Clerkship Bonus Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know what DLA Piper's clerkship bonus is? Major market. Can't seem to find anything except info from 2007.

[insideman]

Pretty sure its 50k.

[arkhamhorror]

Is that D.Ct or CoA, or is it static across the board?

[Tangerine Gleam]

Is that D.Ct or CoA, or is it static across the board?

I don't think it's common for firms to differentiate between D.Ct. and COA when it comes to clerkship bonuses. One notable exception is that some patent lit-heavy firms will pay extra for a Federal Circuit clerk.

[arkhamhorror]

Damn.

Thanks though. Also, great avatar.

[Anonymous User]

At Gibson Dunn the clerkship bonus is $50k, but you are forfeiting a bar stipend of $17k they would have given you had you not clerked, and also bar expenses if your Judge doesn't give written permission and you take the bar on graduation. So that, plus the difference in your salary that year of over $100k, leaves you in the red for that year roughly $75k or so, and that's before taxes. I'm not saying it's unfair or not worth it per se, but for some reason there's this misconception going in that the bonus makes up for the pay cut. I can't afford to make loan payments right now, and had to defer my payment plan, which is an additional cost.

[bk1]

At Gibson Dunn the clerkship bonus is $50k, but you are forfeiting a bar stipend of $17k they would have given you had you not clerked, and also bar expenses if your Judge doesn't give written permission and you take the bar on graduation. So that, plus the difference in your salary that year of over $100k, leaves you in the red for that year roughly $75k or so, and that's before taxes. I'm not saying it's unfair or not worth it per se, but for some reason there's this misconception going in that the bonus makes up for the pay cut. I can't afford to make loan payments right now, and had to defer my payment plan, which is an additional cost.

While this is a good point and should be noted, I have honestly never seen this misconception before. I don't know anybody who is clerking or looking to clerk that doesn't realize you come out in the red even after accounting for the bonus.

[Anonymous User]

At Gibson Dunn the clerkship bonus is $50k, but you are forfeiting a bar stipend of $17k they would have given you had you not clerked, and also bar expenses if your Judge doesn't give written permission and you take the bar on graduation. So that, plus the difference in your salary that year of over $100k, leaves you in the red for that year roughly $75k or so, and that's before taxes. I'm not saying it's unfair or not worth it per se, but for some reason there's this misconception going in that the bonus makes up for the pay cut. I can't afford to make loan payments right now, and had to defer my payment plan, which is an additional cost.

While this is a good point and should be noted, I have honestly never seen this misconception before. I don't know anybody who is clerking or looking to clerk that doesn't realize you come out in the red even after accounting for the bonus.

Maybe fair. My experience has been more with friends who assume you're coming out ahead. Or possibly just the general lack of response when I fish for some sympathy among my big law friends.

[bk1]

Maybe fair. My experience has been more with friends who assume you're coming out ahead. Or possibly just the general lack of response when I fish for some sympathy among my big law friends.

I mean, I'm not particularly sympathetic to the economic plight of clerks with biglaw offers considering they could have easily chosen not to clerk but they didn't. Not to say clerking isn't worth the foregone income, but it's not like clerks are deserving of sympathy considering their position atop the right out of law school jobs totem pole.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know what the curent bump up bonus is for a second clerkship (D Ct and COA)?

Past research said 70k was the "going rate", with maybe WIlliams & Connolly slightly higher.

Anyone?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know what the curent bump up bonus is for a second clerkship (D Ct and COA)?

Past research said 70k was the "going rate", with maybe WIlliams & Connolly slightly higher.

Anyone?

I'm interested in this as well. And regarding GDC's clerkship bonus that you have to discount by 17k+, that's a real bummer. I hope peer firms don't do that kind of thing.

[ph14]

Does anyone know what the curent bump up bonus is for a second clerkship (D Ct and COA)?

Past research said 70k was the "going rate", with maybe WIlliams & Connolly slightly higher.

Anyone?

Edited.

[Anonymous User]

Is there a tasteful way of asking what your firm's clerkship bonus is as a 2L (i.e. before you have you get an offer)? Or is it better to wait until you have an offer in hand?

[ph14]

Is there a tasteful way of asking what your firm's clerkship bonus is as a 2L (i.e. before you have you get an offer)? Or is it better to wait until you have an offer in hand?

Just ask an associate that you know when you are a summer (preferably one that clerked). Shouldn't be a big deal. Not sure I would bring it up in, say, your mid/end of summer review or to a partner.

[Anonymous User]

I believe Wilmer Hale is 50K for the first clerkship, 75K for a second. They can be any Art. III court, or the highest court of any state or D.C.

[Anonymous User]

Is there a tasteful way of asking what your firm's clerkship bonus is as a 2L (i.e. before you have you get an offer)? Or is it better to wait until you have an offer in hand?

The problem is that some people have specific financial situations such that a clerkship is only doable right out of school if the bonus is large enough. By the time you have a clerkship in hand, the decision's already been made. By the time you have an offer at the summer or even by the time you've developed a relationship with an associate during the summer, most of the clerkships spots have already been filled.

I couldn't think a tasteful way of asking, so I just straight up asked (HR, that is). Whether that affects my upcoming summer remains to be seen.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how much Kirkland pays for the Dist.Ct/COA combination? (one year each, two years total)

[Anonymous User]

At Gibson Dunn the clerkship bonus is $50k, but you are forfeiting a bar stipend of $17k they would have given you had you not clerked, and also bar expenses if your Judge doesn't give written permission and you take the bar on graduation. So that, plus the difference in your salary that year of over $100k, leaves you in the red for that year roughly $75k or so, and that's before taxes. I'm not saying it's unfair or not worth it per se, but for some reason there's this misconception going in that the bonus makes up for the pay cut. I can't afford to make loan payments right now, and had to defer my payment plan, which is an additional cost.

While this is a good point and should be noted, I have honestly never seen this misconception before. I don't know anybody who is clerking or looking to clerk that doesn't realize you come out in the red even after accounting for the bonus.

Maybe fair. My experience has been more with friends who assume you're coming out ahead. Or possibly just the general lack of response when I fish for some sympathy among my big law friends.

I am a current federal law clerk. A one-year clerkship will certainly cost clerks a non-negligible amount of money if they are forgoing a biglaw salary. I would estimate this difference to be anywhere between 10K to 40K depending on your circumstances. And of course a second year of clerking is very costly. But it sounds to me that Gibson Dunn pays its clerks below market. Market seems to be 50K bonus for one year of clerking and not forcing the clerks to forgo bar expenses and stipend.

My firm paid me the same stipend (10K given before clerking), bar expenses (BarBri and bar costs also given before clerkship), and dues (to be paid once I arrive at the firm). I am clerking immediately following law school, so I don't get the generous step increases. After the 50K bonus, the difference for me is about 25K post-tax dollars. And if you account for the huge cost of living savings (600 for a great place v. 2000+ for a shoe box), I am losing only a little bit this year.

Of course, I happen to clerk in a low COL place and happen to be working in a high COL place. This won't be true for everyone. And don't get me wrong; I'd rather be in my biglaw city in spite of the high COL. (That is, there are some non-monetary costs to clerking.) But purely in dollars and cents, clerking is not costing me much.

[TTT_allstar]

Do any firms give Clerkship bonuses for State trial courts?