Right Away or 1-2 of BigLaw? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Would appreciate any advice or pros/cons that anyone can provide regarding the choice to clerk right after graduation or working 1-2 years first.

Rising 2L currently externing with Art. III. Nearly every current clerk I have talked to has said going right after graduation is TCR.

Thx!

[bruinfan10]

Would appreciate any advice or pros/cons that anyone can provide regarding the choice to clerk right after graduation or working 1-2 years first.

Rising 2L currently externing with Art. III. Nearly every current clerk I have talked to has said going right after graduation is TCR.

Thx!

the pros are that you get a much higher salary when your debt load is ostensibly the highest. you also gain access to judges who only hire alums. and many people are starting to burn out hard by year 2 of biglaw so having an exit option lined up that still keeps your job opportunities wide open can be a godsend.

the cons, among others, are that you lose valuable application cycles, some judges prefer to hire law students, to the extent you're riding a high GPA in 2L you might trash it in 3L and lose your shot at good judges forever, you might cause disruption at your firm, etc etc.

[ResIpsa21]

Bruinfan10's advice is spot-on. I will be leaving biglaw after exactly 2 years for a district clerkship and I'm really glad I did it this way. First of all, I doubt I would have been competitive for a clerkship out of law school (I did not apply), and indeed my judge only hires alums. Second, I am WAY burned out of biglaw and extremely grateful to have a good exit option. My clerkship will still be a tough workload, but I won't have to deal with billable hours, mandatory non-billable crap, navigating disputes between partners, etc.

As for the cons, I also agree with Bruinfan10's advice, but I have a few caveats. On losing valuable application cycles, if I could have gotten a clerkship as a law student, I would've accepted it no matter what it was, but it definitely would not have been as good as what I got as an alum (well-respected district in 2d/9th). Keep in mind that not all clerkships are equal. Also, there's not as much of a "cycle" for alums. I started applying in July 2014 and just kept sending out applications until I got an offer (which came in October 2014). So you can start applying after ~one year of Biglaw and just keep applying until something hits. It's also true that some judges prefer to hire law students, but just as many (or more) prefer to hire alums. By waiting, you do miss out on the former, but you open yourself up to the latter.

On causing disruption at your firm, most firms will understand why you want to clerk and will be OK with it. I was very worried about this and actually got some pushback from some partners who didn't understand why I would leave the firm to clerk, but once I accepted an offer, everyone was very supportive (what other choice did they have?). They've told me that a seat will be open for me if I want to come back after the clerkship (though I don't have it in writing, and would prefer not to come back anyway).

[Anonymous User]

I clerked a year after biglaw, and I'm really glad I worked first. It was a great break from grueling NYC biglaw, and frankly, I think I got a lot more out of clerking having come in with a year of biglaw behind me. It's easy to get sucked into the hole of biglaw, especially in NYC. Clerking allows you to pause, take a step back, and analyze the law/lawyers/firms from a higher level. It altered my view on law firms and the career I want, and I appreciate that I've had the opportunity to reassess as an informed consumer (because no one knows what they're doing picking a firm as a 2L, and summer programs in NYC are not realistic).

I was humbled by my former firm's very supportive response when I informed them that I was clerking. Everyone says clerking is the best job you'll ever have, and it's true. Many partners have clerked and will likely be very supportive of someone having that experience (even if, in the abstract, they say clerking is disruptive).

[Anonymous User]

I clerked a year after biglaw, and I'm really glad I worked first. It was a great break from grueling NYC biglaw, and frankly, I think I got a lot more out of clerking having come in with a year of biglaw behind me. It's easy to get sucked into the hole of biglaw, especially in NYC. Clerking allows you to pause, take a step back, and analyze the law/lawyers/firms from a higher level. It altered my view on law firms and the career I want, and I appreciate that I've had the opportunity to reassess as an informed consumer (because no one knows what they're doing picking a firm as a 2L, and summer programs in NYC are not realistic).

I was humbled by my former firm's very supportive response when I informed them that I was clerking. Everyone says clerking is the best job you'll ever have, and it's true. Many partners have clerked and will likely be very supportive of someone having that experience (even if, in the abstract, they say clerking is disruptive).

yeah, you get a nice bird's eye view of law firms and their work product, but i'd say the flip side is also true: can be nice to head into BL with real knowledge about the stages of litigation and the understanding that there's only a ~40% chance the partner/senior you're slaving away for on a brief or motion has any idea what they're doing. it's amazing how clueless lawyers at even the biggest name firms can be, and i have to think that'll help you roll with the punches with some tyrannical midlevel is foaming at the mouth and calling you an idiot.