Magistrate judge —> district or COA?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2025 12:05 pm
Currently clerking for a magistrate judge in a district I don’t want to practice in. I was hoping to land a district court clerkship for 2026 (or COA, wishfully) when this clerkship is supposed to be over.
Do district court and COA judges view magistrate clerkships as valuable? Will I be seen as more competitive than other applicants? Or am I in the same boat (or worse than) someone who is in big law or at a firm? I want to be a federal public defender, so aiming at judges with more PI interests.
(went to a T40, top 20%, teacher for 8 years before law school, Fulbright scholar, law review, moot court)
TY!
Do district court and COA judges view magistrate clerkships as valuable? Will I be seen as more competitive than other applicants? Or am I in the same boat (or worse than) someone who is in big law or at a firm? I want to be a federal public defender, so aiming at judges with more PI interests.
(went to a T40, top 20%, teacher for 8 years before law school, Fulbright scholar, law review, moot court)
TY!