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Trying to decide if there is enough value in doing a COA clerkship after a district court clerkship. Assume that I would be working in biglaw for a year before the district court clerkship, and that I have no desire to ever practice appellate work. Also assume that I'd like my practice to revolve around trial work in the area of business litigation, with the hope to be an AUSA after my loans are paid off.

I know how valuable clerkships are, and I recognize the obvious prestige of adding a circuit court clerkship. I am just trying to figure out if it's really worth the extra year.

I'd love some feedback from anyone that's done both and can reflect.

I haven't done both, but I know a lot of AUSAs, and most people who've clerked (which is a decent number) have done DCt only. Only a handful have also done COA. I don't think doing COA woukd hurt you at all, but I also don't think it's necessary (and to the extent it puts off getting trial experience for a year may extend the time it takes to get an AUSA gig).

That said, for AUSA it depends on who's hiring, so you might run into an office that really values it (I don't know anyone at the more elite offices like SDNY). But it's just been my experience that it's not crucial. If you wanted to do it I would say go for it, but it sounds kind of like you don't.

Anonymous User wrote:I haven't done both, but I know a lot of AUSAs, and most people who've clerked (which is a decent number) have done DCt only. Only a handful have also done COA. I don't think doing COA woukd hurt you at all, but I also don't think it's necessary (and to the extent it puts off getting trial experience for a year may extend the time it takes to get an AUSA gig).

That said, for AUSA it depends on who's hiring, so you might run into an office that really values it (I don't know anyone at the more elite offices like SDNY). But it's just been my experience that it's not crucial. If you wanted to do it I would say go for it, but it sounds kind of like you don't.

I appreciate the feedback. That's largely been my thinking as well, which is why I am hesitant to apply. Moreover, I don't plan on going to the AUSA until a few years after my clerkship. I plan on returning to biglaw so as to get the bonus and pay down my debt. So it's just a matter of whether the added value of a COA clerkship is worth delaying making money, and then delaying future plans of going govt.