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Lots of Questions:

1. Do firms look highly on writing intensive State Trial Clerkships?

2. Do any firms give clerkship bonuses for these clerkships?

3. Is biglaw possible afterwards? midlaw? government agencies?

4. Is it easy to trade up to State Supreme Court Clerkships?

5. Does anyone have any legitimate experience getting employment post-trial clerkship?

TTT_allstar wrote:Lots of Questions:

1. Do firms look highly on writing intensive State Trial Clerkships?

2. Do any firms give clerkship bonuses for these clerkships?

3. Is biglaw possible afterwards? midlaw? government agencies?

4. Is it easy to trade up to State Supreme Court Clerkships?

5. Does anyone have any legitimate experience getting employment post-trial clerkship?

Here are my anecdotal thoughts based on maybe a dozen or so CA trial court clerks I know/met:

1. Generally, no. Some firms that have heavy state court practices might. A family friend's medmal defense firm does almost exclusively work in state court, so they'd rather see a state court clerk than federal, believe it or not.

2. I've never heard of any.

3. All are possible, but it's unlikely a state court trial court clerkship is going to give you much of a bump.

4. I don't know. I can only speak to CA, which uses career staff attorneys at the appellate level 99% of the time.

5. My friend went to a big law job after his trial court clerkship. But he was ranked in the top 10 people in his class yet somehow struck out at OCI and federal clerkships. My guess is he is off-putting in interviews because he comes across as very arrogant. Another friend went to a respected environmental litigation boutique. But, again, he had amazing credentials, lots of environmental background, and is an all around likable guy.