I wonder if the current perilous state of law firm economics is hurting the market for clerks.

Rumblings are that it might be... i.e. "we just aren't looking to bring on that much talent, even if it clerked, since we don't have any work for the people we already have on payroll"

While I would love to discuss minutia like gay real estate and cocktail parties for clerks, has anyone heard of "the markets?" You might have noticed that something is going on in them today. This is going to affect lawyers a hell of a lot more than gay real estate parties. Just sayin'...

litigation departments are real busy these days - most clerks aren't going into corporate anyway.

If i had a biglaw job out after my third year of law school i'd be soooo haaappppyy

if i was a clerk and got a $50k bonus i'd be soooo happppppyyyy

wow. love the substance in here. the thread's good but garbage like the comments here reminds me of why i only check in once a week. see ya next week, ret@rds!

if that guy called me a retard i'd be sooooo haaaappppyyyy

Will this ever be updated?

http://lawclerkaddict.blogspot.com/2007/05/vault-100-clerkship-salary-bonus-chart.html

Does anyone know when the clerkship hiring season is in San Francisco or California generally? Now? Feb? March? April?

Anon @ 10:42, you're SOOOO awesome!! Thanks for raising the level of the substance of the comments with your post. This is a totally intelligent thread now.

I spent a couple of years at a V20 firm before my present clerkship on the USCA. Although I am definitely getting interest from some biglaw firms, there are several V20 firms that have not responded with interview dates yet. I am getting the feeling that they are considering first whether they need additional attorneys and are reluctant to bring on new attorneys, even if they are clerks. I should mention that I had offers to both of these firms straight out of law school, when the economy was better. I am a bit worried that clerking may have actually hurt my chances to switch V20 firms. . .

Clerking is fairly valuable experience for litigation, but also for career development. If you don't know what you want to do, clerking lets you get a good look at all sorts of litigation. If you're not sure if you want litigation or corporate, a clerkship is a good way to feel it out without sacrificing too much.

I'm clerking for a bankruptcy judge and plan on trying to join the Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy group at Biglaw somewhere (NYC/Chicago/LA).

I know bankruptcy clerkships are less prestigious than your other federal clerkships, but does anyone know if law firms give any weight to the specialization, especially if you are applying for that specific practice group? Do they still pay clerkship bonuses at market or close to market (or any bonus at all)?

Or is it all going to fall back on academics with little to no weight placed on my clerkship experience?

I have also noticed that firms have been slow to respond. Are others noticing this, as well?

It seems like firms are just gearing up for clerkship hiring. A number that I have spoken to said they are still working out their hiring numbers. That strikes me as a little ominous, but as someone else pointed out, litigation is least likely to get hit hard by an economic downturn, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

10:54, I'm clerking for a bankruptcy judge, too. I received an offer at top 20 fir,with the full clerkship bonus, specifically to join their bankruptcy group. Not my only offer either. Bankruptcy clerks are looking good now to firms. Start sending out resumes immediately. Good luck.

10:54: a year ago (or even six months ago), many snobs could have knocked you for your less prestigious clerkship. Today (and TODAY, in particular), your clerkship and desired practice area will pretty much allow you to choose a firm. (And don't accept at one that doesn't pay a full bonus for your clerkship.)

All 3 of the quoted comments obviously come from douchebags.

The clerkship experience is interesting and a lot of fun. Some people find it worth the pay cut, others don't. Most people don't regret doing it. The people who trash ex-clerks are likely jealous.

That said, it's not the responsibility of law firms to "step[] up and offer[] clerkship bonuses to make up for the salary hit." Some places value ex-clerks and find use for them, and other places don't so much. For example, ex-clerks aren't any better than the average first-year at discovery unless they're coming from a magistrate judge clerkship. On the other hand, ex-clerks are generally better brief-writers and, for some reason, clients often seem to care more than they should about whether some firms have ex-clerks on the website.

