To clerk for a magistrate judge or not? Forum

[stereoskater]

Hi All,

I am currently a 3L at a Tier 3 school in the midwest. I am in about the top third of my class, on law review, and have military and legislative experience. I worked for a non-profit 1L summer and was in-house during my 2L summer. I recently rejected a terribly-located DoJ (EOIR) offer and I do not currently have a job lined up for after the bar. So I am really interested in a magistrate clerkship opportunity that has recently arisen.

I will be meeting with a magistrate judge on Friday about a potential 1 year clerkship beginning in September. I am interested in this position because the Judge has a docket that fascinates me (complex litigation) and believe clerkship opportunities can be invaluable. But a couple of factors are holding me back from fully seizing this opportunity.
1. The location is in a neighboring rural state, but I want to build my practice in my current location and I am uncertain if the Judge will be able to open up doors here. Or if this will even be an attractive magistrate clerkship to my urban city's medium-size legal market. The midwest legal market is less cut-throat than the coasts, but I am unsure if this opportunity could spring-board me meaningful employment in my preferred market after its completion. Any suggestions about this? Is it worth it to take a magistrate clerkship out-of-state to bring that experience back?
2. I am also wondering about the prestige of this clerkship in my home market. What is your analysis of this opportunity for a less than stellar applicant? I mean I am not in the top of my class, not at a Tier 1 school, and do not have anything currently lined up for post-bar employment. I understand that magistrate clerkships are good for practical experience but not as prestigious as other opportunities but I am still curious as to whether you think this a worthwhile chance that should be seized given my circumstances.

Any insight, comments, questions, or suggestions you may have are greatly appreciated.

[objctnyrhnr]

Absent further info in your post indicating otherwise (so, as a caveat, my comment might be based on a bad assumption), you’re in a bit of a beggars can’t be choosers scenario by virtue of the place you decided to attend.

Would a circuit clerkship be better? Well absolutely. But given that you have this opportunity to go to a mag judge from your background, I’d jump on it and I’d immediately start applying to SSCs and article 3 clerkships as soon as you accept.

Now if you’re weighing the mag in a neighboring state against market biglaw in your home city (which I think could be conceivable for a few students out of a ttt), that’s a different question

[koval]

Agreed--beggars can't be choosers. Focus on nailing the interview and, if you get it, you'll get a year to plan next steps while burnishing your resume.

[anon sequitur]

A 3L from a t-3 school with no job just two months shy of graduation should jump at this opportunity.

[QContinuum]

Agreed--beggars can't be choosers. Focus on nailing the interview and, if you get it, you'll get a year to plan next steps while burnishing your resume.

Can't agree more with the above. If you don't take this clerkship, you're going to be unemployed in all likelihood after you graduate. For the kinds of positions T3 grads typically shoot for/land, you likely won't even be qualified to apply until you're barred (not just "took the bar" or even "passed the bar," but actually admitted), which would mean a potentially extended period of unemployment (and consequent lack of income) and uncertainty.

Take the clerkship. (And congrats on landing it!)