Is clerking overrated? Forum

[Arbiter213]

Bit of an aside, but does Williams & Connolly ever take summers after 2L, or do they really only recruit post-clerkship? Wanting highest profile white collar defense/investigations/DC lit seems like a decent reason to clerk. Not my cup of tea but for others

It's rare. I did a screener with one of the hiring committee partners after 2L, but was told outright that I would have a much better shot coming off a clerkship. They do consider 3L applications though.

I have a friend who went somewhere else for 2L, then decided to switch to D.C., interviewed at 3L OCI, and got an offer for straight out having never summered there, no clerkship. So it is possible.

[Lacepiece23]

Bit of an aside, but does Williams & Connolly ever take summers after 2L, or do they really only recruit post-clerkship? Wanting highest profile white collar defense/investigations/DC lit seems like a decent reason to clerk. Not my cup of tea but for others

It's rare. I did a screener with one of the hiring committee partners after 2L, but was told outright that I would have a much better shot coming off a clerkship. They do consider 3L applications though.

I have a friend who went somewhere else for 2L, then decided to switch to D.C., interviewed at 3L OCI, and got an offer for straight out having never summered there, no clerkship. So it is possible.

Where was the somewhere else Watchell or Cravath?

[Arbiter213]

Bit of an aside, but does Williams & Connolly ever take summers after 2L, or do they really only recruit post-clerkship? Wanting highest profile white collar defense/investigations/DC lit seems like a decent reason to clerk. Not my cup of tea but for others

It's rare. I did a screener with one of the hiring committee partners after 2L, but was told outright that I would have a much better shot coming off a clerkship. They do consider 3L applications though.

I have a friend who went somewhere else for 2L, then decided to switch to D.C., interviewed at 3L OCI, and got an offer for straight out having never summered there, no clerkship. So it is possible.

Where was the somewhere else Watchell or Cravath?

Cleary.

[84651846190]

My opinion:

Appellate clerkships are generally overvalued (except DC Cir, Fed Cir (for patent) and, obviously, SCOTUS). Honestly, I don't know why so many strivers want COA clerkships. The vast majority of them won't focus on appellate work over the long run (although a significant number of them may do *some* appellate work, especially in the short term right after their clerkships). District court clerkships are valued at about what they're useful for.

Sorry, but nobody gives a fuck if you clerked for some COA judge in the 6th Cir.