Bankruptcy clerkship to state clerkship? Bad idea? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Having a hard time and my bankruptcy clerkship will end this summer. Can't extend my clerkship, and I can't expand my search outside my target market due to personal reasons.

I was recommended to clerk again at state level by my school (not the clerkship office). Think appellate or state trial court. However, I think this is backwards? Wouldn't it look weird to firms if I go from bankruptcy clerking to ,say, appellate court? I'm still hoping that something else will work out, but thought of asking.

[Anonymous User]

What's your target market and what are you trying to do? Easy enough to craft a sensible story around it.

[Anonymous User]

Having a hard time and my bankruptcy clerkship will end this summer. Can't extend my clerkship, and I can't expand my search outside my target market due to personal reasons.

I was recommended to clerk again at state level by my school (not the clerkship office). Think appellate or state trial court. However, I think this is backwards? Wouldn't it look weird to firms if I go from bankruptcy clerking to ,say, appellate court? I'm still hoping that something else will work out, but thought of asking.

Go for it! Do what you need to do for your life & career. I did a FC as well and went into BigLaw for a few years afterwards. My husband and I decided, we wanted a change of pace and I ended up working for a state probate court judge as his staff attorney. That job launched me on the path I am now. Practicing in an area of law I love and had no idea it would be my thing even after my federal clerkship.

[Anonymous User]

Having a hard time and my bankruptcy clerkship will end this summer. Can't extend my clerkship, and I can't expand my search outside my target market due to personal reasons.

I was recommended to clerk again at state level by my school (not the clerkship office). Think appellate or state trial court. However, I think this is backwards? Wouldn't it look weird to firms if I go from bankruptcy clerking to ,say, appellate court? I'm still hoping that something else will work out, but thought of asking.

I don’t think it looks weird. You can easily say that you wanted to get a broader clerkship experience to go along with the bankruptcy specialization, or for an appellate gig, that you wanted the training in research/writing that comes with appellate work, or for a trial court gig, that you wanted to get trial experience.

If you are trying to make a career in bankruptcy those arguments may be less convincing, but you can always make a pitch for wanting to be well-rounded.

Also, especially if you’re limited to a particular market, state judges are usually extremely well connected in their local market, so state clerkships can be pretty helpful.

Lastly, obviously if something else works out this isn’t pertinent, but at the moment, what are your other options? Taking a “weird” career path is better than not having one. Certainly state appellate is going to look more “prestigious” than state trial court (and some state trial court clerkships are almost more administrative than legal jobs). And sure, some firms that don’t really do state work may not be as interested in a state clerkship.

But a job is a job, and always better than not having a job. (But also: like federal gigs, state clerkships will generally have hired for next fall already, so this may be moot, unless you have a connection to a specific state clerkship rather than a generic suggestion to pursue one.)