Top Law Schools

Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

Anonymous User wrote:Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

We have been getting them pretty regularly since we started last fall.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

We have been getting them pretty regularly since we started last fall.

Thank you! Have they just been from firms within your circuit, or nationally?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

We have been getting them pretty regularly since we started last fall.

Thank you! Have they just been from firms within your circuit, or nationally?

More local than not, but stuff from NYC/DC too.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

I'm not sure why there is a fascination with solicitation letters in this forum. Yes, clerks get solicitation letters, but they're not really useful. If you want to work for a certain firm, or type of firm, you don't need to wait for some solicitation letter, you just email your materials to the firm.

ClerkAdvisor wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hi everyone,

I have heard rumors that CoA clerks receive "solicitation letters" from large firms. Is this true? At what point in the timeline would these solicitation letters start to arrive?

Thanks!

I'm not sure why there is a fascination with solicitation letters in this forum. Yes, clerks get solicitation letters, but they're not really useful. If you want to work for a certain firm, or type of firm, you don't need to wait for some solicitation letter, you just email your materials to the firm.

I guess they can be useful to the extent that they signal which firms are actually looking to take on new associates, and particularly associates with clerking experience. I have a friend who, while clerking, "cold-applied" to lots of positions without much luck. Then he received a solicitation letter from a firm he had not considered (and didn't know much about). He scheduled an interview and got the job.

For the most part, solicitation letters might not put much new on your radar, but it can definitely happen.

Unfortunately, solicitation letters aren't anything super special-but are useful in the sense that you figure out which firms hire clerks.


For example, Im at a district court in a mid-atlantic state and the clerks will randomly get letters. There doesn't appear to be a timeline. It's awesome when you see "We pay clerks a $50,000 bonus, blah blah," but not so awesome when you realize you haven't even been given an interview.

Honestly though OP, I doubt a federal COA clerk will have a hard time finding employment so long as you're not limiting yourself to ultra competitive jobs.

On the 9th Circuit, we got these letters in the spring and early summer.

They came from all over the country. I specifically recall Susman, Wachtell, SullCrom, Keker, Cohen Milstein, Kellogg Huber. There were others, too, but I forget which firms sent them.

I applied to every single one, and I received zero interviews. In fairness, I didn't really have the credentials for those types of places, but I held out hope that I would get an offer based on the clerkship bump alone.

Anonymous User wrote: I guess they can be useful to the extent that they signal which firms are actually looking to take on new associates, and particularly associates with clerking experience. I have a friend who, while clerking, "cold-applied" to lots of positions without much luck. Then he received a solicitation letter from a firm he had not considered (and didn't know much about). He scheduled an interview and got the job.

For the most part, solicitation letters might not put much new on your radar, but it can definitely happen.

I agree, it especially helps law clerks in flyover clerkships or who are looking to move to a different region after their clerkship. Additionally, some of us have already applied to firms in Dec/Jan and received rejection letters. If the firms are going to look at law clerks in the spring/summer, it would be nice to know so we can reapply when the positions are actually available. Again, I realize that the vast majority of folks receiving these letters are having no problems finding a job. But for the rest of us, any job lead is appreciated.