Temporary Clerkship Summer after 3L. Worst Idea Ever? Forum

[Anonymous User]

So short version is that there is a chance I could get a temporary district court clerkship this summer. I am a 3L who is applying for clerkships starting 2014. Obviously this would be during bar studying. Is this the worst idea ever?

I assume for most people the answer is obviously yes. However, I think I fall in an odd place where it might be worth it. I'm competitive, but not a lock for a D. Ct and this might put me over the edge. I worked for a big firm summer 2L but got no offered (don't even get me started there) and struck out on clerkships when I applied very late. I want to become a prosecutor (interning at DA's office right now with unpaid DA position after the bar).

I guess my point is that absent a 2014 clerkship I'm facing a black hole and just praying a DA position opens up somewhere. On the other hand, failing the bar would be pretty bad too. Not to mention I might get a 2014 clerkship anyway.

I have to respond pretty soon on this, so let me know what you think (e.g. tell me to get this crazy idea out of my head).

EDIT: now with poll!

[xcountryjunkie]

Have you considering doing it and taking the bar in February?

[nevdash]

If you don't have anything else locked up, I say run it. I've only heard of one dude from my school who did a temporary D.Ct. clerkship right after graduating, and he was able to parlay it into a full term D.Ct. clerkship shortly after.

[Anonymous User]

Thought briefly about Feb, but I can take it then if I fail anyway.

Main issue is that DA position is post bar and they would let me do everything entry level DA could do (assuming bar passage). Maybe they'd let me do law clerk stuff if I failed (or I could stay on where I am), but rather not do that if I can avoid it.

[Anonymous User]

Take it. It's paid and that is better than unpaid. Plus your résumé will be strengthened. Hopefully you get a clerkship where the hours are standard and you will have time to study after 5. It will be hard, but certainly doable.

[Anonymous User]

Nev, was this parlayed into full time with the same judge or with another judge?

[nevdash]

Nev, was this parlayed into full time with the same judge or with another judge?

Different judge and different district, but it was the next district over in the same state.

[XxSpyKEx]

Take it. It's paid and that is better than unpaid. Plus your résumé will be strengthened. Hopefully you get a clerkship where the hours are standard and you will have time to study after 5. It will be hard, but certainly doable.

This. And I'd venture to say in most full term clerkships you'll not only have the time to study after 5, but also will have enough time to study during the day (assuming you can work reasonably diligently). But I wouldn't count on having enough time during the temp clerkship though (there will probably be work that's sitting there waiting for you when you start that the last clerk didn't get around to and there is a learning curve).

[Anonymous User]

I did a temporary clerkship (6 months) and it didn't seem to be looked at very differently than a full year one. I was able to secure a clerkship "required" gig at the end of it.

One way to spin it is that you're still getting the meat of the experience, you just have to be more of a self-starter and hit the ground running because there's no ramp up period.

As for how that interacts with bar study...tough to say. Depends really on the judge. My hours were roughly 930-5, unless the day was busy for some reason.

[Anonymous User]

Talk to the judge and see what he/she is going to expect. If it's 40ish hours, I'd say do it. Your summer will blow, but working and studying for the bar at nights and on weekends is doable.

But first I'd figure out if taking the Feb bar while working for the judge (or elsewhere) is doable. If you don't have a job lined up already, it's very unlikely you will until next year anyway.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, I ended up deciding not to do this. I probably would have if I didn't have the DA position post bar. Without that I could take/retake in Feb and hope it helps me find a 2014 clerkship.

I really want to be a DA eventually and I want to make sure I pass the bar and get started on time in the fall. Hopefully I get a clerkship anyway and this question is moot!

Thanks for the input folks.