2016-17 Post-Clerkship Hiring Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard if Arnold & Porter or Sidley (DC for both) are hiring this year?

Got a ding from APKS DC a week or two ago. Radio silence from Sidley.

I applied to Sidley DC over a month ago and just got an EEO survey email today. Maybe that means they're starting to move now.

Got the same thing today. I hate when firms send those dumb surveys out.

Got my hopes all up.

At this point, I was just happy that it wasn't a rejection. Ha.

The hope endures!

[Anonymous User]

D.Ct. clerk. DC Vinson & Elkins rejection.

[Anonymous User]

D.Ct. clerk. DC Vinson & Elkins rejection.

Same and same.

[Anonymous User]

D.Ct. clerk. DC Vinson & Elkins rejection.

Same and same.

At least it's not (too) personal?

[Anonymous User]

I start the day optimistic and as it gets closer to 5:00 and recruiter quitting time (I'm assuming 5 would be their cutoff for making any emails/calls, yeah?) my spirits start sinking. You too?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard if Arnold & Porter or Sidley (DC for both) are hiring this year?

I'm skeptical that APKS DC would be hiring considering they just merged and are in the process of figuring out where all of the formerly KS people are going to fit in. With all that new blood, why bring in even more new people? But just my uninformed and speculative two cents.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard if Arnold & Porter or Sidley (DC for both) are hiring this year?

I'm skeptical that APKS DC would be hiring considering they just merged and are in the process of figuring out where all of the formerly KS people are going to fit in. With all that new blood, why bring in even more new people? But just my uninformed and speculative two cents.

I see this perspective, but I selfishly don't like it.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody else have any updates from Chicago?

[Anonymous User]

Anybody else have any updates from Chicago?

Upcoming screener at Winston.

[Anonymous User]

In my fantasy, all the hiring committees met yesterday and are planning to give out all the offers today. (Pleasepleaseplease come true)

[Anonymous User]

In my fantasy, all the hiring committees met yesterday and are planning to give out all the offers today. (Pleasepleaseplease come true)

Man, I just want one.

[Anonymous User]

In my fantasy, all the hiring committees met yesterday and are planning to give out all the offers today. (Pleasepleaseplease come true)

Man, I just want one.

That's just not asking for much. C'mon universe!

[Anonymous User]

what about telling a firm you are their first choice and would accept if offered -- maybe they won't see this as desperation because everyone assumes AIII clerks are swimming in super desirable options?

[Anonymous User]

In my fantasy, all the hiring committees met yesterday and are planning to give out all the offers today. (Pleasepleaseplease come true)

Man, I just want one.

That's just not asking for much. C'mon universe!

I mean, I'll even take an interview!

[A. Nony Mouse]

what about telling a firm you are their first choice and would accept if offered -- maybe they won't see this as desperation because everyone assumes AIII clerks are swimming in super desirable options?

I'm not a firm guru, so if someone disagrees based on experience with firms I defer to them, but I don't think this is going to accomplish anything. If they want you, they want you. They're not going to be like "we want to hire him, but he's a clerk and won't take our job, so we won't even make an offer."

(Also, how/when would you tell them this in a way that wouldn't be weird? It's one thing if they flat out ask if you'd take the job - I've had employers ask that and then feel free to say yes. But reaching out directly to tell them this post-interview is just going to be weird.)

[Anonymous User]

what about telling a firm you are their first choice and would accept if offered -- maybe they won't see this as desperation because everyone assumes AIII clerks are swimming in super desirable options?

I'm not a firm guru, so if someone disagrees based on experience with firms I defer to them, but I don't think this is going to accomplish anything. If they want you, they want you. They're not going to be like "we want to hire him, but he's a clerk and won't take our job, so we won't even make an offer."

(Also, how/when would you tell them this in a way that wouldn't be weird? It's one thing if they flat out ask if you'd take the job - I've had employers ask that and then feel free to say yes. But reaching out directly to tell them this post-interview is just going to be weird.)

What if you're in the middle of scheduling other interviews and are just tired of going to interviews. "I have interviews scheduled at three firms, but would happily cancel them. You are my first choice and I would accept if offered."

Would something like that be awkward or acceptable?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Like to say that to an interviewer during an interview? Or again are you reaching out after the interview? I guess I just don't see how that's ever not awkward. It's not really about how much you want to work for them; they know you want to work for them, because you applied.

(I also think it sounds kind of disingenuous/naive to say a given firm is your first choice when you haven't gone on the other interviews and don't know whether one of those might, in fact, be a better fit for you. If the other interviews are for jobs that are objectively crappier, of course you're going to take the first choice over the others so it's not really a bargaining chip. It's a different thing if you can say "I have an offer that expires on date X but you're my first choice and I would accept on the spot if offered." But in the absence of another offer I wouldn't bother.)

But again, that's just based on general hiring experience, not firm-specific.

[mjb447]

what about telling a firm you are their first choice and would accept if offered -- maybe they won't see this as desperation because everyone assumes AIII clerks are swimming in super desirable options?

I'm not a firm guru, so if someone disagrees based on experience with firms I defer to them, but I don't think this is going to accomplish anything. If they want you, they want you. They're not going to be like "we want to hire him, but he's a clerk and won't take our job, so we won't even make an offer."

(Also, how/when would you tell them this in a way that wouldn't be weird? It's one thing if they flat out ask if you'd take the job - I've had employers ask that and then feel free to say yes. But reaching out directly to tell them this post-interview is just going to be weird.)

What if you're in the middle of scheduling other interviews and are just tired of going to interviews. "I have interviews scheduled at three firms, but would happily cancel them. You are my first choice and I would accept if offered."

Would something like that be awkward or acceptable?

I'm not really sure how the extra information that you're also interviewing with other firms but would stop interviewing if you received an offer is going to make the firm want you more, at least to the point of turning an "eh" or worse into a "yes." Maybe I'm missing something. (I'm also not a firm guru.)

[Anonymous User]

I worked before clerking, and I'm looking to change firms. Will I be asked to provide references from my old firm? If so, at what point in the process? I'm going on a callback, and I don't want to be caught flat-footed.

[Anonymous User]

I worked before clerking, and I'm looking to change firms. Will I be asked to provide references from my old firm? If so, at what point in the process? I'm going on a callback, and I don't want to be caught flat-footed.

Very unlikely. You might be asked for a few references, but you almost always can choose who to list. Odds are, they'll care more about what your judge says than anybody at your old firm anyway. You probably don't need to worry about this at all.

[Anonymous User]

I worked before clerking, and I'm looking to change firms. Will I be asked to provide references from my old firm? If so, at what point in the process? I'm going on a callback, and I don't want to be caught flat-footed.

Very unlikely. You might be asked for a few references, but you almost always can choose who to list. Odds are, they'll care more about what your judge says than anybody at your old firm anyway. You probably don't need to worry about this at all.

I'd have to disagree. I know that firms generally want to check with the previous firm that you actually have an offer to come back. I know of at least one person who lost his post-clerk job offer from a new firm because he did not have an offer to return to his pre-clerk firm. Also, your work at a firm pre-clerking is going to be highly relevant to a firm post-clerking.

That being said, no one has yet asked me for references after a callback and before an offer, but I have had places ask for references before the callback.

[Anonymous User]

Heard from a friend in other chambers that WLRK has started contacting people for interviews

[Anonymous User]

Original anon: thanks to you both for your input.

[Anonymous User]

And now we're past quitting time. Another day with no offers. Still patient! (Yeah right)

[Anonymous User]

Any D.C. Circuit clerks targeting the D.C. market have impressions of how it's looking? Wondering if I'm behind the game/screwed or not.