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I am a recent T6 grad working at a V10 hoping to clerk in order to change markets and transition to a lit boutique. I've had a couple of 2018 term interviews in competitive districts (SDNY, EDNY, NDCal, CDCal) but failed to get an offer. Since I've pretty much missed the boat for 2018, my goal now is to secure a D.Ct. clerkship for 2019 in one of the districts named above.

A magistrate judge in one of the districts above, but not the district I'd ultimately like to end up in, recently invited me for an interview for 2018. I'm wondering if the best way to position myself for a 2019 clerkship would be clerking for the magistrate for a year or working for another year at my firm and hoping 2019 works out. I realize this may come down to the specific magistrate, but assume they are well respected. I realize the financial hit I would take from two clerkships but firm life sucks so I don't mind taking the financial hit because my costs are low.

Should I accept the interview and try use the magistrate clerkship to obtain a 2019 D.Ct. clerkship or keep working and hope for the best in 2019?

Personally I would try and find out how much of the magistrate's work is discovery vs having larger portions of cases referred to them. I can't imagine dealing exclusively with discovery bs for an entire year, and I wouldn't think that you build much in the way skills doing that.

My opinion is that you are better off staying put until 2019. The extra year will hopefully take place at a time when you're starting to get more legit responsibility at your current firm, and then you can hopefully use the district clerkship as a way to transition to what you really want.

V10 to magistrate clerk to district clerk, imo, makes it look like you either don't know what you want to do or tried to go government and failed. Frankly, it also sounds like the magistrate clerkship would be the least prestigious thing on your resume.

I've heard that a magistrate clerkship can be a really useful experience though because it gives you insight into what most associates actually do. But after three years (or more?) as an associate at a v10 you would hopefully already have that experience.

Caveat to all of this -- if you are miserable at your current firm and don't think you'll make it two years (or you would be miserable if you tried) get out. Life is short.

^this seems like good advice

For me I think it makes that much less sense given that it's not where you want to be