Magistrate Judge

[intel]

If a summer with a USCOA judge is most sought after, USDC judge is second most sought after, state supreme court judge third...where does a summer with a USDC magistrate judge fall?

[paradiddle]

bump. anyone know the answer to this? i've been wondering the same thing.

If a summer with a USCOA judge is most sought after, USDC judge is second most sought after, state supreme court judge third...where does a summer with a USDC magistrate judge fall?

[DH52]

It's probably one of the less prestigious federal court internships, but the district matters too.  For example, Mag Judge in D.C. or S.D.N.Y is better than D.Wyoming.  Also, don't discount the networking benefit of being in a federal courthouse.  It is very possible you will meet interns and law clerks for other judges.  Keep in mind that students just one year ahead of you may end up hiring you or reviewing your applications if you apply for judicial clerkships. 

[Lenny]

Generally, yes, magistrate internships are less "prestigious."  But if you are at all a decent salesman / advocate for yourself, you should be able to have a ton to speak about during 2L interviews.  Interning with a mag will get you a lot more experience that firms care about for young associates than interning for a district judge.  You will be handling discovery disputes, procedural motions, and other "nuts and bolts of litigation" stuff on the fly.  This stuff comes up in every case, so your experience will translate to any case you may be staffed on in the future.  You'll be able to talk about this in interviews and the attorneys will be impressed with this type of experience instead of the typical "well, interning with district judge ____, I wrote a memorandum opinion on [insert discreet area of random law here]."

Also, the above poster is correct - take the time to network and get to know all the other judges and law clerks.

[bb]

On a similar topic, what about a federal administrative law judge v. a state court of appeal judge?

[Lenny]

State court of appeal judge without a doubt.  Most lawyers see ALJs as a joke.

[bb]

Really? I thought Federal Department of X gigs are prestigious.

[Lenny]

Working in the Office of Legal Counsel for Department of X can be a pretty good gig, depending upon department.  But clerking/interning for an ALJ in that department is not the same thing.

[bb]

Thanks for the help.  So in general, where does an ALJ internship rank, in terms of things to do for 1L summer?  I'm guessing about equal to a state attorney general's office, or maybe a state trial court?

[Lenny]

Its hard to make that comparison.  None of those have any more wow/prestige factor just on their face than the other.  Instead it comes down to what you'd actually be doing that you could highlight in your resume and during interviews next year.  Interning with a federal COA judge or being a summer associate at a big firm your first summer have intrinsic wow factor, regardless of whether your day to day experience amounted to making coffee and carrying briefcases.  As you move away from those types of jobs, the key question becomes what will you actually be doing there.