Is the D.C. Circuit really that prestigious? Forum

[dweiss1112]

1L here. General sense is that all clerkships are prestigious, with appellate being more desirable than district. But what's with all the fuss about the D.C. Circuit? Is it really any more prestigious than any other circuit court?

[Desert Fox]

[hdunlop]

No.

[JusticeJackson]

.

[TLSModBot]

1L here. General sense is that all clerkships are prestigious, with appellate being more desirable than district. But what's with all the fuss about the D.C. Circuit? Is it really any more prestigious than any other circuit court?

If your appellate judge goes onto the Supreme Court that's a pretty big deal. More justices come from DC Circuit than the others.

[hdunlop]

That last sentence should answer your question p well. All are prestigious. Some are more prestigious than others. But don't "choose" to the limited extent you can based on prestige other than, if you have a shot, apply.

[Traynor Brah]

General sense is that all clerkships are prestigious, with appellate being more desirable than district.

Well, sure, but I think that's only really true if one wants to do appellate work. If you want to be a regular old litigator, there's probably pretty diminishing returns to doing a COA clerkship, and it's going to cost you a lot of money.

[hiima3L]

The DC Cir is considered more "prestigious" and "important" because it handles so many newsworthy cases given that so much of its docket is challenging federal laws/federal government actions that affect the entire country.

[Br3v]

General sense is that all clerkships are prestigious, with appellate being more desirable than district.

Well, sure, but I think that's only really true if one wants to do appellate work.

Not true

If you want to be a regular old litigator, there's probably pretty diminishing returns to doing a COA clerkship, and it's going to cost you a lot of money.

Maybe true if you mean you have to do two clerkships

[Anonymous User]

I clerked for the 9th Circuit. My buddies on the DC Circuit worked on way fewer habeas, 1983, and immigration cases, but they had way more admin law cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat. Something about less prisons and miles of international border, but more administrative agencies. I didn't love admin cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat, but I absolutely hated habeas, 1983, and immigration cases. So I think the DC Circuit's docket is decidedly > the 9th Circuit's docket.

[Anonymous User]

I clerked for the 9th Circuit. My buddies on the DC Circuit worked on way fewer habeas, 1983, and immigration cases, but they had way more admin law cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat. Something about less prisons and miles of international border, but more administrative agencies. I didn't love admin cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat, but I absolutely hated habeas, 1983, and immigration cases. So I think the DC Circuit's docket is decidedly > the 9th Circuit's docket.

I clerk for a D.Ct. in the 9th and the amount of habeas and 1983 cases we see is astounding. So is the amount of 1983/habeas opinions the 9th churns out on what seems to be a weekly basis. My friend who clerked at the D.C. district court says a year there was enough for her to never want to see another FOIA case.

[rpupkin]

I clerked for the 9th Circuit. My buddies on the DC Circuit worked on way fewer habeas, 1983, and immigration cases, but they had way more admin law cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat. Something about less prisons and miles of international border, but more administrative agencies. I didn't love admin cases dealing with protecting tortoise breeding habitat, but I absolutely hated habeas, 1983, and immigration cases. So I think the DC Circuit's docket is decidedly > the 9th Circuit's docket.

The DC Circuit is also decidedly less busy than the Ninth Circuit.

[2012LawGrad]

Saw thread title, thought "90% chance of 1L," clicked, and first sentence confirmed it!