Clerkships Forum

[1Lin2015]

Hey guys, very quick question. I found the Introduction to Biglaw thread/article on TLS very informative. I remember briefly seeing a similar thread/article that defines what a clerkship is and the options for clerkship (what are circuits and the difference between them). However, I can't seem to locate that article/thread. Is there a link that anyone can point me to? Trying to get a feel for what clerkships are and entail

Much appreciated.

[1Lin2015]

https://www.law.stanford.edu/careers/st ... clerkships

http://www.law.yale.edu/studentlife/cdo ... kships.htm

These sources hint well at what a clerkship entails, but I feel that they still lack in specifics. If anyone feels so kind as to provide a brief laydown/introduction on clerkships, that would be great.

Thanks.

[bk1]

Moved to appropriate forum. The clerkship forum is not for 0Ls.

[bk1]

Brief overview (note that specifics vary from judge to judge):

Clerkships are jobs working for a judge. They are either temporary or permanent. When people talk about clerkships they usually mean the temporary kind where you are set to work for a judge for 1 or 2 years. Judges often have between 2 and 4 clerks. Work is generally divided evenly among all the clerks. As a clerk you will generally be given first crack at writing an opinion. You will do the research for it and then have conference with the judge discussing issues. You will then write a draft opinion. The judge might look it over and have you revise it. Then you give the draft to the judge who revises it for a final time and publishes it as a final opinion.

Clerks exist at both the state and federal level as well as at the trial and appellate level. There are also clerks for specialty courts (e.g. federal bankruptcy courts). If you clerk for a federal appellate judge you may have to travel when the judge travels to sit with the rest of the circuit. Federal clerkships in district and circuit courts are often highly desirable for 2 main reasons: (1) you get insight into how cases and issues are decided that is hard to get any other way and get lots of writing experience, this should make you a better lawyer, and (2) large law firms tend to value people who clerk, heavily recruiting them and paying them large bonuses. State clerkships are not as uniformly desired, though state supreme court clerks do tend to be sought after. The value of clerkships to specialty courts is also variable. Clerkships can also help set you up for other career paths such as USAO, DoJ, other federal agencies, academia, etc.

[1Lin2015]

Thanks, bk1. This was helpful. Can people clerk during their 1L/2L summers? And, are circuits categorized by legal area, or some other factor?

[bk1]

Thanks, bk1. This was helpful. Can people clerk during their 1L/2L summers? And, are circuits categorized by legal area, or some other factor?

Clerkships are full time positions for after graduation. People can work as interns for judges during 1L/2L summer as well as during the semester, and this does give a small taste of what clerks do, but the experience is not nearly as broad as clerking and interning for a judge does not make someone highly sought after for employment.

This should give you a rundown on the federal circuit courts (the short answer to your question is yes and no): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... of_appeals

[1Lin2015]

Very interesting. Thank you for responding, bk1.