Pros and cons of third clerkship Forum
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Anonymous User
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Pros and cons of third clerkship
I've currently got SSC and COA clerkships lined up with a gap year (ostensibly at my SA firm) in-between. I'm considering applying for a district court clerkship in that middle year. Are there pros/cons to seeking a third clerkship? And if I did land a third, are firms known to give class credit to those who have triple clerked?
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namefromplace
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Re: Pros and cons of third clerkship
The pro of doing a district court clerkship in between is that you'll have done a district court clerkship, likely getting some great experience at the trial level (which your other clerkships likely aren't going to give to but will probably be more relevant to what you actually do as a lawyer). You'll also hopefully be able to build a mentorship relationship with the judge, but, given that you already will have two judges you're working for, that value-add may be a bit redundant. The con is that you won't get BigLaw pay for a year and you could start to look like someone who doesn't want to be an actual lawyer. You most likely won't get class credit for all three years (I think that firms in general don't give credit for SSC clerkships, though, so the D. Ct. clerkship may actually give you a year of credit). There's also a good chance that you'll have to move to another city for your D. Ct. clerkship. I don't know where your SSC, firm, and COA clerkships are, but if they're all in different places then four cities in four years could be a bit much.
What for me would maybe tip things in the direction of doing a d. ct. clerkship would be that the gap year at the firm will be a bit awkward. You won't be arriving with the rest of your summer class from last year but as a SSC clerk won't really be a second-year (unless your firm is unusual in that regard). You'll be at the firm for a year with everyone knowing that you'll only be there for a year, meaning you may not have a great shot at quality assignments.
So it's all very subjective and dependent on your goals, geography, firm, and other personal circumstances.
What for me would maybe tip things in the direction of doing a d. ct. clerkship would be that the gap year at the firm will be a bit awkward. You won't be arriving with the rest of your summer class from last year but as a SSC clerk won't really be a second-year (unless your firm is unusual in that regard). You'll be at the firm for a year with everyone knowing that you'll only be there for a year, meaning you may not have a great shot at quality assignments.
So it's all very subjective and dependent on your goals, geography, firm, and other personal circumstances.
