State District Court Clerkships

[BrandonTexas]

Hey all,

I am a recent graduate of a T1 school, and I graduated in the top 1/3 of the class (for background).  Yesterday I was offered a state district court clerk position.  I have read some other threads here about state district court positions, but I was wondering if they are generally looked down upon because they aren't federal or state appellate level court jobs.  Is this still a good job to take?  Where would you rank it compared to a big/medium firm job, a small firm job, a federal government job, and the military?

[jacy85]

Do you have any other options at this point?  Because it's better to be employed in a position where you'll meet lots of local attorneys with a boss who may be able to give you a great reference rather than sitting on your butt still looking for work because you turned down a job that wasn't "prestigious" enough.

[BrandonTexas]

I don't have any other options now, but I just recently had an offer rescinded.  To make a long story short, I think that that problem has made this decision a lot harder for me.  However, I know you are right that it is better to have A job than NO job at all.  I would just like to have a better feel for my job prospects after I leave the clerkship.

[clerk_ing]

I don't have any other options now, but I just recently had an offer rescinded.  To make a long story short, I think that that problem has made this decision a lot harder for me.  However, I know you are right that it is better to have A job than NO job at all.  I would just like to have a better feel for my job prospects after I leave the clerkship.

I think it depends on your preferences and career goals. State trial court clerkships are not viewed as prestigious, but that does not mean they lack value. You will learn the ins and outs of "real" practice. Your judge is likely to be politically connected in your state (if they have elections), or at least know numerous other people who can help you out once your clerkship ends. As the previous poster mentioned, a bird in the hand . . . .