How much does which judge you clerked for matter? Got an offer from a federal district judge in a pretty competitive district, but the judge is appointed by the current president - would that have any reflection on me when applying for future jobs? (And would that hurt my chances for nonprofit / impact litigation work?) I’m not sure if I’m just overthinking it at this point…

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My rule of thumb is whether the judge in question would have been appointed by a normal republican. If so, no one will really care, people understand that clerking doesn’t always align with your politics. But agreed with GC1 above, if it’s one of the crazies, that’s different in a big way.

likesmart

As much as I despise the current administration, I wouldn’t hold who appointed your judge against you.

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I agree with that but if your ideal judge to clerk for is a Cannon or Kacsmaryk (for example), people will assume certain things about your views.

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Clerk isn’t a judge or a politicized role. Take the clerkship that feels right for you. You won’t be judged for a clerkship. You will be judged for DOJ or executive branch roles.

But honestly, this is a sign of how crappy politicized everything is these days. Why can’t we just be great lawyers who drink together at the end of the day and share stories?

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FWIW the hiring attorney at an ACLU affiliate I worked for prioritized hiring clerks from as many different judges as possible, especially judges they regularly appeared before.

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When I was applying to clerkships, the conventional wisdom was that you don’t turn down an offer from a judge. Curious why you applied to someone you would be wary about working for? Anyway in general I agree with others that unless it’s an extremist, it should be fine from a career standpoint.

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Thanks! This judge is pretty low profile / non-controversial, so I honestly didn’t think it would be an issue when I applied. I just started worrying after something someone I know said & some things I saw online (I probably shouldn’t have put that much weight on some generalized comments…)

helpful

Really depends on the judge. Look at their resume and use some common sense. If it’s an SDNY judge who was previously a run-of-the-mill AUSA and/or big law partner, they probably have a pretty mundane reputation. If it’s a DDC judge who was previously at some conservative public-interest group, they may be a capable judge but their name on your resume may create some assumptions. If they’re in some red state and their main qualification seems to be loyalty to the president, their reputation as a jurist may be questionable.

It’s worth noting that the state you’re in may make a big difference. Because senators, regardless of party, have substantial leverage over appointments in their state, the president’s blue-state nominees have some quality control and have tended not to be the worst of the worst in terms of competence or politicization.

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Unless you plan to be a judge or an appellate lawyer, no one will care about the judge you clerked for after 3-5 yrs of practice.

Honestly ... no one will care that you clerked. After 5 yrs of practice, skills/experience/character and your ability to get sh** down rein superior to clerkship, law review, etc. Dont be the prestigious lawyer with the accolades who is a piss poor unethical and rude lawyer that gets mopped and mocked by every lawyer around.

Congrats! But do not forgo practical experience in your practice area.

99.99% of a district court’s caseload is run off the mill, non political stuff. Don’t over think it. Congrats

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Former public interest law/impact litigation lawyer here. It *does* matter who you clerk for. Certain judges have positive reputations in the public interest law world.

You can research this by looking at lawyers at the nonprofits you’re interested in, or asking your career services office. The judges often come from public interest backgrounds themselves, like as public defenders or civil rights lawyers.

These judges also have great networks of former clerks, and can mentor you about public interest values.

Always be sure to crosscheck that the judge is good to work for, by speaking with former clerks and checking the Legal Accountability Project database.

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As long as it is not Judge Ross I think you are fine

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