2022-2023 Post-Clerkship Hiring Forum

[POTATOMAN90]

What are the prospects for a fed mag clerk in a non-competitive district? Applying to major markets with connections and median at T25. Looking for lit boutiques!

Quite poor tbh. That generally isn’t a competitive resume for biglaw lit, let alone boutiques (which tend to be pickier), and a magistrate clerkship in a non-competitive district doesn’t significantly improve your app. I’d make sure you’re also applying in your judge’s local area and other places you have ties.

Gonna veto the above. I'd say where you should look might be guided by your grades. If they were top third, I'd recommend networking with alumni in the markets you're interested in and then applying wherever you want. Let the firms tell you no! You don't need to be top 5% at HYS to get a job at biglaw lit in a major market.

Also, underrated, Houston has a lot of biglaw and interesting lit boutiques you might consider. Massive city, no state income tax, and really active firms. Somewhere like Susman or V&E probably aren't an option unless you were tip top of your class, but I'd consider AZA or Reynolds Frizzell.

Thank you for the suggestions! Do you have any thoughts on Chicago or Dallas boutiques? Where do you find out about these firms, and what are the strategies for applying (network then apply, apply outright, etc.)?

[POTATOMAN90]

What are the prospects for a fed mag clerk in a non-competitive district? Applying to major markets with connections and median at T25. Looking for lit boutiques!

Quite poor tbh. That generally isn’t a competitive resume for biglaw lit, let alone boutiques (which tend to be pickier), and a magistrate clerkship in a non-competitive district doesn’t significantly improve your app. I’d make sure you’re also applying in your judge’s local area and other places you have ties.

boutiques like susman and HH are out, and a lot of DC litigation is out, but chances at a big firm aren't bad in New York

Which NYC firms do you think would hire mag clerks? WilmerHale, Milbank, any others?

[Anonymous User]

What are the prospects for a fed mag clerk in a non-competitive district? Applying to major markets with connections and median at T25. Looking for lit boutiques!

Quite poor tbh. That generally isn’t a competitive resume for biglaw lit, let alone boutiques (which tend to be pickier), and a magistrate clerkship in a non-competitive district doesn’t significantly improve your app. I’d make sure you’re also applying in your judge’s local area and other places you have ties.

Gonna veto the above. I'd say where you should look might be guided by your grades. If they were top third, I'd recommend networking with alumni in the markets you're interested in and then applying wherever you want. Let the firms tell you no! You don't need to be top 5% at HYS to get a job at biglaw lit in a major market.

Also, underrated, Houston has a lot of biglaw and interesting lit boutiques you might consider. Massive city, no state income tax, and really active firms. Somewhere like Susman or V&E probably aren't an option unless you were tip top of your class, but I'd consider AZA or Reynolds Frizzell.

Thank you for the suggestions! Do you have any thoughts on Chicago or Dallas boutiques? Where do you find out about these firms, and what are the strategies for applying (network then apply, apply outright, etc.)?

Sigh, I want to procrastinate a motion I should be writing, so here is what I think. Everything is my experience, so take it with a grain of salt.

My stats: T20, top 25-30% (terrible first semester, superlative grades after), LR, out-of-my-desired-market FDC right out of law school, not URM, non-elite undergrad, parents are not lawyers or otherwise connected, some interesting (but not relevant for law) work experience pre-law school.

What I wanted: NYC or DC at a top BigLaw firm or lit boutique.

What I got: Tip top NYC lit, year was 2019.

Strategy: I'd try networking before applying as a relatively "weak" applicant in a competitive market. My goal was always to connect with someone who would flag my application before it was submitted. You don't need to know anyone ahead of time to do this. People are far more receptive to cold emails than you would think as long as you lead with some kind of connection, i.e., same undergrad/law school, same hometown, or area of interest. Basically, anything *real* you have in common.

Specifically, I emailed every alum from my LR in both NYC/DC markets and asked if they would give me advice about applying to firms in litigation. Then, if they said yes (some people didn't respond, but no one said no), I would set up calls, explain my career goals, and ask where they would apply if they were me. If I was really interested in their firm, I'd ask about what their experience was like and what it was like for new associates to work there. However, I never asked for help applying to their firm on the call unless they indicated I would be a good fit or that I should consider applying.

