As you probably know, or will soon find out as you begin law school, much more needs to go into one’s law school experience toward gaining a clerkship than just getting good classroom scores. Quite honestly, any so-called student can do that.
Law, of course, is a different animal; high marks don’t in any way guarantee a recently graduated lawyer a big-time legal position inside a big-time downtown law firm. In addition to their grades, there are a few key takeaways a law student needs to take to make them attractive to large law firms.
While we immediately think of a school’s law review, legal clinics, potentially tutoring newer legal students, or participating in other extracurricular legal-related activities, can add up with the addition of strong grades, to a strong associate’s position within a notable law school, none of this can compete as solidly to a clerkship with a notable judge. With that accomplishment, law firms will see you as more experienced than other law school graduates who simply went to class and nailed down straight-As.
In short, a strong clerkship in which you were able to learn a judge’s interpretation of the legal process, all while infusing your own influence into the judge’s decision, can benefit you as a well-rounded attorney, and as a well-rounded attorney, you can be that much more of an asset within the law firms to which you’ve applied.
And if this doesn’t sway you, maybe knowing that most large law firms offer bonuses to attorneys who have prior clerkships that frequently reside within the $50,000 range and higher. Some very prestigious clerkships, such as a clerkship with a United States Supreme Court judge, can potentially win you a $300,000 bonus just to agree to come onboard.