Post-Graduation Clerkship Applications Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just wondering if anyone knows how the timeline and process works for recent graduates to apply for clerkships like 2-3 years out of law school?
Also would it be worth it?
Thanks.

[rpupkin]

Also would it be worth it?

How could we possibly answer that question in the abstract? C'mon.

Where are you working now (big law/mid law/gov't/PI)? What do you want to do in the future? What region do you live in now, and is it the region you want to practice in? Are you interested in trial work or appellate work? Do you want to clerk at the federal or state level?

[Anonymous User]

Also would it be worth it?

How could we possibly answer that question in the abstract? C'mon.

Where are you working now (big law/mid law/gov't/PI)? What do you want to do in the future? What region do you live in now, and is it the region you want to practice in? Are you interested in trial work or appellate work? Do you want to clerk at the federal or state level?

Ha, I guess I really have no idea how this whole process works, tbh.
Big law corporate. Want to return to big law after as well. Just wondering if clerkship (if so where and what area) would enhance my long term career perspective.

[Anonymous User]

My judge only hires people with at least 2-3 years of post-grad experience. When he hires is wholly contingent on when his clerks leave, which can be any time during the year. The same can be said for a handful of other judges in our courthouse, but I think we're the exception to the rule.

Also, if you want to litigate, I think a federal clerkship is always worth it. The only downside is financial. But depending on your chambers, you could work such reasonable hours that it might make it financially worth it.

[Anonymous User]

My judge only hired people with 2+ years of experience (and ideally, 4-5). In general, he'd wait until a few months before one of his clerks was supposed to leave (which was a moving target -- although he hired for nominal two year terms, very few clerks actually stayed for exactly two years -- most left in the second or third years after starting), and then interview roughly four people for every opening. He'd generally make offers to everyone he liked enough, though if you were the third or fourth choice, the offer would be for a clerkship a few years down the line.

As for your situation, if by "big law corporate" you mean deal work, you actually might have some hard feelings if you want to return to the same group. I'd probably couch it as something to transition to litigation. You might even see if you can move to litigation prior to the clerkship so that you're not starting at a new group.

[Anonymous User]

I am a current first year associate who will be clerking for a federal district judge in September 2015. If you haven't registered for Oscar yet do that now; you can set up your account such that you get updates everyday when new judges begin to hire. There are still occassionally updates for judges who are hiring for September 2014, although obviously the vast majority of 2014 hiring has already taken place, and at least a good bit, (maybe close to or more than half?) of the 2015 hiring has taken place as well. So....you can either try to (very) quickly put together apps for 2015, or hold off and start applying for 2016 this coming December/January.