The secret sauce here is that people (elite lawyers) don't want to talk to people (weak or average applicants) that want something they likely can't give them (a job). However, they will talk to you if you aren't putting them in an uncomfortable position out of the gate. Once you're in the door, you just might get somewhere.

On the calls, I asked good questions, listened attentively to the other person's answers, and did my best to make them like me. I was always casual and open-ended about the "help" I wanted. But then, in my follow-up thank you emails, I would attach my resume and (very politely) make a hard ask for warm intros to folks at any firms they mentioned I should consider. Or, if I really liked the lawyer's firm, I'd ask if they could direct me to the right person in recruiting. They pretty much always said yes and passed on my resume with a favorable recommendation.

I'd rinse and repeat this process with the folks they introduced me to.

Two other notes:

1. Reach out to partners. In my experience, talking to associates won't get you very far. They don't know how hiring works, so no matter how much they want to help you, they typically don't know what strings to pull. Not to mention that we don't carry any weight even if we do.

2. Be as responsive to emails with these folks as you can. I found that if I did not respond to emails within 6 hours, my reply rate from people dropped off--send concise follow-ups quickly.

Sample Outreach Email: Here is the "cold" email I sent to folks I didn't know when I was trying to get my foot in the door. Obviously, you can change this to fit your tone, but it was very effective for me.

Subject Line: [Law School/LR] Alum Interested in [Market] Litigation
"Hi [Lawyer],

Sorry to ping you out of the blue! But my name is [name], and I am a fellow [undergrad/law school/my school's LR] alum. I'm reaching out because I was researching [your firm] and noticed you were practicing in the [NYC/Chicago/whatever market] office.

Currently, I am trying to find a job in [NYC/Chicago/whatever market] after my clerkship ([the court I was with]) ends in August, but I am not entirely sure where to apply, or how to approach applications off of the regular hiring cycle, so I am trying to touch base with folks that have a sense of the market. As of now, I have an offer from [X law firm], which is where I spent my 2L summer, but I hope to broaden my search.

To that end, I wondered if you might be willing to do a 15-minute call and offer any insights about applying to firms post-clerkship, where I should look, or really anything else you think might be relevant?

I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration and hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,
[My name]"

Research: Go to Vault and hit the rankings for litigation boutiques in markets you're interested in and check out their web pages. I don't know of any in Chicago or Dallas that I would specifically recommend. But my advice would be to apply everywhere you think you might be remotely qualified. I basically applied everywhere. It sounds like my stats were stronger than yours but still weaker than what most folks would say is "competitive" for hyper-selective firms. That said, I am always a believer in shooting your shot. I say go for whatever you want but include some gettable firms with your moonshots.

Example of how this works successfully in practice: One alum I connected with suggested that I'd be a good fit at the very, very elite firm where I now work in litigation with tons of former HYS folks and SCOTUS clerks. I thought the guy would totally change his mind when I sent my follow-up with my resume. Nevertheless, after our call, I thanked him, attached my shit, and asked for an introduction.

He never introduced me. Instead, he asked if he could forward my resume and strongly recommended me directly to the firm's managing partner. Because of that rec, the managing partner made a point to personally interview me. We had an awesome conversation, and then, apparently, the partner went to bat for me with the hiring committee and explained why I was a great fit despite my comparatively less-than-stellar credentials.

I got the offer 24 hours later. Frankly, I was shocked.

Also, before folks say I simply got lucky, I also got five other offers. Three from firms I probably should have gotten on my credentials alone, and two others from firms I didn't have any business getting. For transparency's sake, I also got ~5 rejections from "worse" firms and 3 from similarly "good" firms.

The replicable part of this: None of the alums that connected me to firms were close mentors, relatives, or family friends. For the most part, they were cold emails I spoke to on the phone for twenty minutes and made a point to follow up with. Literally, anyone can emulate this approach. I can't promise you will have the same outcome that I did or that you can overcome horrible grades and a bad work ethic, but doing the stuff above will certainly put you in a better position than simply applying cold.

