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I worked on a pro bono appeal after my internship this summer for a solo practitioner and was thinking of asking him to write me a letter of rec. I don't have close relationships with many professors and was wondering how this would be perceived for clerkship applications? I am roughly median at CCN and will be applying broadly across districts. Since my grades are pretty low, will this hurt me further?

Seems like a way to double down on having middling grades, yeah.

Some judges actually do prefer to get at least one recommendation from a former employer. I got one from a partner I worked with during my first summer and it ended up being a huge factor for me. It’s also a good way to strengthen your application for judges who slightly prefer work experience if you don’t have any/much. Just make sure it’s someone whose opinion judges would care about and that they would write a compelling letter.

Edit: also close to median at CCN, not fed soc, still got one. Apply broadly and work your connections (home town/state, professional contacts/practice interests in common, etc.)

If this person is going to write a strong letter, I'd recommend using him. A strong letter from an attorney is much better than a lukewarm letter from a professor.