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Haircuts for older clerks? Gut check, please
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:22 pm
by Anonymous User
Trying to be specific as possible without outing myself -- I'm an older double-clerk who started in Biglaw, but then left after a few years (more than 2) to double-clerk (COA, then d. ct.). I'm getting some nibbles from your typical V10 lit departments, but so far none of them want to give me any class credit for my clerkships.
Is this normal? I know it wouldn't be at all for people who clerked right out of law school, and possibly not normal at the fancier boutiques, but I don't know if I'm being low-balled or I need to adjust my expectations on what I really bring to the table with prior Biglaw experience + 2 A3 clerkships.
TIA.
Re: Haircuts for older clerks? Gut check, please
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:14 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:22 pm
Trying to be specific as possible without outing myself -- I'm an older double-clerk who started in Biglaw, but then left after a few years (more than 2) to double-clerk (COA, then d. ct.). I'm getting some nibbles from your typical V10 lit departments, but so far none of them want to give me any class credit for my clerkships.
Is this normal? I know it wouldn't be at all for people who clerked right out of law school, and possibly not normal at the fancier boutiques, but I don't know if I'm being low-balled or I need to adjust my expectations on what I really bring to the table with prior Biglaw experience + 2 A3 clerkships.
TIA.
Yes I know two people in this situation. One did two years of biglaw and two years of clerkships and they started her as a third year. Another did three clerkships after one years of biglaw and they also started him as a third year. They all got the typical signing bonus for two year clerkships at the firm. the rationale was that the alternative of starting as an upper end midlevel with barely any biglaw experience was untenable both for the firm (and also their partnership prospects). the only people i know who stayed on track clerking late we're typically not super later and only clerked once. think a fourth year clerking appellate then coming back as a sixth year.
Re: Haircuts for older clerks? Gut check, please
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:49 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:14 pm
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:22 pm
Trying to be specific as possible without outing myself -- I'm an older double-clerk who started in Biglaw, but then left after a few years (more than 2) to double-clerk (COA, then d. ct.). I'm getting some nibbles from your typical V10 lit departments, but so far none of them want to give me any class credit for my clerkships.
Is this normal? I know it wouldn't be at all for people who clerked right out of law school, and possibly not normal at the fancier boutiques, but I don't know if I'm being low-balled or I need to adjust my expectations on what I really bring to the table with prior Biglaw experience + 2 A3 clerkships.
TIA.
Yes I know two people in this situation. One did two years of biglaw and two years of clerkships and they started her as a third year. Another did three clerkships after one years of biglaw and they also started him as a third year. They all got the typical signing bonus for two year clerkships at the firm. the rationale was that the alternative of starting as an upper end midlevel with barely any biglaw experience was untenable both for the firm (and also their partnership prospects). the only people i know who stayed on track clerking late we're typically not super later and only clerked once. think a fourth year clerking appellate then coming back as a sixth year.
Do you know if their salary still matched their class year even if they didn't get the class credit? I know sometimes incoming associates have negotiated for that but I don't have a sense of how successful or common that is.
Re: Haircuts for older clerks? Gut check, please
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:05 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:49 pm
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:14 pm
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 12:22 pm
Trying to be specific as possible without outing myself -- I'm an older double-clerk who started in Biglaw, but then left after a few years (more than 2) to double-clerk (COA, then d. ct.). I'm getting some nibbles from your typical V10 lit departments, but so far none of them want to give me any class credit for my clerkships.
Is this normal? I know it wouldn't be at all for people who clerked right out of law school, and possibly not normal at the fancier boutiques, but I don't know if I'm being low-balled or I need to adjust my expectations on what I really bring to the table with prior Biglaw experience + 2 A3 clerkships.
TIA.
Yes I know two people in this situation. One did two years of biglaw and two years of clerkships and they started her as a third year. Another did three clerkships after one years of biglaw and they also started him as a third year. They all got the typical signing bonus for two year clerkships at the firm. the rationale was that the alternative of starting as an upper end midlevel with barely any biglaw experience was untenable both for the firm (and also their partnership prospects). the only people i know who stayed on track clerking late we're typically not super later and only clerked once. think a fourth year clerking appellate then coming back as a sixth year.
Do you know if their salary still matched their class year even if they didn't get the class credit? I know sometimes incoming associates have negotiated for that but I don't have a sense of how successful or common that is.
Yes they were paid as third years. Would be weird to give them the kid gloves and rates of a third year but the salary of a fifth/sixth year.