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I'm currently a district court clerk. After that, I'm clerking on the Federal Circuit. Has anyone (or does anyone know someone who) successfully negotiated a higher clerkship bonus or benefit?

Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Anonymous User wrote:Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Is there any additional bump for CAFC clerks over other COA clerks? Seems like there would be a premium for them if going into patent litigation.

zomginternets wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Is there any additional bump for CAFC clerks over other COA clerks? Seems like there would be a premium for them if going into patent litigation.

I've never heard of any firms differentiating among circuit courts when it comes to bonus levels.

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zomginternets wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Is there any additional bump for CAFC clerks over other COA clerks? Seems like there would be a premium for them if going into patent litigation.

Surprisingly, yes (assuming market for other circuits is still 50k, but wtf do I know about other circuits). Market bonus for CAFC is generally 70k, though not all firms that routinely recruit CAFC clerks pay 70k.

What is the market rate among V20 (or whatever) firms for a one year district court clerkship followed by a one year COA clerkship?

Anonymous User wrote:

zomginternets wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Is there any additional bump for CAFC clerks over other COA clerks? Seems like there would be a premium for them if going into patent litigation.

Surprisingly, yes (assuming market for other circuits is still 50k, but wtf do I know about other circuits). Market bonus for CAFC is generally 70k, though not all firms that routinely recruit CAFC clerks pay 70k.

OP here. So does that mean that a CAFC clerk with a district court clerkship might be able to get more than 70k, given that the "market" rate for district court plus a non-CAFC COA clerkship tends to be 70k? I guess this was the crux of my question originally. Not to be greedy, but it's a bit unfortunate that I've clerked for an extra year (and given up big firm pay for an extra year) but will get no greater bonus than if I had gone straight to CAFC (assuming, of course, that that would've been possible), which is why I'm curious if firms don't offer more in that situation.
(poster above me, ^^^ the answer to your question is in mine)

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

zomginternets wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Former CAFC clerk here. Sure people negotiate. You can sometimes get a firm who comes in a bit below market to match market also you should get a bump for the D. Ct. clerkship as well and sometimes you need to "ask" for that bump.

Is there any additional bump for CAFC clerks over other COA clerks? Seems like there would be a premium for them if going into patent litigation.

Surprisingly, yes (assuming market for other circuits is still 50k, but wtf do I know about other circuits). Market bonus for CAFC is generally 70k, though not all firms that routinely recruit CAFC clerks pay 70k.

OP here. So does that mean that a CAFC clerk with a district court clerkship might be able to get more than 70k, given that the "market" rate for district court plus a non-CAFC COA clerkship tends to be 70k? I guess this was the crux of my question originally. Not to be greedy, but it's a bit unfortunate that I've clerked for an extra year (and given up big firm pay for an extra year) but will get no greater bonus than if I had gone straight to CAFC (assuming, of course, that that would've been possible), which is why I'm curious if firms don't offer more in that situation.
(poster above me, ^^^ the answer to your question is in mine)

Same former CAFC clerk here.

It depends on the firm, but yes some firms that pay 70k will also give you additional $$$ for a district court clerkship. I'm not sure there is a standard mark-up for the district court clerkship, but several of my co-clerks got extra coin.