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I had a judicial externship interview last Thursday with a district judge and his clerks. At the end, they said "I am qualified" but had interviews with more candidates planned and that they would get back to me by the end of the next week (this week).

Fwiw, this would be the first time this judge will have a summer extern.

I've read that district judges are known for offering on the spot. I've also read that, in general, being told you are qualified but to wait for a decision is usually a bad sign.

Can anyone shed some light on the typical offer timeline, and if I'm being paranoid or well-concerned?

That sounds completely normal. If you think about it, he likely set up a few interviews and it's not like he's just going to cancel them even if you were exactly what they're looking for. I'd just wait it out and keep applying just to be safe.

Externship interviews often aren’t the same as clerkship interviews. Also you’re being paranoid - plenty of judges want to go through all the interviews they’ve arranged before making a decision.

I got my offer a few days after I interviewed when 1st-semester grades came out. They didn't even tell me I was qualified (although they had yet to see my grades), so it sounds like that's like a good sign. Two former externs told me that they heard back a week later. One was even hired before grades came out. I'm sure you'll hear back in the next few days. Good luck!