a pipeline (another student did one the year before ours would have been). I think with your school and if you keep applying over and over again, you might get lucky. It might be easier to start in LA/SF/Seattle or something and work your way over if it doesn't work out straight out of school, but I wouldn't write it off altogether, just apply broadly and keep applying and keep applying and...

[Anonymous User]

I picked up a 2L SA "big"law screener in Hawaii having never been to Hawaii with median T14 grades. Never did the interview, but obviously my app wasn't immediately tossed for not having a connection to the islands.

[mca39]

Do you think you got the screener for any particular reason, other than median grades at a T14?

[Anonymous User]

Do you think you got the screener for any particular reason, other than median grades at a T14?

It had to have been purely that. Had an interesting 1L summer job and a less than traditional but not very far-off path to law school, wouldn't say those moved the needle though. Few years ago but it was Bays Lung iirc. Don't think it's very big but it was on NALP at the time, they only hire like 1 summer if that per year

[lavarman84]

Thanks for your response. So basically, if they don't see 'Hawaii' anywhere on my resume, they automatically toss it out?

When it comes to clerking, no, you have a chance if you have sufficient credentials. But it's competitive. Part of it is the fact that it's Hawaii. Part of it is the fact that noncitizens can clerk there and get paid.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your response. So basically, if they don't see 'Hawaii' anywhere on my resume, they automatically toss it out?

When it comes to clerking, no, you have a chance if you have sufficient credentials. But it's competitive. Part of it is the fact that it's Hawaii. Part of it is the fact that noncitizens can clerk there and get paid.

This is a really underrated aspect of the competitiveness of Hawaiian (and Alaskan) clerkships that people may not be aware of.

[mca39]

This is actually what makes these clerkships more enticing to me, given the nature of my interests and my (significant) previous international work experience.

[nixy]

This is actually what makes these clerkships more enticing to me, given the nature of my interests and my (significant) previous international work experience.

That non-citizens can get paid there? I'm not sure that's going to have a major impact on the clerkship experience.

[Anonymous User]

I’m at an international firm with a significant presence in Honolulu. In my experience, Hawaii ties are preferable but not absolute requirements. Above median grades at HYSCCN will probably get most firms in town to read your cover letter, so convey your “cohesive narrative” there.

I know of at least three attorneys who got Hawaii clerkships with no ties and now practice here. Spending your 1L summer here will also help.

[ncan360]

Thanks for the response- did you have ties? anywhere I can find a list of the best 'international' firms around ? Chambers?

[crazywafflez]

I'm partially a local to Kauai - (i.e. family there and lived there for a bit as a kid, but not Hawaiian). There's no real equivalent to biglaw on the islands. Lots of "midlaw" firms with good credentials but heavily ties based. I know of a couple people who practice on Kauai - all of whom are either locals or natives. I'm sure Honolulu is less focused on ties than Kauai (and it actually has real law firms, unlike Kauai), but I'd just make sure you've got a convincing story and don't come across as some person who just wants to live on the beach for a couple years and then pick up and leave back to Seattle or California.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the response- did you have ties? anywhere I can find a list of the best 'international' firms around ? Chambers?

Some ties but I had never lived in Hawaii before. Yes, look at Chambers/search around. There’s really only one biglaw firm with a significant presence in the state. Another anon mentioned the “boutiques with biglaw-ish prestige.” I know most of those firms hire out of law school, as needed.