Partner Track, Clerkship, & 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)?

[rapunzel]

There are many judges who like to hire clerks with a few years experience.  So you can go to a firm for a few years first.  Plus, federal clerkships give you a bump on the federal pay grade for previous work experoence.  I have a friend who arked at a firm for 2 years and her starting salary as a clerk on the federal district level was in the 70's instead of the 50's.  She then went back to her firm.