If you're an ex-clerk looking for a job, the places that value the stuff on your resume have probably already sent you recruiting letters and dangled money under your nose. If you want to go elsewhere, good luck, but don't feel like you're entitled to a massive payoff from every firm out there.

Rummor has it that Latham and Watkins hungers for clerks to feed to its litigation partners like a furnace hungers for coal. Only with a coal fired furnace, the coal may live again as acid rain sprinkling down on the masses. Clerks fed to Latham's litigation partners find their daemons cut away and their souls drained by horrible specters that children cannot see. After two years, you'll see the hollow look in their sunken eyes and know that the change has been wrought. Tired, burned out, and used up, the once lusty and glittering clerks regress from butterflies into slugs. Everywhere they go they leave a trail of slime until like the slug, they are killed by salt.

From the clerks I know, it seems Latham is once again the hot spot.

I saw the vault 100 list, but what about more mid-market firms? What are the bonuses like for 101-199?

Can anyone say from experience?

In an attempt to get on point, I've received unsolicited materials from Latham, Arnold & Porter, Patterson Belknap, and several small boutique firms the names of which I've already forgotten. I can't recall that any mentioned a specific bonus figure.

I clerk for a district court judge, but my clerkship does not end until August 2009. Most of the clerks here started seeking post-clerkship employment approximately 10 to 12 months before the clerkship ended. So if the clerkship ended in August 2008, they started looking in September 2007. The reason for this is that firms typically know their hiring needs by August or September because they will have received notification from their summer associates as to whether they will be accepting their offers. This might not hold true for other places, but for GA it seems to be the standard practice.

11:09 - I wrote one of the comments that Lat quoted. I assure you that I am not a DB.

kthnxbi

What is the timing of all of this?? I've gotten letters from Latham and others, but is January super-early? I was under the impression that clerkship recruiting got into gear in March/April with interviews completed by summer. I was hoping not to begin the big mailings until March. Last year I got a letter from Latham in April inviting me to apply. Are we really already underway?

Ditto on Latham, Arnold, Patterson sending unsolicated materials.

What about federal international law courts? Or state appellate courts? I know the second will lead to no bonus, but will it lead to big law? Also, does clerking on an int'l court limit your job prospects to int'l law practice?

I got an offer and accepted back in november...

11:06,

How is the following a douchbaggy comment?

"The law firm clerkship recruiting season is picking up, with a lot of clerks' cocktail parties scheduled in the next few weeks in NY. How about an open thread for clerks to discuss firms?"

Meredith, I put my reputation on the line by being with you. And for what? The inadequate salve of an orgasm. Oops, gotta go, it's almost time for breakfast with my unit. I'll text you later. XOXO!

Is anyone going to start a list of shame? i.e. firms under $35,000 in bonus?

11:18,

Allen & Overy's NYC clerkship cocktail party is tonight, Sullivan & Cromwell and Patterson Bellknap are tomorrow night, and some random boutique whose invite I immediately tossed is the night after. Quinn Emanuel's is next week; Simpson Thatcher and a couple of other places have already had theirs. The season is well underway.

Got a big pitch from a law school classmate who clerked last year and is now at LW. Still holding out to see what else is happening, but she gave me an excellent hard sell along with the unsolicited materials.

Gibson Dunn has also sent out letters.

January is early to apply. Biglaw spent last semester recruiting 2Ls, then the holiday break. Now, or the next month or two, is the time to send things in. Total process from resume mailed to offer can take as little as 6 weeks (depending on when you can go for a call back).

I know one or two clerks who applied before Christmas, but the majority of us are getting ready to send materials out in the next few months.

11:06, I love you.

Dear 11:06,

I love you.

Regards,

JT will be at a number of the receptions. Can you find JT? Just target the douchest guy in the room...wait, that's going to be everyone.

Sterne Kessler is looking hard for clerks but you might want to stay away

11:33, you're right. The first one's not. Either the post has changed or (more likely) I misread the first comment when I first posted.

11:40,

Did Gibson Dunn send out letters in NY? I haven't gotten one yet.

