2017-2018 Post-Clerkship Hiring Forum

[Anonymous User]

Rumor has it that Gardere is merging with Foley & Lardner and Strasburger is merging with a larger yet to be named firm. Does anyone have an idea on how these mergers typically affect hiring needs, if they affect them at all?

[Anonymous User]

I can confirm. Had an interview with FF recently. Excellent firm with excellent people. I hope I get an offer! I'll report back if I do. Fingers crossed!

Hear anything yet? Was under impression this week would be decisions.

Same but no. Nothing yet. Maybe no news is good news?

I suppose possible. Was told by another interviewee that they requested additional materials today but gave no further information.

[Anonymous User]

I interviewed with FF as well. The anticipation is killing me! What additional materials could they possibly need?

[Anonymous User]

Dinged by Williams & Connolly in less than 2 weeks and with no interview. Magna/coif from a T10, summered with a V5 in NY, Fed D. Ct. clerkship, 2/9/DC clerkship. Rumor is that they don’t like people who summered elsewhere, but idk if that is true. Personally I think they prefer people whose resumes scream D.C. liberal, but of course that is just speculation also. Hiring is so idiosyncratic...

[Anonymous User]

Dinged by Williams & Connolly in less than 2 weeks and with no interview. Magna/coif from a T10, summered with a V5 in NY, Fed D. Ct. clerkship, 2/9/DC clerkship. Rumor is that they don’t like people who summered elsewhere, but idk if that is true. Personally I think they prefer people whose resumes scream D.C. liberal, but of course that is just speculation also. Hiring is so idiosyncratic...

Via mail or email?

[Anonymous User]

Dinged by Williams & Connolly in less than 2 weeks and with no interview. Magna/coif from a T10, summered with a V5 in NY, Fed D. Ct. clerkship, 2/9/DC clerkship. Rumor is that they don’t like people who summered elsewhere, but idk if that is true. Personally I think they prefer people whose resumes scream D.C. liberal, but of course that is just speculation also. Hiring is so idiosyncratic...

Via mail or email?

Also dinged by W&C. Via email. I was sort of a long shot though (and definitely less attractive as a candidate than the person above me who was also rejected)—federal district and circuit clerkships in secondary markets, top of class of top 50 law school. Hoping for more traction in DC come January.

[Anonymous User]

I interviewed with FF as well. The anticipation is killing me! What additional materials could they possibly need?

Transcript.

[Anonymous User]

Several big firms in LA have given offers.

[proleteriate]

Several big firms in LA have given offers.

shit, when did they interview?

[Anonymous User]

I know of several interviews over the last week or 2. Hueston Hennigan's clerk reception is in early January as well.

[Anonymous User]

Several big firms in LA have given offers.

shit, when did they interview?

First anon. I heard after thanksgiving through the first week of dec. I do know that other people have received pushback from some firms that it is too early.

[Anonymous User]

Landed an interview at Jones Day in Chicago! w00t! nvm the melodram

[Anonymous User]

I've been getting dinged like crazy. I thought I had the right stats: graduated in top quarter from T-10, two secondary journals and mock trial experience, a number of scholastic awards. I have a federal district clerkship in a good market. My cover letters are well written and thoughtful (thanks to the copious amounts of editing help I've gotten from peers/CSO/etc.). I even have interesting and unique yet useful work experience in between UG and LS. I did NOT summer at a big law firm. Instead I split my summer working in house and for a state AG's office. I assume that's the one thing that's killing me. I also transferred... but see above for how that worked out.

... and all I get are dings. I've applied pretty broadly and to a lot of firms all over the country. Is there some magical quality I don't possess pushing me out of consideration at these big firms? My assumption is the transfer and the lack of SA, but I'm a law clerk who graduated in the top quarter...so what's the big deal?

Fellow transfer few years out. This shouldn’t hurt you. How big are you even playing it up (I don’t have it on my resume or send my 1l transcript unless asked - only once has that ever happened). It shouldn’t matter but no reason to highlight it. Non-SA probably hurts a bit. Do you lack ties to every major market or anything like that? I’m not sure they care too much in NYC but have some degree of skepticism elsewhere.

[Anonymous User]

w00t

[Anonymous User]

Any word on Fried Frank NYC?

[jbagelboy]

I've been getting dinged like crazy. I thought I had the right stats: graduated in top quarter from T-10, two secondary journals and mock trial experience, a number of scholastic awards. I have a federal district clerkship in a good market. My cover letters are well written and thoughtful (thanks to the copious amounts of editing help I've gotten from peers/CSO/etc.). I even have interesting and unique yet useful work experience in between UG and LS. I did NOT summer at a big law firm. Instead I split my summer working in house and for a state AG's office. I assume that's the one thing that's killing me. I also transferred... but see above for how that worked out.

