Class/seniority credit for judicial clerks at DC firms? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am coming off a federal clerkship and looking into DC firms. Some--like WH, LW, and GB--say they give seniority credit to former clerks. I assume that means 1 year credit for a 1 year clerkship.

Other firms--like C&B, W&C, and A&P--are unclear about whether they offer seniority credit.

Am I correct that seniority/progression credit generally means 1 year credit for a 1-year clerkship?

And does anyone have info about credit at Covington, Williams & Connolly, and Arnold & Porter?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[Anonymous User]

I am coming off a federal clerkship and looking into DC firms. Some--like WH, LW, and GB--say they give seniority credit to former clerks. I assume that means 1 year credit for a 1 year clerkship.

Other firms--like C&B, W&C, and A&P--are unclear about whether they offer seniority credit.

Am I correct that seniority/progression credit generally means 1 year credit for a 1-year clerkship?

And does anyone have info about credit at Covington, Williams & Connolly, and Arnold & Porter?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Can confirm that in general 1 year = 1 year at WH, at least for everyone I know. Don't know about the other firms you mentioned.

Anecdotally, I don't know anybody (at WH or elsewhere) who got more than 1 year credit for a clerkship aside from the equivalent of a class year bump based on JD's black box comp structure. However, I do know some folks who got less at other firms (e.g., one person at another firm joined corporate a class year behind after a federal clerkship and another got the same treatment after working as a clerk/staff attorney at a major federal agency the firm deals with routinely).

Anyway, even if one of these firms tries to start you a year behind, you can obviously try to negotiate that up (as well as your bonus).

[Anonymous User]

I am coming off a federal clerkship and looking into DC firms. Some--like WH, LW, and GB--say they give seniority credit to former clerks. I assume that means 1 year credit for a 1 year clerkship.

Other firms--like C&B, W&C, and A&P--are unclear about whether they offer seniority credit.

Am I correct that seniority/progression credit generally means 1 year credit for a 1-year clerkship?

And does anyone have info about credit at Covington, Williams & Connolly, and Arnold & Porter?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Can confirm that in general 1 year = 1 year at WH, at least for everyone I know. Don't know about the other firms you mentioned.

Anecdotally, I don't know anybody (at WH or elsewhere) who got more than 1 year credit for a clerkship aside from the equivalent of a class year bump based on JD's black box comp structure. However, I do know some folks who got less at other firms (e.g., one person at another firm joined corporate a class year behind after a federal clerkship and another got the same treatment after working as a clerk/staff attorney at a major federal agency the firm deals with routinely).

Anyway, even if one of these firms tries to start you a year behind, you can obviously try to negotiate that up (as well as your bonus).

I got one year class credit in my offer at W&C

[Anonymous User]

I am coming off a federal clerkship and looking into DC firms. Some--like WH, LW, and GB--say they give seniority credit to former clerks. I assume that means 1 year credit for a 1 year clerkship.

Other firms--like C&B, W&C, and A&P--are unclear about whether they offer seniority credit.

Am I correct that seniority/progression credit generally means 1 year credit for a 1-year clerkship?

And does anyone have info about credit at Covington, Williams & Connolly, and Arnold & Porter?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Can confirm that in general 1 year = 1 year at WH, at least for everyone I know. Don't know about the other firms you mentioned.

Anecdotally, I don't know anybody (at WH or elsewhere) who got more than 1 year credit for a clerkship aside from the equivalent of a class year bump based on JD's black box comp structure. However, I do know some folks who got less at other firms (e.g., one person at another firm joined corporate a class year behind after a federal clerkship and another got the same treatment after working as a clerk/staff attorney at a major federal agency the firm deals with routinely).

Anyway, even if one of these firms tries to start you a year behind, you can obviously try to negotiate that up (as well as your bonus).

I got one year class credit in my offer at W&C

This is even with having clerked for more than one year?

[Anonymous User]

I am coming off a federal clerkship and looking into DC firms. Some--like WH, LW, and GB--say they give seniority credit to former clerks. I assume that means 1 year credit for a 1 year clerkship.

Other firms--like C&B, W&C, and A&P--are unclear about whether they offer seniority credit.

Am I correct that seniority/progression credit generally means 1 year credit for a 1-year clerkship?

And does anyone have info about credit at Covington, Williams & Connolly, and Arnold & Porter?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Can confirm that in general 1 year = 1 year at WH, at least for everyone I know. Don't know about the other firms you mentioned.

Anecdotally, I don't know anybody (at WH or elsewhere) who got more than 1 year credit for a clerkship aside from the equivalent of a class year bump based on JD's black box comp structure. However, I do know some folks who got less at other firms (e.g., one person at another firm joined corporate a class year behind after a federal clerkship and another got the same treatment after working as a clerk/staff attorney at a major federal agency the firm deals with routinely).

Anyway, even if one of these firms tries to start you a year behind, you can obviously try to negotiate that up (as well as your bonus).

I got one year class credit in my offer at W&C

This is even with having clerked for more than one year?

If you have two different clerkships, you are typically given a year of credit for each. The only quirk is when someone has a 2-year clerkship. But, by and large, you will be given two years of credit for a D. Ct. and COA clerkship.

[Anonymous User]

I received two years of class credit at WC for two different clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

OP here.

Thanks; the information regarding WH and W&C is helpful. Any info regarding Cov and A&P would be appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

I received two years of class credit at WC for two different clerkships.

Same at Cov

[Anonymous User]

I received two years of class credit at WC for two different clerkships.

Same at Cov

Same at A&P.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the additional responses. Unless Cov and A&P are very strange, I assume that means they still give (1 year of) credit if you clerked for only 1 year.