Transactional Work and Clerkships Forum

[carsondalywashere]

Are there any career benefits for a transactional attorney (bankruptcy/real estate, not sure if specific practice group matters) to do a clerkship either before they start working full-time at a big law firm or sometime after a couple of years of working? Do people who do clerkships later primarily do this to switch to litigation or to take a break from big law? I have met a few really impressive transactional attorneys later who have clerked so I'm curious if there are more than intangible benefits which come from clerking.

[cam1992]

+1

Not by choice, I am going to a lit. group this summer (at a firm with no possibility of doing a transactional practice) when I really want to be in a transactional practice. I heard that a clerkship may be a decent way to switch, like summer in lit, then clerk and work my tail off to change firms/groups. Don't know if this is actually possible though, but it has been suggested to me by several people.

[Auxilio]

Clerking is the perfect way to try and change firms, especially to just get out of your SA firm. But it's value is definitely a lot smaller to transactional practices (I know of a few V25 firms who will try to not even give clerkship bonus if you are going into transactional groups).

To OP: I probably wouldn't bother clerking, unless you want to go into bankruptcy and can clerk in bankruptcy in DE/SDNY.

To cam1992: clerking's not a great way to move into transactional practice, but I would try applying to DE chancery/Supreme. A lot of former clerks from there go into transactional work given the unique subject matter they work with.

[2013]

Try clerking at the Chancery Court in Delaware. I know a few corporate associates that did that.

[Anonymous User]

One of my co-clerks (federal appellate) went into corporate at a V10 after we clerked. Unlike me (who went to the same firm, but in lit), he didn't get a year of class credit for clerking. So other than the $50k bonus, he came in just like any other hire who had graduated a few months ago and just taken the bar. And as another poster mentioned, some firms might not even want to pay the bonus either. Something to keep in mind.

[Auxilio]

One of my co-clerks (federal appellate) went into corporate at a V10 after we clerked. Unlike me (who went to the same firm, but in lit), he didn't get a year of class credit for clerking. So other than the $50k bonus, he came in just like any other hire who had graduated a few months ago and just taken the bar. And as another poster mentioned, some firms might not even want to pay the bonus either. Something to keep in mind.

I think losing a class year is worse than no bonus, assuming you stay in for a few years.

[Mullens]

It's absolutely not worth it for general Corporate/M&A. Clerking on Delaware chancery won't help either.

I have no idea if it has value for bankruptcy but my firm doesn't give class credit for bankruptcy lawyers who did bankruptcy clerkships (or for clerks who go into transactional).

[Anonymous User]

It's absolutely not worth it for general Corporate/M&A. Clerking on Delaware chancery won't help either.

I wouldn't clerk on chancery just for the sake of clerking, but I think it's justifiable as a means of switching firms. As a current DE SSC/Chancery clerk I can say that a lot of firms seem to be putting a decent amount of effort into recruiting from here into their transactional groups. As an example, last week at Kirkland's Wilmington dinner for SSC/Chancery the majority of Kirkland attorneys were from transactional groups.