Clerkship: What's up with them, and why are they such a big deal?

Comments

• 1 Like

  Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  September 2018 8392 karma

  I only know a little bit about them, but yes they are considered really prestigious, particularly if you clerk for a federal judge. From what I've seen, they set you up really well for career success and better entry-level positions. Working directly for a judge and writing for them is a valued asset for everything from biglaw to government. Biglaw likes it particularly because it gives you a leg up in understanding how judges think and consider cases. It's very intellectual and gives you great training in legal writing. And obviously since there are only so many judges, there are only so many clerk positions available so they are highly selective. Having a good relationship with a judge can be very helpful down the line too, for networking, etc. For at least federal government positions, it makes you much more competitive to land a job and you start at a higher payscale if you've clerked.
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @"Leah M B" said:
  I only know a little bit about them, but yes they are considered really prestigious, particularly if you clerk for a federal judge. From what I've seen, they set you up really well for career success and better entry-level positions. Working directly for a judge and writing for them is a valued asset for everything from biglaw to government. Biglaw likes it particularly because it gives you a leg up in understanding how judges think and consider cases. It's very intellectual and gives you great training in legal writing. And obviously since there are only so many judges, there are only so many clerk positions available so they are highly selective. Having a good relationship with a judge can be very helpful down the line too, for networking, etc. For at least federal government positions, it makes you much more competitive to land a job and you start at a higher payscale if you've clerked.

  That really interesting. So it's like a pre-selection process for big-law.
  How important do you think it is to have the experience of understanding a bit about how judges think and consider cases? And do you think people can learn it elsewhere? Like reading court opinions and listening to discussions and podcasts on opinions?
• drbrown2 Alum Member

  September 2018 2227 karma

  @Bamboosprout said:
  How important do you think it is to have the experience of understanding a bit about how judges think and consider cases?

  You will read tons of cases and in law school that help you learn how laws are interpreted and applied by judges.

  Check out the podcast First Mondays. It is produced by two former Supreme Court clerks and really gets into some of the current cases before the court. They occasionally talk about their experiences clerking, and although clerking at that level is a total unicorn job it will probably give you a better understanding of clerking in general.

  The subject matter is intended for lawyers and law students, and their discussions on cases can get quite complex. They have guest appearances from advocates sometimes. Both of the hosts are law professors. Their conversations will give you a better sense of the legal nerdiness common among lawyers in that line of work.

  If you want to clerk at the federal level it is important to be one of the top students at your school. Journal and law review experience is also important. Also, try to develop some relationships with your professors as they will be your recommenders when you apply and interview.
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  September 2018 8392 karma

  @Bamboosprout said:

  @"Leah M B" said:
  I only know a little bit about them, but yes they are considered really prestigious, particularly if you clerk for a federal judge. From what I've seen, they set you up really well for career success and better entry-level positions. Working directly for a judge and writing for them is a valued asset for everything from biglaw to government. Biglaw likes it particularly because it gives you a leg up in understanding how judges think and consider cases. It's very intellectual and gives you great training in legal writing. And obviously since there are only so many judges, there are only so many clerk positions available so they are highly selective. Having a good relationship with a judge can be very helpful down the line too, for networking, etc. For at least federal government positions, it makes you much more competitive to land a job and you start at a higher payscale if you've clerked.

  That really interesting. So it's like a pre-selection process for big-law.
  How important do you think it is to have the experience of understanding a bit about how judges think and consider cases? And do you think people can learn it elsewhere? Like reading court opinions and listening to discussions and podcasts on opinions?

