Value of a Chancery Clerkship Forum

[Anonymous User]

Rising 2L at a T6, top 15%/LR and want transactional work in either New York or Silicon Valley. Am doing research for a pretty well-connected corporate professor. It's definitely a crap shoot, but any feedback at all would really help determine if I should try to chase after a Chancery clerkship or not bother. I wouldn't chase after a trial-level or COA clerkship, just this if it was valuable.

Would a big law firm value a Chancery clerkship, or would they prefer corporate associates to just start at the firm outright?

Are there particular practice groups for which it might hold special value?

Thanks!

[arklaw13]

Are we talking Delaware Chancery?

[ZyzzBrah]

^^ if DE, then very valuable (and also very competitive)


However, if you ended up getting something through OCI, it really doesn't matter in the long run--but because OCI is a crap shoot, I would apply to the clerkship assuming you'd actually find it interesting to do.

[Anonymous User]

Are we talking Delaware Chancery?

OP here. Yes, sorry, Delaware!

To the second poster, I'm not currently worried about finding firm employment. I'd be pursuing the clerkship to add value, if any, to the firm work I'd be doing, rather than to help me secure a firm job to begin with. Still advisable?

[Anonymous User]

Current clerk here. It's an extremely valuable experience for anyone interested in corporate law, litigation or transactional. I would highly recommend it, it will make you a very valuable commodity and will put you ahead of your peers when you begin practicing.

[hellojd]

Current clerk here. It's an extremely valuable experience for anyone interested in corporate law, litigation or transactional. I would highly recommend it, it will make you a very valuable commodity and will put you ahead of your peers when you begin practicing.

I'm also curious to hear more about this clerkship and your experience with it, if you don't mind answering more questions.

1) What is the typical qualification for the clerkship (T6/T14, top 10/20/25%, etc.)? Are corporate courses weighted more heavily in looking at grades?

2) When did you apply, and was the process similar to that of other clerkships?

3) Do you have pretty much all firm doors open afterwards?

[Anonymous User]

Current clerk here. It's an extremely valuable experience for anyone interested in corporate law, litigation or transactional. I would highly recommend it, it will make you a very valuable commodity and will put you ahead of your peers when you begin practicing.

I'm also curious to hear more about this clerkship and your experience with it, if you don't mind answering more questions.

1) What is the typical qualification for the clerkship (T6/T14, top 10/20/25%, etc.)? Are corporate courses weighted more heavily in looking at grades?

2) When did you apply, and was the process similar to that of other clerkships?

3) Do you have pretty much all firm doors open afterwards?

1) I would say T14 top 10-15% would be an approximate cut-off. Some judges will take kids at the very top of a lower ranked law school, others seem to prefer kids from T6 (there tend to be a lot of clerksfrom Penn). A demonstrated interest and high achievement in corporate courses is pretty much a pre-req and a rec from a high level corporate professor definitely helps an applicants chances.

2) My understanding is that all spots have been filled for 15-16 as of mid-July or so. I would recommend applying by May of your 2L year to be on the safe side. Once difference in the process from a lot of other courts is that you have to apply to all 5 judges and they tend to interview a lot of the same candidates.

3) For the most part, yes. I think a lot of the clerks tend to have most firm doors open to them before they clerk, but I know of a few that looked around and had interviews with, and offers from, the usual suspects (S&C, Skadden, etc.).

[hellojd]

Current clerk here. It's an extremely valuable experience for anyone interested in corporate law, litigation or transactional. I would highly recommend it, it will make you a very valuable commodity and will put you ahead of your peers when you begin practicing.

I'm also curious to hear more about this clerkship and your experience with it, if you don't mind answering more questions.

1) What is the typical qualification for the clerkship (T6/T14, top 10/20/25%, etc.)? Are corporate courses weighted more heavily in looking at grades?

2) When did you apply, and was the process similar to that of other clerkships?

3) Do you have pretty much all firm doors open afterwards?

1) I would say T14 top 10-15% would be an approximate cut-off. Some judges will take kids at the very top of a lower ranked law school, others seem to prefer kids from T6 (there tend to be a lot of clerksfrom Penn). A demonstrated interest and high achievement in corporate courses is pretty much a pre-req and a rec from a high level corporate professor definitely helps an applicants chances.

2) My understanding is that all spots have been filled for 15-16 as of mid-July or so. I would recommend applying by May of your 2L year to be on the safe side. Once difference in the process from a lot of other courts is that you have to apply to all 5 judges and they tend to interview a lot of the same candidates.

3) For the most part, yes. I think a lot of the clerks tend to have most firm doors open to them before they clerk, but I know of a few that looked around and had interviews with, and offers from, the usual suspects (S&C, Skadden, etc.).

Thank you very much for the responses, very helpful. What is a typical workday/week for you like? Do you read briefs and, under the general supervision of the chancellor, craft a first draft of the opinion? I was speaking to an alum from my school and they said it was actually kinda high burn, consistent 60-70 hr weeks.

I'm a rising 2L so will definitely keep in mind your suggestion to apply by May. Thanks again!

[Anonymous User]

Current clerk here. It's an extremely valuable experience for anyone interested in corporate law, litigation or transactional. I would highly recommend it, it will make you a very valuable commodity and will put you ahead of your peers when you begin practicing.

I'm also curious to hear more about this clerkship and your experience with it, if you don't mind answering more questions.

1) What is the typical qualification for the clerkship (T6/T14, top 10/20/25%, etc.)? Are corporate courses weighted more heavily in looking at grades?

2) When did you apply, and was the process similar to that of other clerkships?

3) Do you have pretty much all firm doors open afterwards?

1) I would say T14 top 10-15% would be an approximate cut-off. Some judges will take kids at the very top of a lower ranked law school, others seem to prefer kids from T6 (there tend to be a lot of clerksfrom Penn). A demonstrated interest and high achievement in corporate courses is pretty much a pre-req and a rec from a high level corporate professor definitely helps an applicants chances.

2) My understanding is that all spots have been filled for 15-16 as of mid-July or so. I would recommend applying by May of your 2L year to be on the safe side. Once difference in the process from a lot of other courts is that you have to apply to all 5 judges and they tend to interview a lot of the same candidates.

3) For the most part, yes. I think a lot of the clerks tend to have most firm doors open to them before they clerk, but I know of a few that looked around and had interviews with, and offers from, the usual suspects (S&C, Skadden, etc.).

The only thing I'll add to number one is that once you get into the HYS range grades matter much less. I know people with below median or medianish grades (including Ps in classes relevant to the Chancery Court's subject matter) who have clerked on the Court.