Bottom Line: No one should underestimate the power of initiative and good networking. I am 100% positive people on this sub would have no chance'ed me at my current firm (and at least two other places I got offers) because of my school/class rank/relatively "weak" clerkship. But I networked my brains out and landed somewhere amazing. So, if you aren't currently clerking for Sutton, my advice is:

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SEND THE COLD EMAIL TO A PARTNER, SET UP A CALL, AND MAKE AN ASK!

[Anonymous User]

What are the prospects for a fed mag clerk in a non-competitive district? Applying to major markets with connections and median at T25. Looking for lit boutiques!

Quite poor tbh. That generally isn’t a competitive resume for biglaw lit, let alone boutiques (which tend to be pickier), and a magistrate clerkship in a non-competitive district doesn’t significantly improve your app. I’d make sure you’re also applying in your judge’s local area and other places you have ties.

Gonna veto the above. I'd say where you should look might be guided by your grades. If they were top third, I'd recommend networking with alumni in the markets you're interested in and then applying wherever you want. Let the firms tell you no! You don't need to be top 5% at HYS to get a job at biglaw lit in a major market.

Also, underrated, Houston has a lot of biglaw and interesting lit boutiques you might consider. Massive city, no state income tax, and really active firms. Somewhere like Susman or V&E probably aren't an option unless you were tip top of your class, but I'd consider AZA or Reynolds Frizzell.

Thank you for the suggestions! Do you have any thoughts on Chicago or Dallas boutiques? Where do you find out about these firms, and what are the strategies for applying (network then apply, apply outright, etc.)?

[deleted]

[Anonymous User]

What are the prospects for a fed mag clerk in a non-competitive district? Applying to major markets with connections and median at T25. Looking for lit boutiques!

Quite poor tbh. That generally isn’t a competitive resume for biglaw lit, let alone boutiques (which tend to be pickier), and a magistrate clerkship in a non-competitive district doesn’t significantly improve your app. I’d make sure you’re also applying in your judge’s local area and other places you have ties.

Gonna veto the above. I'd say where you should look might be guided by your grades. If they were top third, I'd recommend networking with alumni in the markets you're interested in and then applying wherever you want. Let the firms tell you no! You don't need to be top 5% at HYS to get a job at biglaw lit in a major market.

Also, underrated, Houston has a lot of biglaw and interesting lit boutiques you might consider. Massive city, no state income tax, and really active firms. Somewhere like Susman or V&E probably aren't an option unless you were tip top of your class, but I'd consider AZA or Reynolds Frizzell.

Thank you for the suggestions! Do you have any thoughts on Chicago or Dallas boutiques? Where do you find out about these firms, and what are the strategies for applying (network then apply, apply outright, etc.)?

Sigh, I want to procrastinate a motion I should be writing, so here is what I think. Everything is my experience, so take it with a grain of salt.

My stats: T20, top 25-30% (terrible first semester, superlative grades after), LR, out-of-my-desired-market FDC right out of law school, not URM, non-elite undergrad, parents are not lawyers or otherwise connected, some interesting (but not relevant for law) work experience pre-law school.

What I wanted: NYC or DC at a top BigLaw firm or lit boutique.

What I got: Tip top NYC lit, year was 2019.

Strategy: I'd try networking before applying as a relatively "weak" applicant in a competitive market. My goal was always to connect with someone who would flag my application before it was submitted. You don't need to know anyone ahead of time to do this. People are far more receptive to cold emails than you would think as long as you lead with some kind of connection, i.e., same undergrad/law school, same hometown, or area of interest. Basically, anything *real* you have in common.

Specifically, I emailed every alum from my LR in both NYC/DC markets and asked if they would give me advice about applying to firms in litigation. Then, if they said yes (some people didn't respond, but no one said no), I would set up calls, explain my career goals, and ask where they would apply if they were me. If I was really interested in their firm, I'd ask about what their experience was like and what it was like for new associates to work there. However, I never asked for help applying to their firm on the call unless they indicated I would be a good fit or that I should consider applying.

The secret sauce here is that people (elite lawyers) don't want to talk to people (weak or average applicants) that want something they likely can't give them (a job). However, they will talk to you if you aren't putting them in an uncomfortable position out of the gate. Once you're in the door, you just might get somewhere.

