Gap in between clerkships? Forum

[rchrls2]

If you spent a summer at a firm, accepted an offer to return following a first clerkship, and then get a second clerkship that would start a whole year after the first clerkship ends, what happens? Are firms willing to rehire you for the gap year in between clerkships, and then again following the second one?

So the timeline looks like:
- Summer associate at firm X
- 3L year
- 1st clerkship
- associate at firm x
- 2nd clerkship
- associate at firm x

Do firms do that?

[clerk2020]

If you spent a summer at a firm, accepted an offer to return following a first clerkship, and then get a second clerkship that would start a whole year after the first clerkship ends, what happens? Are firms willing to rehire you for the gap year in between clerkships, and then again following the second one?

So the timeline looks like:
- Summer associate at firm X
- 3L year
- 1st clerkship
- associate at firm x
- 2nd clerkship
- associate at firm x

Do firms do that?

Yes, firms do that. I have friends who have a gap year and their summer firm was happy to have them during the interim year (firms know gaps are relatively common now). I have also heard of firms who didn't take a summer back after clerking, gap or not, so nothing is guaranteed, though (i don't know the general quality of those firms).