... and all I get are dings. I've applied pretty broadly and to a lot of firms all over the country. Is there some magical quality I don't possess pushing me out of consideration at these big firms? My assumption is the transfer and the lack of SA, but I'm a law clerk who graduated in the top quarter...so what's the big deal?

I feel like its still pretty early.

[Anonymous User]

To the people who have heard from Williams and Connolly: what exactly did your email say? Has anyone gotten an interview from them?

[Anonymous User]

Out of a COA, how common is it to get hired in a big law appellate group? Do most people just go to general lit and then work your way up the ladder to appellate specifically, or is it common to go straight to appellate practice after an appellate clerkship?

[Anonymous User]

To the people who have heard from Williams and Connolly: what exactly did your email say? Has anyone gotten an interview from them?

I didn’t get an interview and was recently dinged by email, which was a generic rejection.

[Anonymous User]

Any word on Fried Frank NYC?

Like another poster said, I was asked for transcript. Nothing since. Did you include yours with original submission/get asked for one if not?

[Anonymous User]

Any word on Fried Frank NYC?

Like another poster said, I was asked for transcript. Nothing since. Did you include yours with original submission/get asked for one if not?

Was now told delayed till January. You too?

[Anonymous User]

I should probably know this, but does anyone know how working with recruiters works coming out of a clerkship (in my case, a non-SDNY/D.DC district court)? And in particular, for clerks who worked in-between graduation and their clerkship?

An associate at my old firm passed along an email from a recruiter. I had been operating under the assumption that firms would not pay recruiters when hiring current clerks (because that's what a recruiter I had previously worked with said). This recruiter, though, told me that its different for clerks who worked before their clerkship (and that it depends on the firm/that particular contract). I'm assuming that the recruiter would not intentionally mislead me, given that it would be against their interest to do so.

Another clerk on my court, however, just advised me not to use recruiters because firms expect clerks to apply directly and don't want to pay the placement fee on top of the clerkship bonus (and would therefore select another candidate, all else being equal--which makes sense). I guess my hope, previously, was to leverage the recruiter's contacts and that it would be advantageous to have someone advocate on my behalf. I'm not sure if that is worth it though (maybe for opportunities that are not made public?). Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Re recruiter question above, I probably wouldn't use one for the reason (fee) you give.




Bumping this question below. Are "appellate" groups large enough to apply to exclusively or are they reserved for like SCOTUS clerks?

Out of a COA, how common is it to get hired in a big law appellate group? Do most people just go to general lit and then work your way up the ladder to appellate specifically, or is it common to go straight to appellate practice after an appellate clerkship?

[BlackAndOrange84]

Bumping this question below. Are "appellate" groups large enough to apply to exclusively or are they reserved for like SCOTUS clerks?

Out of a COA, how common is it to get hired in a big law appellate group? Do most people just go to general lit and then work your way up the ladder to appellate specifically, or is it common to go straight to appellate practice after an appellate clerkship?

I know less about getting just appellate work, but I have good friends who had ~30-50% of their work be appellate before they did their COA clerkships and these were at very good firms with respected appellate groups, not just generic biglaw appellate work. I also have a couple good friends who did entirely or largely appellate work after their non-feeder COA clerkships, again, at good, well-respected appellate groups. All that to say, you don't have to be SCOTUS-clerk caliber or bust to get hired into a biglaw appellate group. But it's worth keeping in mind that former SCOTUS clerks and people who clerked for feeders will likely be your competition in those kind of groups.

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this question below. Are "appellate" groups large enough to apply to exclusively or are they reserved for like SCOTUS clerks?

Out of a COA, how common is it to get hired in a big law appellate group? Do most people just go to general lit and then work your way up the ladder to appellate specifically, or is it common to go straight to appellate practice after an appellate clerkship?

I know less about getting just appellate work, but I have good friends who had ~30-50% of their work be appellate before they did their COA clerkships and these were at very good firms with respected appellate groups, not just generic biglaw appellate work. I also have a couple good friends who did entirely or largely appellate work after their non-feeder COA clerkships, again, at good, well-respected appellate groups. All that to say, you don't have to be SCOTUS-clerk caliber or bust to get hired into a biglaw appellate group. But it's worth keeping in mind that former SCOTUS clerks and people who clerked for feeders will likely be your competition in those kind of groups.

This was my gut understanding, thanks for the response. I imagine the only real downside to appellate practice is that there are limited exit options, but a mix of general lit and appellate (as you mention) would seem to counter that.