2 year clerkship for alumni Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm interviewing for a clerkship position that has both 1 and 2 year spots available. I am an alumni candidate in a public sector litigation heavy practice who wants to try to go into biglaw lit after. I'm trying to decide if I should remain open to a 2 year clerkship or just apply for the 1 year. By the time I finish the first year of the clerkship I will be 5 years out of law school having never worked in the private sector, so I know biglaw is already a tough bet. My thoughts are that if I come out after a 2 year clerkship being 6 years out of law school I'll be completely out of the running for an associate gig with a big firm. That's my only concern though, as I wouldn't mind clerking for 2 years and the clerkship is in a fairly pleasant, albeit flyover, location.Thoughts?

[HillandHollow]

I can't respond much to the impact of 2 years on your chance at shifting into BigLaw lit.

But I will say that if you are open to a 2 year, that will be a significant plus factor for your likelihood of getting hired. Most applicants are only interested in 1 year terms, so you'd be among a smaller pool of competitors. Even at the interview stage, there will be people who can/will only do 1 year terms.

[Anonymous User]

I decided to clerk when I was a few years out too and had the same concern. I am 4 years out and finishing my second clerkship (for a total of 2 years of clerking). It ended up being a non-issue. In some cover letters, I noted that I was flexible on class year and some firms seemed to respond well to that. I am coming to my firm as a member of the class of 2017 (I graduated in 2015), which is perfectly fine with me given I have zero private sector experience.

YYMV, obviously. As Hill noted, being open to a 2-year clerkship gives you an edge. FWIW, I spent too much time stressing about being out of school for a few years. I would think more about whether you personally want to put your life on hold for 2 years and whether you would enjoy it. Clerking is an awesome job, but 2 years of clerking is a lot. It was worth it to me only because my second clerkship was more prestigious than the first and gave me many many more employment options.

[objctnyrhnr]

OP, I think your concern is extremely valid. Coming in as sixth with no private sector experience would be a tough sell, and in my market and based on my experience, I think it’s rare for firms to flex more than a year on entry class (though I personally think that’s silly...why not get a mid level litigator for a first year salary, you know?)

Anyway I think that the one year clerkship will give you the transition credential you need. I don’t think another year of clerking will be sufficiently beneficial to justify the cons, nor the opportunity cost (I.e year of midlevel biglaw salary versus year of clerkship salary).

My two cents

[Anonymous User]

I decided to clerk when I was a few years out too and had the same concern. I am 4 years out and finishing my second clerkship (for a total of 2 years of clerking). It ended up being a non-issue. In some cover letters, I noted that I was flexible on class year and some firms seemed to respond well to that. I am coming to my firm as a member of the class of 2017 (I graduated in 2015), which is perfectly fine with me given I have zero private sector experience.

YYMV, obviously. As Hill noted, being open to a 2-year clerkship gives you an edge. FWIW, I spent too much time stressing about being out of school for a few years. I would think more about whether you personally want to put your life on hold for 2 years and whether you would enjoy it. Clerking is an awesome job, but 2 years of clerking is a lot. It was worth it to me only because my second clerkship was more prestigious than the first and gave me many many more employment options.

I'm hoping to follow a similar path. If you don't mind me asking, were the clerkships state and federal or just federal? Is your firm a large or more midsize firm?

What was the job search like? Did you find you were competitive at large firms, or did you feel like you were struggling? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I am quite anxious about clerking after being a few years out and any information would be a huge help. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous User]

I decided to clerk when I was a few years out too and had the same concern. I am 4 years out and finishing my second clerkship (for a total of 2 years of clerking). It ended up being a non-issue. In some cover letters, I noted that I was flexible on class year and some firms seemed to respond well to that. I am coming to my firm as a member of the class of 2017 (I graduated in 2015), which is perfectly fine with me given I have zero private sector experience.

YYMV, obviously. As Hill noted, being open to a 2-year clerkship gives you an edge. FWIW, I spent too much time stressing about being out of school for a few years. I would think more about whether you personally want to put your life on hold for 2 years and whether you would enjoy it. Clerking is an awesome job, but 2 years of clerking is a lot. It was worth it to me only because my second clerkship was more prestigious than the first and gave me many many more employment options.

I'm hoping to follow a similar path. If you don't mind me asking, were the clerkships state and federal or just federal? Is your firm a large or more midsize firm?

What was the job search like? Did you find you were competitive at large firms, or did you feel like you were struggling? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I am quite anxious about clerking after being a few years out and any information would be a huge help. Thanks in advance!

Original quoted anon here. I'm happy to answer questions--I stressed over this a lot and so I'll do whatever I can to help other people in this same situation. But I am extremely out-able, so there is a limit on what I can reveal here.

I graduated from a CCN and both my clerkships were federal. My second judge in particular has a really good reputation in my niche practice area. The job search was a breeze. I forget how many firms I applied to--maybe 10? I went on 3 interviews (though I got offers to interview at 2 more firms). I accepted an offer from my first choice, which is a V10. As I said above, I wrote in my cover letter that I was open to flexibility on class year and I know that opened some doors. I thought for sure that I had "aged-out" of biglaw by not immediately going to a firm after graduation, but it did not seem to be a problem at all during interviews. My sense was that the firm was going to offer whatever class year it was comfortable with, regardless of when I actually graduated.

I should add that I had a very clear rationale for why I wanted to transition from public interest to a firm/my niche area. I am also sure that I got a significant leg up because of the school I went to (though my grades put me just below median). IME, being a few years out can be an advantage if you package it the right way. God bless them, but new law school graduates are sometimes immature, don't know how to act in certain situations, and don't yet understand how to be a lawyer. Being a few years out gives you some skills that most new grads haven't had the chance to develop.