On the calls, I asked good questions, listened attentively to the other person's answers, and did my best to make them like me. I was always casual and open-ended about the "help" I wanted. But then, in my follow-up thank you emails, I would attach my resume and (very politely) make a hard ask for warm intros to folks at any firms they mentioned I should consider. Or, if I really liked the lawyer's firm, I'd ask if they could direct me to the right person in recruiting. They pretty much always said yes and passed on my resume with a favorable recommendation.

I'd rinse and repeat this process with the folks they introduced me to.

Two other notes:

1. Reach out to partners. In my experience, talking to associates won't get you very far. They don't know how hiring works, so no matter how much they want to help you, they typically don't know what strings to pull. Not to mention that we don't carry any weight even if we do.

2. Be as responsive to emails with these folks as you can. I found that if I did not respond to emails within 6 hours, my reply rate from people dropped off--send concise follow-ups quickly.

Sample Outreach Email: Here is the "cold" email I sent to folks I didn't know when I was trying to get my foot in the door. Obviously, you can change this to fit your tone, but it was very effective for me.

Subject Line: [Law School/LR] Alum Interested in [Market] Litigation
"Hi [Lawyer],

Sorry to ping you out of the blue! But my name is [name], and I am a fellow [undergrad/law school/my school's LR] alum. I'm reaching out because I was researching [your firm] and noticed you were practicing in the [NYC/Chicago/whatever market] office.

Currently, I am trying to find a job in [NYC/Chicago/whatever market] after my clerkship ([the court I was with]) ends in August, but I am not entirely sure where to apply, or how to approach applications off of the regular hiring cycle, so I am trying to touch base with folks that have a sense of the market. As of now, I have an offer from [X law firm], which is where I spent my 2L summer, but I hope to broaden my search.

To that end, I wondered if you might be willing to do a 15-minute call and offer any insights about applying to firms post-clerkship, where I should look, or really anything else you think might be relevant?

I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration and hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,
[My name]"

Research: Go to Vault and hit the rankings for litigation boutiques in markets you're interested in and check out their web pages. I don't know of any in Chicago or Dallas that I would specifically recommend. But my advice would be to apply everywhere you think you might be remotely qualified. I basically applied everywhere. It sounds like my stats were stronger than yours but still weaker than what most folks would say is "competitive" for hyper-selective firms. That said, I am always a believer in shooting your shot. I say go for whatever you want but include some gettable firms with your moonshots.

Example of how this works successfully in practice: One alum I connected with suggested that I'd be a good fit at the very, very elite firm where I now work in litigation with tons of former HYS folks and SCOTUS clerks. I thought the guy would totally change his mind when I sent my follow-up with my resume. Nevertheless, after our call, I thanked him, attached my shit, and asked for an introduction.

He never introduced me. Instead, he asked if he could forward my resume and strongly recommended me directly to the firm's managing partner. Because of that rec, the managing partner made a point to personally interview me. We had an awesome conversation, and then, apparently, the partner went to bat for me with the hiring committee and explained why I was a great fit despite my comparatively less-than-stellar credentials.

I got the offer 24 hours later. Frankly, I was shocked.

Also, before folks say I simply got lucky, I also got five other offers. Three from firms I probably should have gotten on my credentials alone, and two others from firms I didn't have any business getting. For transparency's sake, I also got ~5 rejections from "worse" firms and 3 from similarly "good" firms.

The replicable part of this: None of the alums that connected me to firms were close mentors, relatives, or family friends. For the most part, they were cold emails I spoke to on the phone for twenty minutes and made a point to follow up with. Literally, anyone can emulate this approach. I can't promise you will have the same outcome that I did or that you can overcome horrible grades and a bad work ethic, but doing the stuff above will certainly put you in a better position than simply applying cold.

Bottom Line: No one should underestimate the power of initiative and good networking. I am 100% positive people on this sub would have no chance'ed me at my current firm (and at least two other places I got offers) because of my school/class rank/relatively "weak" clerkship. But I networked my brains out and landed somewhere amazing. So, if you aren't currently clerking for Sutton, my advice is:

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SEND THE COLD EMAIL TO A PARTNER, SET UP A CALL, AND MAKE AN ASK!

