Top Law Schools

I clerk for a mag. judge in EDNY/SDNY and just got an offer to clerk for a district judge in NDIL (Chicago). I went to lower ranked school out in Chicago but did very well (top 1-2%), and I initially thought I would want to come back to Chicago so I took the Illinois bar out there. Now, I feel like the Chicago market is doing REALLY badly and is overall a less exciting place to go then either NYC or DC. I've applied to a whole lot of jobs in NYC/DC bc I want to do fed. gov't work, but I applied to a bunch of biglaw firms as well. Have heard a whole lot of rejections and a lot more silence, so I don't have anything lined up for after my current clerkship ends. Nonetheless, I am sure I could probably get something either NYC or DC.

I wonder what people think about accepting this district clerkship in terms of how I would look moving first from Chi to NYC then to Chi and then trying to get into the NYC or DC market from there? I fell like clerking for an ArtIII judge in a big city would be a great credential but I wonder if it will risk too much in terms of making me less able to move back and then being stuck in the CHicago market? I'm struggling with this...thoughts?

Anonymous User wrote:I clerk for a mag. judge in EDNY/SDNY and just got an offer to clerk for a district judge in NDIL (Chicago). I went to lower ranked school out in Chicago but did very well (top 1-2%), and I initially thought I would want to come back to Chicago so I took the Illinois bar out there. Now, I feel like the Chicago market is doing REALLY badly and is overall a less exciting place to go then either NYC or DC. I've applied to a whole lot of jobs in NYC/DC bc I want to do fed. gov't work, but I applied to a bunch of biglaw firms as well. Have heard a whole lot of rejections and a lot more silence, so I don't have anything lined up for after my current clerkship ends. Nonetheless, I am sure I could probably get something either NYC or DC.

I wonder what people think about accepting this district clerkship in terms of how I would look moving first from Chi to NYC then to Chi and then trying to get into the NYC or DC market from there? I fell like clerking for an ArtIII judge in a big city would be a great credential but I wonder if it will risk too much in terms of making me less able to move back and then being stuck in the CHicago market? I'm struggling with this...thoughts?

I know it's not exactly something you can count on, but if you do the second clerkship, you keep your eligibility to apply for DOJ Honors (and all the other federal Honors programs) next year. Sorry I don't have anything more concrete to add!

Nonetheless, I am sure I could probably get something either NYC or DC.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. You'll be looking for work in markets (one of which is pretty tough) that your law school doesn't feed into, and even if it did, top grades from a lesser-regarded school and a non-AIII clerkship isn't a guaranteed job.

If I were you, I'd go clerk in the Dirksen building. Take the NY bar if you can. Look for jobs in NYC and DC during your USDC clerkship. And if they aren't there, settle for something in Chicago. There are worse things.

I would take it. At the very least you will have a better chance of getting a clerkship bonus if you go to a firm.

.

Doubt taking a clerkship in Chicago is going to appear like a flight risk to NYC/DC firms.