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In the first of two years of clerkships, left biglaw to try to go AUSA. From what I have heard from my judge is that the normal timeline for applying to DOJ is around January of the year your clerkship would end. I can see from this board that firm hiring is all over the board but would be around the same time or earlier and moves much faster, generally.

My question/concern is, if I am gunning for AUSA but would obviously take firms as a backup, is that even feasible? Wouldn't you be forced to accept with a firm before any possibility of AUSA opportunities are parsed out? I can't imagine I'm the only one to have used this strategy. I think I could return to my old firman shorter notice but likely without a clerkship bonus which is less than idea but still palatable.

I'd heard that most firms moved later (say March - May). Definitely know people who've been trapped in gov hiring limbo and ultimately took a firm job rather than wait longer, though.

mjb447 wrote:I'd heard that most firms moved later (say March - May). Definitely know people who've been trapped in gov hiring limbo and ultimately took a firm job rather than wait longer, though.

Also interested in this. Any thought to accepting a firm and reneging if it came to that?