Post-Clerkship Job hunting (fall 2015 hiring cycle) Forum

bezatru · Post by **bezatru** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:25 pm

Lets get to this fun topic!!
Have you applied yet? If not, when do you plan to apply? (any other updates/suggestions on this topic are welcomed).

Shaggier1 · Post by **Shaggier1** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 1:28 pm

Is this just for firms? I am really trying to figure out DOJ hiring timeline.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 1:45 pm

Currently trying to decide whether to go back to my firm, where I worked for a year prior to clerking, or to make a switch.

My dilemma: I don't want to practice where my firm is located, which is also the district in which I'm clerking (major market, think D.D.C., S.D.N.Y., N.D. Cal., C.D. Cal.). Instead, I want to move back to my home market, which is a smaller but still major city.

My former firm has an office in my home market, but doesn't let juniors transfer there. I'd be going back as a third year, but would still need to work in the major market for a year prior to being able to ask to switch (and even then, there's no guarantee). I liked my firm, but like several of the home-grown firms in my home market better.

Wondering if people think I should just go back to my firm, stay a while, then try to make a move when I'm a bit more senior, or if I should try and go on the market now in my home market and make the move immediately if I get hired. Long-term goal is not partnership, but to pay off my (substantial) debt and either practice at a smaller litigation firm or in state government.

Thanks!

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:00 pm

If you are sure you want to be in your home market, better to get there ASAP in my opinion because 1) the more ties you have in the legal community, the better, and the only way to really develop those ties is to get there and 2) if it is a smaller market you will likely get more substantive experience there.

I say that as someone who practiced in big law in one of the districts you mentioned and is now clerking in a smaller district. Only took about a week to see how fundamentally different a legal community this was (in a good way in my opinion).

mi-chan17 · Post by **mi-chan17** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:27 pm

Shaggier1 wrote:Is this just for firms? I am really trying to figure out DOJ hiring timeline.

I'm applying for DOJ/DHS/etc., too. Working on those applications now.

Shaggier1 · Post by **Shaggier1** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:35 pm

Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:15 pm

How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?

mi-chan17 · Post by **mi-chan17** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:21 pm

Shaggier1 wrote:Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?

Honors. Or, actually, both Honors and non-honors, since clerking for two years as a first job lets you kind of bat both ways. That said, since I have no non-clerking, post-grad work experience, I expect I will be beat out by those that do in all "experienced" attorney positions. Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

Anonymous User wrote:How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?

You can troll USAjobs, too, but the most comprehensive DOJ listing I've found for experienced lawyers is this one: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/vacancies.

tww909 · Post by **tww909** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:42 pm

mi-chan17 wrote:
Shaggier1 wrote:Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?
Honors. Or, actually, both Honors and non-honors, since clerking for two years as a first job lets you kind of bat both ways. That said, since I have no non-clerking, post-grad work experience, I expect I will be beat out by those that do in all "experienced" attorney positions. Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

Anonymous User wrote:How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?
You can troll USAjobs, too, but the most comprehensive DOJ listing I've found for experienced lawyers is this one: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/vacancies.

Is it too early to be applying to (say) AUSA positions? I have no idea what the timeline is for them or other DOJ components having never worked for them before.

Shaggier1 · Post by **Shaggier1** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 1:41 pm

Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

I spent about 9 months at a firm, so no Honors for me.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 1:50 pm

I just applied with a state AG's office, and I'm working on the DOJ honors application. If those don't work out I'll probably start networking and thinking about firms; not sure if I'm interested in going back to the firm I summered at. I'm in the middle of back-to-back clerkships (state supreme court to circuit court). I interviewed for both clerkships during my 2L summer, so I'm feeling a little out of practice on the whole job search thing.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:13 pm

Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Also, DOJ Honors app is in. Good luck to my other honors peeps.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:23 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Also, DOJ Honors app is in. Good luck to my other honors peeps.

Congrats! How long did it take to receive the "referred" status after you applied?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:50 pm

Two or three weeks after the closing date.

Shaggier1 · Post by **Shaggier1** » Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:46 am

Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Thanks for sharing! This is for a job starting in Fall 2015? Can I ask how much experience the posting said was preferred?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Sep 05, 2014 12:26 pm

Both, as far as I can tell, would allow starts in fall 2015. The postings differed, but were in the GS 12/13 zone, so 1-3 years experience?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:19 pm

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:57 pm

Is anyone else trying to move markets? How big of a problem will it be if I haven't taken the bar in my target market? (I practiced for a year in State X and am admitted in State X, but want to go home to State Y and wont have a chance to take the State Y bar before my clerkship ends.)

run26.2 · Post by **run26.2** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:32 pm

If a firm is interested in hiring you, it is unlikely to be a problem that you are not barred in that state. Clerks frequently move jurisdictions.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:41 pm

run26.2 wrote:If a firm is interested in hiring you, it is unlikely to be a problem that you are not barred in that state. Clerks frequently move jurisdictions.

ty. is this based on your experience/experience of your friends? I initially thought that it was no big deal, but spoke to a recruiter a few days ago that said that I would be in the "second tier" of candidates (despite HYS, COA) because I was not barred in the state. This is a major market - think Chicago or SF/LA rather than Nashville or Denver.

I have no real intuition as to whether or not the recruiter is full of shit or not.

run26.2 · Post by **run26.2** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:24 pm

Feel free to PM for more details.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:05 am

Your recruiter sounds like a total idiot. You would be in the "second tier" of candidate, despite HYS / COA experience, because you weren't barred in that state? Really?

VulcanVulcanVulcan · Post by **VulcanVulcanVulcan** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:57 pm

Anyone have intel on when firms are going to start hiring? I am mostly interested in DC and NY.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:17 pm

Would appreciate some intel as well. So far I have been told that I am too early.

run26.2 · Post by **run26.2** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:19 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Would appreciate some intel as well. So far I have been told that I am too early.

Next year about spring time.

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