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I'm applying for a federal magistrate judge clerkship in an undesirable Texas location. Exact location available via PM. Can anybody tell me whether this job would carry any prestige and/or increase my future opportunities? Any idea whether my application would even be competitive?

Info about my chances

3L graduating in May
Slightly below median (with upward grade trend) at Judge's alma mater
Secondary Journal - No Published Comment/Note
Have minor family ties to location
No prior judicial internships
Have taken courses beyond the requirements in legal research/writing/etc.

Attending the same law school as the Judge will likely help. I would mention your familial ties to the area in your cover letter too.

Anonymous User wrote:Attending the same law school as the Judge will likely help. I would mention your familial ties to the area in your cover letter too.

I clerk in a pretty undesirable city and agree OP should emphasize ties. My judge strongly prefers locals, as do other judges in our courthouse. The main reason is they don't want people who are miserable here who jump ship mid-term.

Also, OP, you're below median and I'm assuming don't have a job lined up. It's going to help your career tremendously more than not having a job. I would urge you to apply and take it if possible. Whether it's competitive is hard to tell, but your chances certainly do not seem good. (I had mediocre grades from a T1 and only got a few clerkship interviews even though I applied to hundreds of positions.)

OP Here

I went ahead and applied, but I agree that my chances are slim and I'll likely never hear back. I have feelers out at two DA offices in my first-choice city for their post-bar internships. It'd suck working for no pay for two months, but I'd be high on the list for a $55-60k job come November. With no debt and low-cost of living in my state, that'd be a good outcome. So, to sum up, it might actually be in my best interest in the long-run not to get this clerkship.

As far as jumping mid-ship goes, I would have left the clerkship after a year, rather than extend for a second, so your point is well-taken

Thanks to the people who replied!