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Will my years in public interest count towards my firm class year?
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 4:40 pm
by Amerision
Hey all,
Haven't posted here in a long time. Graduated from YLS, spent two years at a public interest nonprofit on a fellowship, then clerked (federal app., going into fed. dist.). Curious if anyone has any comparable experience going from this kind of background into biglaw/boutique lit firm and whether the firm requested you take a "haircut" of a class year or something. Is the best advice just to apply broadly and negotiate if any firm asks me if I'm willing to drop a class year? Thanks!
Re: Will my years in public interest count towards my firm class year?
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2025 9:38 am
by nealric
I'd be somewhat surprised if they bring you in as a 4th/5th year with no biglaw experience. At the same time, I don't think they'd make you a first year either.
It's going to be an individual point of negotiation. It may also depend on what you did in PI and whether that experience is comparable to the type of litigation biglaw does. I'd just apply to the firms you want and then negotiate at offer time. There are positives and negatives to being classed higher. Being classed lower gives you more runway to your partnership year and sets expectations lower.
Re: Will my years in public interest count towards my firm class year?
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2025 12:59 pm
by Anonymous User
Amerision wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 4:40 pm
Hey all,
Haven't posted here in a long time. Graduated from YLS, spent two years at a public interest nonprofit on a fellowship, then clerked (federal app., going into fed. dist.). Curious if anyone has any comparable experience going from this kind of background into biglaw/boutique lit firm and whether the firm requested you take a "haircut" of a class year or something. Is the best advice just to apply broadly and negotiate if any firm asks me if I'm willing to drop a class year? Thanks!
FWIW, I’ve had friends who completed two-year public interest fellowships followed by two years of clerkships who entered their biglaw firms with the salary of a 5th year but dropped a year or two in terms of their official class standing. This seems like the best of both worlds—frankly, you probably
don’t want to come in with the firm expecting you to perform at the level of a senior-ish mid-year when you haven’t had prior firm experience.
This is with the caveat that I’ve seen this work out for friends with feeder-y clerkships going to firms that particularly value clerkship experience.
Re: Will my years in public interest count towards my firm class year?
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 2:44 pm
by Amerision
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 12:59 pm
Amerision wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 4:40 pm
Hey all,
Haven't posted here in a long time. Graduated from YLS, spent two years at a public interest nonprofit on a fellowship, then clerked (federal app., going into fed. dist.). Curious if anyone has any comparable experience going from this kind of background into biglaw/boutique lit firm and whether the firm requested you take a "haircut" of a class year or something. Is the best advice just to apply broadly and negotiate if any firm asks me if I'm willing to drop a class year? Thanks!
FWIW, I’ve had friends who completed two-year public interest fellowships followed by two years of clerkships who entered their biglaw firms with the salary of a 5th year but dropped a year or two in terms of their official class standing. This seems like the best of both worlds—frankly, you probably
don’t want to come in with the firm expecting you to perform at the level of a senior-ish mid-year when you haven’t had prior firm experience.
This is with the caveat that I’ve seen this work out for friends with feeder-y clerkships going to firms that particularly value clerkship experience.
This seems like the ideal. Thanks for the help.
Re: Will my years in public interest count towards my firm class year?
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 9:21 pm
by Anonymous User
If I had to guess I think they are going to make you a third year.