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I know going from District Court to COA is fairly common. Is it feasible for someone that might not be competitive for a D. Ct. clerkship right after graduation to instead clerk for a magistrate judge and so on?

Absolutely. I know a lot of people who go from Mag to D Ct. And I know one person who later went COA, too.

Yeah, I know people who did Mag --> DCt, too.

With regard to "climbing the [clerkship] ladder" - would one want to target Mag judges in districts with a large number of D. Ct. judges (which are likely to be more competitive), or in less competitive districts (which are likely to have a smaller number of judges but also perhaps a better chance of getting to know said judges)?

d ct clerk here. the answer is less competitive dists

objctnyrhnr wrote:d ct clerk here. the answer is less competitive dists

I don't think there is an objectively right answer here. Anecdotally, I know a bunch of people who did magistrate in competitive districts (think EDVA, NDIL) for a year and then clerked for a d. Ct in same district

Based on my experience, target districts where the magistrates are used a lot and where the mags interact and have good relationships with the d. ct. judges. Some districts use their mags extensively. Some use them sparingly. Some districts' mags don't really interact with the DJs, and there's almost this snobbish hierarchy. Other districts, the MJs and DJs are pretty much treated the same and have equal regard for one another. Ask around, talk with clerks from districts you're thinking about.