Florida Clerkship Market w/ No Ties? Forum

[Anonymous User]

2L at a state school with no connections to Florida. I have stats good enough to get a district clerkship in my home state. However, I would really like to spend my year in Florida clerking. To be candid, I have no good reason other than I love the weather, and I think living there a year would be fun.

How much will ties be in my way? Do I have 0 chance? Anything I can do to help my odds?

[Anonymous User]

If you have stats for your home district, your stats are probably good enough for somewhere in Florida. The middle and northern district are about average, although the southern district is more competitive. Ties are not that important for federal clerkships, so if you apply broadly you may get some bites. However, I would strongly caution you that: 1) this is a stupid reason for doing a clerkship in FL and you should clerk where you want to practice (or as a secondary consideration, in the most prestigious district you can get); and 2) you should come up with a better reason to tell judges for why you want to be in FL.

Your best bet is the same advice for any other clerkship: get the best grades you can; do law review; run for board; do moot court; cozy up with professors; try to identify any connections you have with FL judges; do a SA in Florida; come up with a good explanation of why you want to be in FL; and get your profs to make calls to judges in FL for you.

[Anonymous User]

If you have stats for your home district, your stats are probably good enough for somewhere in Florida. The middle and northern district are about average, although the southern district is more competitive. Ties are not that important for federal clerkships, so if you apply broadly you may get some bites. However, I would strongly caution you that: 1) this is a stupid reason for doing a clerkship in FL and you should clerk where you want to practice (or as a secondary consideration, in the most prestigious district you can get); and 2) you should come up with a better reason to tell judges for why you want to be in FL.

Your best bet is the same advice for any other clerkship: get the best grades you can; do law review; run for board; do moot court; cozy up with professors; try to identify any connections you have with FL judges; do a SA in Florida; come up with a good explanation of why you want to be in FL; and get your profs to make calls to judges in FL for you.

To clarify, I will likely practice in NYC (have a SA there at a V50), but I obviously don’t stand a chance for a NY clerkships. And the state I’m in is a flyover state. So I just feel like it’s all the same, so might as well go where the location is good! That’s just my thoughts though. I know it’s a little naive!

[Anonymous User]

If you have stats for your home district, your stats are probably good enough for somewhere in Florida. The middle and northern district are about average, although the southern district is more competitive. Ties are not that important for federal clerkships, so if you apply broadly you may get some bites. However, I would strongly caution you that: 1) this is a stupid reason for doing a clerkship in FL and you should clerk where you want to practice (or as a secondary consideration, in the most prestigious district you can get); and 2) you should come up with a better reason to tell judges for why you want to be in FL.

Your best bet is the same advice for any other clerkship: get the best grades you can; do law review; run for board; do moot court; cozy up with professors; try to identify any connections you have with FL judges; do a SA in Florida; come up with a good explanation of why you want to be in FL; and get your profs to make calls to judges in FL for you.

To clarify, I will likely practice in NYC (have a SA there at a V50), but I obviously don’t stand a chance for a NY clerkships. And the state I’m in is a flyover state. So I just feel like it’s all the same, so might as well go where the location is good! That’s just my thoughts though. I know it’s a little naive!

To be honest that's not a stupid reason. I didn't have the stats to clerk in the market I wanted to practice in or similarly high-end markets, but I did have stats that made me competitive in the other 90% of districts. I chose places to apply to places that I wanted to live. If a clerkship isn't in your home market or with an exceptionally well-connected judge, it doesn't really matter where you do it. Clerking in Miami will be seen by NYC employers about the same as clerking in a larger market like a Houston or a Detroit. If Miami is more competitive, it's only because more people in your situation want to spend a year there.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for making me feel better, haha! But are you saying that if I can get a clerkship in my home market I should take it over FL even tho I might enjoy FL more? I plan on coming back here, but I just feel like coming from a top nyc firm would be enough to get a job easily (and even a clerkship in another place).

Also, which are the less selective areas in FL?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for making me feel better, haha! But are you saying that if I can get a clerkship in my home market I should take it over FL even tho I might enjoy FL more? I plan on coming back here, but I just feel like coming from a top nyc firm would be enough to get a job easily (and even a clerkship in another place).

Also, which are the less selective areas in FL?

If you want to practice in your home market eventually, you should 100% try to clerk there over somewhere random with good weather. Especially if it's small and insular, and since you say flyover I assume it is somewhat, it's not always easy to get back in. Especially if it's someplace like Columbus, Des Moines, Madison, or Minneapolis with a lot of expats who want to return and not a lot of biglaw-salary-competitive firms. NYC biglaw is not particularly unique, certainly not special enough to guarantee an offer, esp since you're a litigator and may not have the substantive experience of more local candidates. A year to do some long-term networking, learn local law and procedure, etc. is also helpful.

If you weren't planning on returning, though, I would say yeah, go have fun in Miami if you can get hired there.