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For a federal judge, if the judge were to (god forbid) pass away or become incapacitated before the clerkship were to begin what would happen? Forgive the morbid question, but it is something that I wonder about.

Depends. Sometimes there is an effort to place the future clerk with another judge on the court (or the deceased judge's replacement), sometimes that's not possible.

It happens pretty regularly. I actually know of someone who got double whammied -- his judge died before the clerkship and they couldn't find somewhere else for him, plus he summered at Dewey/Howrey the summer before the firm went belly up.

Anonymous User wrote:I actually know of someone who got double whammied -- his judge died before the clerkship and they couldn't find somewhere else for him, plus he summered at Dewey/Howrey the summer before the firm went belly up.

bk187 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I actually know of someone who got double whammied -- his judge died before the clerkship and they couldn't find somewhere else for him, plus he summered at Dewey/Howrey the summer before the firm went belly up.

Tell this guy never to go skydiving.

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If you have an open firm or the understanding that you will return, would you be able to start at your firm earlier?