partner track, clerkship, and public interest questions

[Pittman2]

Three questions regarding Law Careers:

1) Is there a certain age limit for the Partner Track or other such notable career tracks? (For instance, a similar situation is that some universities require/highly prefer that one be under a certain age to be given a tenure-track position. Do law firms/judgeships have similar stipulations?)

2. Must a clerkship be completed immediately after law school - can one work in private/other practice for a few years then complete a clerkship?

3. Public interest lawyers oftentimes are able to invoke loan forgiveness by their law school due to their career track. My impression is that completing a clerkship is not a "public interest" position; nor is working in the DA office one. What exactly constitutes public interest work and do these fields fall within that category (allowing me to qualify for loan forgiveness)?

[lincolnsgrandson]

Age is generally not a hindrance to get a good law firm job.  Conversely, many students believe that their work experience gives them an edge with the law firms, and it doesn't.  Academic success is supreme.

Many people clerk after practicing law.  Some judges prefer it.

Don't know what constitutes public interest; I would guess it would include DA but not clerkships.  Loan forgiveness programs are fairly weak, though. 

[jacy85]

I second all lincolnsgrandson's answers, but will go a bit further w/ the last question.

Clerkship are absolutely not included in any loan forgiveness program.  Many, if not all, firms will give you "firm credit" for a clerkship (you'd start as a 2nd year associate) and give you a sizable bonus.  Your clerkship brings prestige to the firm, so you are rewarded for making crap money for another year or two.

The DA might be included in the program.  From what I've heard, most loan repayment programs require non-private jobs where you are making less than $50k or something.  Whether governmental jobs (DA, Pub. defender, etc.) count will depend on the school and their individual programs.

[ApproachTheBench]

Partner tracks differ between firms.  Some firms take longer than others, some firms will make you a non-equity partner first.

I worked my 1L summer at a midlaw firm of maybe 300 lawyers that had a very interesting system- almost every attorney made partner after 6 years.  That meant, though, that when someone made partner they didn't make a whole boatload of money.

At the time I was younger and stupider and I thought this system was lame.  I changed my mind now though- 1st year partners were still pretty well compensated, the hours weren't as grueling as a lot of other firms, the system made everything collegial, and it was really the kind of place where you could actually have a career.  Most biglaw places are up or out (and the great majority are out after 5 or 6 years.)

[Pittman2]

Any other thoughts out there?

[dft]

That sounds really cool. How much did the partners rake in?

Partner tracks differ between firms.  Some firms take longer than others, some firms will make you a non-equity partner first.

I worked my 1L summer at a midlaw firm of maybe 300 lawyers that had a very interesting system- almost every attorney made partner after 6 years.  That meant, though, that when someone made partner they didn't make a whole boatload of money.

At the time I was younger and stupider and I thought this system was lame.  I changed my mind now though- 1st year partners were still pretty well compensated, the hours weren't as grueling as a lot of other firms, the system made everything collegial, and it was really the kind of place where you could actually have a career.  Most biglaw places are up or out (and the great majority are out after 5 or 6 years.)