Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am considering applying to judges on the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. How are these clerkships viewed? Will such a clerkship pigeon-hold me in work related to the military? Will the clerkship help with getting into big-law in DC?

[ResIpsa21]

I may be one of the stricter voices on this board about non-Article III clerkships, but my impression is that this would not be too helpful in getting you into DC biglaw. You might get some attention from firms that specialize in government contracts, but I think this would hurt you if you tried to go into any other practice area. Armed Forces is a highly specialized court, so trying to do something unrelated could make you look confused or uncommitted (not a quality biglaw firms want in their associates). Even for government contracts, I just ran a quick search of some top DC firms and found only a couple associates who clerked on Armed Forces. Most of them have prior military experience or work experience in defense-related government positions or with defense contractors.

Now, I don't know your situation, so maybe you've got some other credentials that would make a difference here. For example, if you've got a military background or connections in the defense community that could result in bringing in business for a firm, that's a different story. I saw at least one associate in my quick search who clerked for Armed Forces and now does False Claims Act litigation on behalf of defense contractors with whom he used to work. But if your question is "will firms look at this the same way as any other clerkship," I think the answer is a definitive "no," they'll want a good reason why you were interested in the military and how you plan to use that interest in your practice.

[AreJay711]

I've heard of people who turned specialty COA clerkships into midlaw firms without killing it in law school. I'm sure you'd learn something valuable to firms, but you'd have to figure out how to sell it. Like res ipsa said, I don't think it'd be much of an "in" to biglaw by any means.

[mi-chan17]

I know folks who turned CAAF into a USDC clerkship and went on to biglaw and the like, but they're rare.

You might get some attention from firms that specialize in government contracts, but I think this would hurt you if you tried to go into any other practice area.

I also would disagree with this, since I don't think CAAF helps at all in gov't K hiring. There are only three fora that hear bid protests and/or claims disputes, and none of them are CAAF. I guess it might have some minimal value in terms of making contacts with contractors, but frankly if that was your goal, you'd be better served clerking on COFC.

[Asleep]

Yeah, my understanding is that CAAF is purely criminally work.

[Anonymous User]

OP here: Thanks everyone! I appreciate your thoughts--everything you said has been helpful.