To USCA Clerk (11:40) (and others):

These are perhaps dumb questions, but when initiating contact with firms, is it customary to send simply the standard cover letter + resume + writing sample package? And if so, should the written piece be a memo from the clerkship or, say, a Note from law school?

Are there any clerks with biglaw offers who are looking for other firms with bigger bonuses? Or is everyone just looking for an initial position? I have a biglaw offer with a paltry bonus and am looking at other firms and wondered if there were others doing the same?

What about bonuses for federal magistrate clerks? do those exist?

12:11: i'm not in NY, so not sure

12:26: none of the firm's websites I have checked so far ask for a writing sample. All request only a resume and transcript (i would, of course, include a cover letter)

12:26: cover letter, resume, transcript is the standard package.

How long after giving an offer do V10 NYC firms generally want an answer?

When should you give notice to your firm that you will be leaving to clerk (if you want to return afterward)? When you schedule the interview? When you've accepted the offer? A month before? Two weeks notice?

Anyone have info on clerk recruiting in E.D. Pa.? Is it just the Philly offices of firms who are recruiting? Do DC and NYC offices of firms recruit in E.D. Pa.?

Latham? They sent a crap letter saying to look on their website to see if there are job openings. I heard they are not having a party this year, either.

Wachtell looks at clerks starting in January, not sure about other firms.

Also, Cravath has already started given offers to clerks.

Does anyone know A&O, Linklaters, etc pay for bonuses?

list of shame?? anyone?? are srz and stroock for example still at 15k and 10k respectively?

I gave my firm a couple of months notice about the clerkship. Enough to prevent burning bridges. Depending on your relationship with the firm, leaving for a clerkship is not looked upon negatively.

Latham DC is done recruiting clerks -- something about having gotten acceptances from a lot of former summer associates who went to clerk after graduation.

Jones Day Chicago is looking; things are starting to gear up now. It's still a bit early yet.

Does anyone know whether a firm can retract an offer after it's been accepted?? I accepted with BigLaw during my 3L year, they supported my clerkship efforts, reissued an offer after I accpeted the clerkship, paid Bar stipend, etc. But, this recession, hiring freeze, plus layoffs at BigLaw, has me paranoid about losing the job I have and being stuck without a job after the hiring season ends. What's the likelihood/practice/legality of retracting an accepted offer?

2:25 - the "legality" of it is likely to be high. Most "offer letters" indicate that employment is at will and that the offer is not a contract to hold a spot for you. Check your letter, but I think that the firm likely left themselves room to drop you.

2:25,

I know who you are. I work at the firm you speak of. The answer is yes we can retract our offer and it is likely, an accepted practice, and legal.

Good day.

Philly info??

2:25: it is at-will, meaning that they can walk away from you, and you can walk away from them as well.

Philly?

There seem to be differences of opinion re the hiring timeline with some people saying the hiring season is well underway and others sayings it's early. It may be that these differences are geographical (it appears that the NY hiring season is peaking while it may be early for Chicago). Is this accurate? What about California?

As far as I can tell, most DC firms will begin looking at law clerks Feb-Mar. Friends told me in the past that big firms jumped at the chance to hire a law clerk, but this year there seems to be more hesitation on the part of many firms.

Bay Area clerks got letters from Patterson Bellknap for NYC and WilmerHale for their new L.A. office. Quinn invited us to dinner next week. Local lit boutiques are in the game too -- Keker & Van Nest with the fancy brochure, and Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass with a happy hour. Nothing from Gibson or Latham yet.

What about recruitment efforts to clerks in Chi?

Meredith, I beg you, please come back. Today at lunch with my unit I tried to text you to tell you I love you, but my tears short circuited the cell phone.

I'm a district court clerk and got some advice that I should apply early. Sent resumes to every firm in Chicago before Christmas and received zero response.

The prospects for litigation appear better in DC (ie more DC firms appear to have lit. openings on their web sites). I'm in the process of hitting up all the DC firms right now. Any word on DC?

