State trial court --> federal court atypical? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm clerking in a state trial court next year for one year. Recently I went to an clerkship alumni panel at my school and 3 of the panelists started in a trial court clerkship and are now clerking in federal court.

I did not think this was typical, and I asked all of them if perhaps they had some other connection which they did not. They all simply said that once they had secured a trial court clerkship, federal judges were much more willing to interview them.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

[WheninLaw]

I'm clerking in a state trial court next year for one year. Recently I went to an clerkship alumni panel at my school and 3 of the panelists started in a trial court clerkship and are now clerking in federal court.

I did not think this was typical, and I asked all of them if perhaps they had some other connection which they did not. They all simply said that once they had secured a trial court clerkship, federal judges were much more willing to interview them.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Seems atypical, but I'm not surprised. Judges like people with prior clerkship experience. It means you understand how a chambers works, your writing has likely improved, etc.

[timmyd]

Yea, I'm not surprised either, although it does seem atypical. But that's only because many federal district judges put a huge emphasis on grades and school. Usually, state trial courts don't have the leverage to demand such "sterling" credentials. Frankly, I think completing a state court trial clerkship is more indicative of success as a clerk than graduating from X school in the Y percent of the class. School and rank matter much less than writing ability, which a state court trial clerkship will improve in spades. And, while some on this board likely think there is some correlation between innate writing ability and school and grades (saw some poster staking this claim on another post), this hasn't been my experience. Nor is there any reason why that would inherently be the case--the lsat does not measure writing ability.
As a current federal clerk I've been able to sample the writing of former clerks from a wide range of schools. In my opinion, the best writer was a summa graduate of a tttt school. At any rate, my own musings aside, the state trial clerkship will undoubtedly help in a quest for a federal clerkship. The question is to what extent.

[Anonymous User]

I actually did this myself (specialized state trial court --> firm --> D. Ct.). I had median grades from a t14 and got a few interviews. Connections helped me land the actual offer.