  Of course there are other ways to learn that kind of thing. But I don't think reading opinions and listening to podcasts could substitute entirely for the experience of working directly for a judge, writing his/her opinions, being able to ask a judge questions, etc. And hard to put on a resume haha. It's definitely not necessary for biglaw, but I have heard that they look at it favorably. Many people go straight into biglaw and never clerk though. Clerkships also don't pay very well, and they aren't always eligible positions for school LRAPs either (weird policy IMO, but it is what it is).
• 2 Likes

  Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  September 2018 8392 karma

  Since I don't know all that much about this myself, I did some googling and read some more info. I think these articles are really helpful:

  https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/why-to-become-a-judicial-law-clerk-after-law-school

  https://law.utexas.edu/judicial-clerkships/why-clerk/

  https://careers.findlaw.com/legal-career-options/to-clerk-or-not-to-clerk.html
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  September 2018 5254 karma

  The Law School Toolbox is another resource you may find helpful.
• 1 Like

  _oshun1_ Alum Member

  September 2018 3652 karma

  I just spoke with a current 2L at a t12 who externed for a judge during the summer before 2L. She said that one only gets paid $60k/year for a clerkship and it’s a temporary position (usually 1 year, sometimes extended to 2). After clerking people typically go into big law and they are paid $100k more than the big law starting salary (which is currently $190k).
  I have no idea how accurate this info is though but she seemed knowledgeable.
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @"surfy surf" said:
  I just spoke with a current 2L at a t12 who externed for a judge during the summer before 2L. She said that one only gets paid $60k/year for a clerkship and it’s a temporary position (usually 1 year, sometimes extended to 2). After clerking people typically go into big law and they are paid $100k more than the big law starting salary (which is currently $190k).
  I have no idea how accurate this info is though but she seemed knowledgeable.

  Oh, that's a really interesting perspective. Thank you!
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @lsatplaylist said:
  The Law School Toolbox is another resource you may find helpful.

  Oh why? I have this on my list of to do's after my apps, but I thought it was more for preparing for 1L academics.
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @"Leah M B" said:
  Since I don't know all that much about this myself, I did some googling and read some more info. I think these articles are really helpful:

  Thanks, hahahaha. I looked some up too, but wanted to get this out there on the forums and see if anyone has any unique insights. I think I got some~
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @drbrown2 said:

  Thanks for sharing this! This is a great resource. I'll add it to my podcast list.
• spitzy11 Alum Member

  September 2018 772 karma

  Many big law firms provide clerkship bonuses (as alluded to above). The higher the level of clerkship, the higher the bonus (often). It depends on what you want to do in terms of what level you should clerk at. Federal clerkships are also favored unless the state court is very highly regarded... like CA, NY, and Massachusetts. In order to get one, grades & being on some type of journal are arguably the most important. There are a lot of benefits but I'd say the top reasons would be interaction with litigants, discovery issues, motion practices, etc. and obviously the relationship you build with the judge you clerk for!
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @spitzy11 said:
  Many big law firms provide clerkship bonuses (as alluded to above). The higher the level of clerkship, the higher the bonus (often). It depends on what you want to do in terms of what level you should clerk at. Federal clerkships are also favored unless the state court is very highly regarded... like CA, NY, and Massachusetts. In order to get one, grades & being on some type of journal are arguably the most important. There are a lot of benefits but I'd say the top reasons would be interaction with litigants, discovery issues, motion practices, etc. and obviously the relationship you build with the judge you clerk for!

  That huge bonus is pretty interesting. It's almost as if it is an additional self-selection process. Thank you for listing out some of the top reasons for being a clerk. That specific detail was what I was wondering about.
• Bamboosprout Alum Member

  September 2018 1694 karma

  @"Leah M B" said:
  Since I don't know all that much about this myself, I did some googling and read some more info. I think these articles are really helpful:

  https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/why-to-become-a-judicial-law-clerk-after-law-school

  https://law.utexas.edu/judicial-clerkships/why-clerk/

  https://careers.findlaw.com/legal-career-options/to-clerk-or-not-to-clerk.html

  Just finished reading the powerscore article. That one was the best one. To summarize -
  Working as a clerk allows you to be exposed to professional level lawyer work while having none of the consequences of being wrong; in a safe cocoon, as the writer puts it. All the while, building invaluable research and analytical skills that allow you to be 'broken-in' for first year level work (hence the bonuses), and invaluable networks that allow you to be flexible with your career path and perhaps skip a few steps or obstacles.
• 2 Likes

  NotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐

  September 2018 5320 karma

  Dang. I wanna clerk now.