Keker sent a brochure to CA6 clerks too. As did many of the other firms mentioned above.

Where do the firms get the names of who is clerking and in which chambers? Is there a public list available?

Many districts have clerk/chambers info posted online in their staff directories. Our info (including direct phone numbers) is also posted in the local district's federal court bar assoc website. Some districts and/or circuits make you dig for it, but it's usually available. When you're a judiciary employee, your name and salary are public info. And some firms just label the info "law clerk, Judge ___'s Chambers"--especially the one year law clerks.

Received Keker letter as well (diff. circuit). So far, best brochure sent out.

Philly is the market I'm worried about. I've heard bad things about hiring here and law clerks losing offers. Scared. f#@% the recession.

I have a job lined up at Chicago big law already for post-clerkship; standard (read very nice) clerkship bonus - plus double clerkship given my state supreme then federal district court clerkship; full credit for time spent in clerkships.

Clerkship experience is useless in a biglaw firm and they don't deserve huge bonuses: they have huge egos and expect to be writing appellate briefs the second they start; and they have no experience in biglaw -- unlike their peers who have been working -- they have no experience managing a document or privilege review, and they are not used to writing/researching as an advocate.

10:11 - yep, working for a judge for a year or two actually deciding cases certainly doesn't compare to the wealth of experienced gained from sitting in a windowless room full of banker's boxes and checking page after page for "relevance." Have fun with your document review, knucklehead.

It doesn't compare. I'd choose a third year who has been working at a biglaw firm the whole time to be on my team over a third year who has only clerked and has no idea how to handle the necessary mid-level responsibilities. Being a junior or midlevel associate has nothing to do with "deciding cases" and sitting in an ivory tower doing research - it is about practical skills, judgment, and managing up and down. And yes it also involves knowing how to practice law at a biglaw firm - which involves managing large document reviews, privilege reviews, and productions. We assume if you make it into biglaw you already know how to read and write well - it's the judgment and management that makes the distinction.

So I guess the partners at your firm are all just wrong in their hiring policy. When you are in charge, you can change all that. Good luck on that.

anon (10:25)--I suspect you have no real idea what district court clerks spend their days doing. I can see the argument about ivory-tower appellate clerkships not giving much practical experience (though I would argue that they do, just not as much or of the type that many clerks think). But dealing with endless phone calls from attorneys, keeping a trial running smoothly, dealing with oodles of fundamentally non-legal discretionary motions, and refereeing discovery disputes gives you a heck of a lot of judgment and management experience, albeit not from quite the same angle as private practice. But certainly more than doing doc review for your first year or two--most third-years who have been in Biglaw don't really know how to run a case or manage a client, either.

Best of all worlds, if you can swing it, is to do a year of a trial-level clerkship and a year of an appellate one.

Um, trial level clerks may do doc review ... if one side claims privilege and the judge wants to take a look at the docs.

10:11: I worked for a year at BigLaw before my district court clerkship, and I did doc review, priv review, managed document collections and productions. It's not exactly rocket science, and I'm pretty sure it's something a former clerk (or pretty much anyone) can pick up after a few weeks on the job. Guess that's just your way of justifying the bottom-rung work that you do.

To the Philly poster, you might get a response from this board:

http://www.infirmation.com/bboard/clubs.tcl?topic=Greedy%20Mid%2dAtlantic

10:46,

Clerkship hiring in San Fran and California generally is DONE! You completely missed the boat. I would recommend trying to find a job in a different field - perhaps waitressing.

JFLC,

There is no doubting what the "F" stands for.

Just my two cents- I had an offer of permanent employment at a V20 firm that I summered for. The firm kept my offer open while I clerked for a district court judge. Now that I have accepted a position as a clerk for a COA judge for next year, the firm has revoked my offer. Not only did they not offer me the extra bonus for clerking for two years, but now I dont have a job post-clerkship.

Holland & Knight NY is NOT taking any law clerks either. Bummer.

Is old standby favorite Jacoby & Meyers taking law clerks this year?