Post-Clerkship Employment Prospects Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi all, seeking some advice.

I'm in the process of sending out some clerkship apps for 2018-19 term. Only seeking district court positions and only in a few markets for personal/family reasons. My concern is about the post-clerkship employment prospects. I'll be starting at a big firm this fall. However, I am in a satellite office and I'm not sure they will leave my spot open for me (I plan on investigating this further once I'm at the firm, but its far from a guarantee I'll have a spot after a clerkship).

Generally, I know post clerkship employment prospects are pretty strong. However, I'm a marginal candidate to begin with. Top 5%~, law review, but at a T1-2 school. Its a strong regional, but nothing to write home about. Given this background - and assuming I'm able to land something (I know, its a crapshoot) - is there a fair chance that I am unable to find a big law job after my clerkship? I'm afraid of taking the risk and ending the clerkship unemployed...but I'd love to clerk.

[mjb447]

This is the kind of question where opinions may differ a lot, but I'd go for it. A lot of conditions would have to be met for you to wind up unemployed after you send out apps (you accept a clerkship offer, firm doesn't hold your spot, you can't find a spot somewhere else), and your resume will be more impressive following a clerkship then it was when you got the job you have now. (Depending on your judge and court, a clerkship may also be much more intrinsically satisfying experience than biglaw.)

[clerk1251]

This is the kind of question where opinions may differ a lot, but I'd go for it. A lot of conditions would have to be met for you to wind up unemployed after you send out apps (you accept a clerkship offer, firm doesn't hold your spot, you can't find a spot somewhere else), and your resume will be more impressive following a clerkship then it was when you got the job you have now. (Depending on your judge and court, a clerkship may also be much more intrinsically satisfying experience than biglaw.)

I agree with all of the above. Go for it.

Also, seeing as your posting anonymously, if you want to share the name of the firm you will be starting at, you may be able to get some firm specific advice. I know somewhere like Skadden for example will just about always invite clerks back after they leave. They even are quite encouraging for people to go clerk. Most firms are pretty good about it. Even if they don't "leave a spot open," they will likely somehow be able to find a spot for you.

[Anonymous User]

OP here - I'd rather not say what firm, only a handful of the firm's satellite offices have a summer program, and of those people, very few went to non T14 schools. Its a V35-45ish firm (I hate collecting firms via vault rankings, but that is the best I could come up with), nothing super fancy, but market paying across offices.