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I'm a current appellate clerk looking into a follow-up two year district court clerkship, but I'm curious as to whether having clerked for three years would lead to complications when I return either to my 2L summer firm or another firm in my market (NY/SF/DC/LA). In terms of class credit, I assume I'd be coming in as a fourth year? I can't imagine starting at that level without having had any firm experience; anyone know whether clerking for three years is consequently a bad idea?

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a current appellate clerk looking into a follow-up two year district court clerkship, but I'm curious as to whether having clerked for three years would lead to complications when I return either to my 2L summer firm or another firm in my market (NY/SF/DC/LA). In terms of class credit, I assume I'd be coming in as a fourth year? I can't imagine starting at that level without having had any firm experience; anyone know whether clerking for three years is consequently a bad idea?

I could be wrong, but I thought they only give one class year credit, regardless of how many years you clerk.

That would be a much better situation. I had been told that if you clerk for two years you come in as a third year, but that could be completely wrong. Regardless, do you think having clerked for three years would start to look like overkill on your resume?

nonprofit-prophet wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a current appellate clerk looking into a follow-up two year district court clerkship, but I'm curious as to whether having clerked for three years would lead to complications when I return either to my 2L summer firm or another firm in my market (NY/SF/DC/LA). In terms of class credit, I assume I'd be coming in as a fourth year? I can't imagine starting at that level without having had any firm experience; anyone know whether clerking for three years is consequently a bad idea?

I could be wrong, but I thought they only give one class year credit, regardless of how many years you clerk.

that is what I have heard - unless its SCOTUS, in which case you get two+ years

I was pretty sure you could get a max of two years credit...

jd20132013 wrote:I was pretty sure you could get a max of two years credit...

Totally firm dependent. Some will credit any amount of years (very rare), some a max of two years (common), some a max of one year (common), and some hate clerkships (very rare).

Corporate or Litigation? Firm policy is what really matters, but it seems that lit groups are generally more tolerant than Corporate groups toward clerking in general.

Data point: at my firm, someone entering after three years of clerking comes in as a fourth year associate, at least for compensation purposes. For partnership, it's evaluated case-by-case.

I know one attorney who was made partner one year later than others in the same graduating class year, because he spent three years clerking. So in that respect, he "lost" a year. But he was paid as a fourth-year during his first year in private practice, which is pretty sweet.

Anonymous User wrote:Data point: at my firm, someone entering after three years of clerking comes in as a fourth year associate, at least for compensation purposes. For partnership, it's evaluated case-by-case.

I know one attorney who was made partner one year later than others in the same graduating class year, because he spent three years clerking. So in that respect, he "lost" a year. But he was paid as a fourth-year during his first year in private practice, which is pretty sweet.

Wouldn't that put you in a rough situation, i.e. you're making fourth year money and I would assume getting fourth year tasks with no prior firm training? Or is BigLaw work really so basic that you can skip three years of introduction and still manage it?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Data point: at my firm, someone entering after three years of clerking comes in as a fourth year associate, at least for compensation purposes. For partnership, it's evaluated case-by-case.

I know one attorney who was made partner one year later than others in the same graduating class year, because he spent three years clerking. So in that respect, he "lost" a year. But he was paid as a fourth-year during his first year in private practice, which is pretty sweet.

Wouldn't that put you in a rough situation, i.e. you're making fourth year money and I would assume getting fourth year tasks with no prior firm training? Or is BigLaw work really so basic that you can skip three years of introduction and still manage it?

I imagine clerking for three years might be different, but for people who clerk for two years, most firms will give third-year standing for compensation purposes, and second-year standing for all other purposes. I can't imagine any firm would want you to come in as a fourth-year associate for "work" purposes without having spent a day in a big law firm, and I would imagine there are many that wouldn't want to treat you as a third-year for seniority purposes either. In your type of (pretty rare if not SCOTUS) situation, I would think most firms would be open to negotiating standing for both compensation and seniority purposes.

I'll be clerking for two years after graduation and then entering an NYC biglaw firm. I know there is a bonus for two-years of clerking, and I had always assumed I would come in at a third-year associate's salary, but now this exchange has me wondering if the salary-credit is limited to one year. Is there a resource to find out specific firm's policies, or is the only/best way here to ask directly?

Anonymous User wrote:I'll be clerking for two years after graduation and then entering an NYC biglaw firm. I know there is a bonus for two-years of clerking, and I had always assumed I would come in at a third-year associate's salary, but now this exchange has me wondering if the salary-credit is limited to one year. Is there a resource to find out specific firm's policies, or is the only/best way here to ask directly?

Different firms have different policies on this and I believe the more common policy is a single year's credit for a two year clerkship, so definitely ask if your understanding is otherwise.