This is incredibly helpful advice. The only thing I would add to the Research portion would be to look at Chambers and Partners rankings for general commercial litigation or a specific type of litigation in the city or region you are interested in and to look at Benchmark Litigation awards. Every year, Benchmark Litigation ranks the top litigation groups/firms in every state. I found both of these tools super helpful when I started looking at firms in regions I wasn't familiar with and came across some smaller but strong lit boutiques I would have never heard of otherwise.

[Anonymous User]

Been dinged pre-interview by a lot of big-law firms for post-clerk hiring. Heard all around it’s a bad year. What are some good mid-law or boutique firms in NYC actively hiring this year?

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

Some of this might be premature. But I think part of it is due to people wanting to "trade up" or go to firms that value litigation more. For a summer, people arehappy to go to biglaw firms all over. Post-clerking, they probably tend to collate around boutiques and biglaw firms that are known for having stronger lit practices (e.g., GDC). Those firms already have their own crop of returning clerks. And at other firms, they may not want the expense and hassle of ramping up a new clerk when they are getting by just fine with their lit associates who didn't clerk and have learned the ropes from within. These firms and practices probably don't need new associates to write great briefs or take depos. They need people to churn volume, and they already have them or can just hire first years.

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I don't think you need stellar credential for biglaw lit but I think many are under the impression that a clerkship makes you more marketable when that isn't necessarily the case. You can get a random Art. 3 clerkship with credentials that are not going to be competitive in DC/NYC big law and that clerkship likely wont change that. I also think some firms have frozen hiring. Even firms that hire a lot clerks can afford to take a year off hiring clerks to figure out what the market is looking like.

As to your question on prior firms, again, I think people are trying to "upgrade" under the impression that their clerkship has made them a more competitive candidate. Once again, this isn't always the case.

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I find it interesting when people weigh in on situations that they are not actively engaged in. Cool bro, the market was banging when you applied out of your clerkship. But folks are quite literally writing on this thread that the post-clerkship market is bad. I have a competitive resume, clerked at fdc and ssc, and a diverse candidate and yet out of the 30 firms I've applied to I've only gotten two screeners with no call backs (as of yet). It's a tough market, at least for California, and that's been confirmed by the many partners I've networked with over the last two months. But please, ask more well-intentioned questions that's been answered since this thread was created.

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I don't think you need stellar credential for biglaw lit but I think many are under the impression that a clerkship makes you more marketable when that isn't necessarily the case. You can get a random Art. 3 clerkship with credentials that are not going to be competitive in DC/NYC big law and that clerkship likely wont change that. I also think some firms have frozen hiring. Even firms that hire a lot clerks can afford to take a year off hiring clerks to figure out what the market is looking like.

As to your question on prior firms, again, I think people are trying to "upgrade" under the impression that their clerkship has made them a more competitive candidate. Once again, this isn't always the case.

Several NYC biglaw firms have frozen, or nearly frozen clerkship hiring, including PW, Latham, and Skadden.

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I don't think you need stellar credential for biglaw lit but I think many are under the impression that a clerkship makes you more marketable when that isn't necessarily the case. You can get a random Art. 3 clerkship with credentials that are not going to be competitive in DC/NYC big law and that clerkship likely wont change that. I also think some firms have frozen hiring. Even firms that hire a lot clerks can afford to take a year off hiring clerks to figure out what the market is looking like.

As to your question on prior firms, again, I think people are trying to "upgrade" under the impression that their clerkship has made them a more competitive candidate. Once again, this isn't always the case.

Several NYC biglaw firms have frozen, or nearly frozen clerkship hiring, including PW, Latham, and Skadden.

Any data on this? PW NY has been actively recruiting from our chambers.

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I don't think you need stellar credential for biglaw lit but I think many are under the impression that a clerkship makes you more marketable when that isn't necessarily the case. You can get a random Art. 3 clerkship with credentials that are not going to be competitive in DC/NYC big law and that clerkship likely wont change that. I also think some firms have frozen hiring. Even firms that hire a lot clerks can afford to take a year off hiring clerks to figure out what the market is looking like.

As to your question on prior firms, again, I think people are trying to "upgrade" under the impression that their clerkship has made them a more competitive candidate. Once again, this isn't always the case.

Several NYC biglaw firms have frozen, or nearly frozen clerkship hiring, including PW, Latham, and Skadden.

