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Last summer I completed a SA at an NYC V5, and during the summer, I also secured a nearby district court clerkship. The firm will hold my offer open when I clerk at the district court level but is unlikely to hold my offer open if I clerk again. Now, I have interviews with CoA judges way outside NYC (think 6th, 10th, 11th circuits). I am ultimately interested in AUSA, DOJ work down the road, and was wondering if it is worth risking my V5 offer for an opportunity to clerk at the circuit level. I am concerned about post clerkship hiring and the crapshoot it seems to be for former clerks. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated

If you had the credentials to get hired at your firm in the first place, chances are very good you’ll be fine. If you snuck into your firm by the skin of your teeth, maybe you’d have an issue, but if you’re clerking at DCt and (presumably) COA that doesn’t seem likely.

Obviously no one can predict for certain what the market for clerks will look like by that point, but I think you’d find something without too much difficulty. Also, if your goal is ultimately AUSA, Vault ranking is less important than the experience you get and connections you make.

If there are other reasons you don’t want to do a COA that’s one thing, but if you do want to do the COA I don’t think you should let the employment concerns stop you.

Agree that you should be fine, and if the V5 won’t take you back after a double fed clerkship, do you really want to work there?

If your summer firm won't take you back, barring a complete meltdown of the market, you should be able to land an offer at another good firm (or perhaps better since you will know much more about yourself and what you find interesting/what kind of work you want to do after two clerkships, so can be more discerning about firms).

With the possible exception of Wachtell, a CoA clerkship is a much shinier and harder to obtain gold star than any "v5" offer.

I'm agnostic on whether doing a CoA clerkship is the correct move for you, but the Vault rank of your current firm should have exactly zero influence on your decision making here (or anywhere, for that matter).