Re-upping a question from awhile back. Does anyone know about movement at Sullivan and Cromwell?

[Anonymous User]

Why are so many people in this thread acting like you need stellar credentials for biglaw lit? It's objectively not true. Is the market actually so atrocious right now that well-credentialed Art. 3 clerks are completely striking out in generic biglaw?

Also, why don't people want to go back to their prior firm? Are firms not welcoming clerks back?

I don't think you need stellar credential for biglaw lit but I think many are under the impression that a clerkship makes you more marketable when that isn't necessarily the case. You can get a random Art. 3 clerkship with credentials that are not going to be competitive in DC/NYC big law and that clerkship likely wont change that. I also think some firms have frozen hiring. Even firms that hire a lot clerks can afford to take a year off hiring clerks to figure out what the market is looking like.

As to your question on prior firms, again, I think people are trying to "upgrade" under the impression that their clerkship has made them a more competitive candidate. Once again, this isn't always the case.

Several NYC biglaw firms have frozen, or nearly frozen clerkship hiring, including PW, Latham, and Skadden.

Re-upping a question from awhile back. Does anyone know about movement at Sullivan and Cromwell?

Know of a few people who got offers - all T6 with magna

[Anonymous User]

Seems like Skadden's appellate group has started interviewing.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard of DC offers?

[himi bimi]

Any word from DLA Piper?

[Anonymous User]

Just chiming in to say that I have no idea how post-clerkship hiring typically goes, but it definitely feels brutal out here. I'm HYS, top 20% with LR, prior biglaw lit experience, and COA clerk. I wasn't looking to level up from my prior firm but was hoping to explore the field a little bit or perhaps go somewhere a bit. more litigation-oriented. I have been applying to firms' DC offices, with dings from a few (Gibson, Skadden, Jenner, Arnold & Porter), and radio silence from others. Is the market just unusually bad or slow this cycle? Or is this how it always goes and I was just misinformed that it wouldn't be THAT hard to land interviews for post-clerkship employment?

[Anonymous User]

Just chiming in to say that I have no idea how post-clerkship hiring typically goes, but it definitely feels brutal out here. I'm HYS, top 20% with LR, prior biglaw lit experience, and COA clerk. I wasn't looking to level up from my prior firm but was hoping to explore the field a little bit or perhaps go somewhere a bit. more litigation-oriented. I have been applying to firms' DC offices, with dings from a few (Gibson, Skadden, Jenner), and radio silence from others. Is the market just unusually bad or slow this cycle? Or is this how it always goes and I was just misinformed that it wouldn't be THAT hard to land interviews for post-clerkship employment?

Obviously firm by firm but I have heard from pretty good sources that clerk hiring is slower than usual at at least some big law firms right now

[Anonymous User]

Anyone interviewed with Mayer Brown?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone interviewed with Mayer Brown?

Nope! And I applied probably mid January. So I’m not sure what they’re doing.

[Anonymous User]

If your chambers is invited to an online networking event, can ppl post it on here? I'm clerking in a flyover district and want to try and break into a different market.

[Anonymous User]

If your chambers is invited to an online networking event, can ppl post it on here? I'm clerking in a flyover district and want to try and break into a different market.

COA clerk in CA9 but not in California. I don't think we have gotten an invitation to an online networking event. All of the invites our chambers have gotten for have been in-person in LA or San Francisco at swanky restaurants.

[Anonymous User]

If your chambers is invited to an online networking event, can ppl post it on here? I'm clerking in a flyover district and want to try and break into a different market.

COA clerk in CA9 but not in California. I don't think we have gotten an invitation to an online networking event. All of the invites our chambers have gotten for have been in-person in LA or San Francisco at swanky restaurants.

I know Mayer Brown had an online networking event. I don't think there has been any others.

[Anonymous User]

If your chambers is invited to an online networking event, can ppl post it on here? I'm clerking in a flyover district and want to try and break into a different market.

COA clerk in CA9 but not in California. I don't think we have gotten an invitation to an online networking event. All of the invites our chambers have gotten for have been in-person in LA or San Francisco at swanky restaurants.

I know Mayer Brown had an online networking event. I don't think there has been any others.

I've heard of an interview with Mayer Brown DC.