What to Expect as a Law Clerk

🌟Are you one of the many recent law grads embarking on federal/state #clerkships this month? Congrats! You’ve gotten a “golden ticket.” 🎫 Now what? What should you expect? How should you set yourself up for success? 🌟MY ADVICE: 📍Many issues The Legal Accountability Project hears about stem from a lack of communication at the outset about expectations. Seek clarification immediately on hours, tasks, and how feedback is conveyed. Where is sample work product stored? Who should you go to for advice? Often, outgoing clerks train incoming ones, which unfortunately may cause expectations to get lost in translation. Don't let that happen. 📌Establish a process early for feedback. Does the judge convey feedback verbally or in writing? How (and how often) will you communicate? How will they communicate (respectfully) if they are unhappy with your work? #Clerkships are a two-way relationship. 📍Ask for - and incorporate - feedback early. Don’t wait for the judge to bring it up, to find out how you’re doing. 🧽Be a sponge. #Clerkships are crash courses in trial lawyering and judicial decision-making. Attend court proceedings and learn from attorneys who appear before you. Engage the judge in conversation about their impressions. And if you see something interesting the judge is working on and you’d like to help, ask! #Clerkships are learning experiences. 🗣️Check in with yourself monthly on how the #clerkship is going. Are you happy and learning? If not, you’re *not* obligated to stay. Increasingly, LAP sees clerks setting boundaries, standing up for themselves, and even leaving #clerkships early when things aren't going well. 🗣️Set boundaries. You’re not expected to be available 24/7 for the judge, nor should you tackle non-judicial tasks like driving the judge around, picking up dry cleaning/running errands, walking their dog, or assisting with family obligations. That’s not part of your *government* job description. ⚖️Find out who the workplace conduct points of contact are in your Court/Circuit. They're resources if necessary. 🔊You do NOT have to endure mistreatment. A “challenging” or “demanding” clerkship is not “worth it” for the prestige. If what you’re experiencing feels wrong, it probably IS wrong. Don’t wait to tell someone/seek assistance. ⚖️Reach out to LAP! We’re here to advise, assist, and help troubleshoot. We’ve seen *everything.* 📌And, of course, fill out our clerkship survey to inform thousands of aspiring clerks about the experience - good, bad, or somewhere in between. 🏛Judicial #clerkships and the #judiciary are in the midst of an important #cultural shift. No longer are clerks enduring abuse and suffering in silence. Judge/clerk dynamics and workplace conduct are particularly salient right now. ✨Increasingly, judges/clerks recognize that a judicial chambers is a workplace like any other, even if the law doesn’t yet characterize it that way. #clerkships #judicialaccountability #courts

The biggest mistake law students make on their first day in court internship. They pretend to be a professional. Walking into court with a file under the arm. Using heavy legal words without understanding them. Nodding at instructions they didn’t really catch. Acting like they’ve seen it all. I’ve seen this again and again. The truth? Court doesn’t reward pretending. It rewards learning. On your first day, you’re not expected to know procedures. You’re not expected to draft perfectly. You’re not expected to argue. You’re expected to observe. Watch how matters are called. Notice how seniors speak and when they don’t. See how files are arranged. Understand why some arguments work and others don’t. The fastest way to grow in court is to accept that you’re new. The junior who asks questions at the right time learns more than the intern who keeps saying, "Yes sir, understood" without understanding anything. Court is not impressed by confidence without substance. It respects sincerity, patience, and humility. Be a student in court. There’s plenty of time to become a professional.

🚪⚖️ Why do people clerk? (Not just for the prestige—and not primarily for ideology) Clerking wasn't on my radar in law school. I wish it had been although my goals have changed a lot since then. This article is definitely worth a read for aspiring attorneys and probably for many current attorneys thinking back about their experiences in law school and the choices they made afterwards. In this study of Ninth Circuit Judge Alfred T. Goodwin’s chambers, Stephen L. Wasby finds that clerkship choices often come down to something more human: mentorship, personality fit, geography, and a desire to learn how judging actually works—sometimes even a transitional year before the real job begins. If you’re thinking about clerking (or advising students who are), this is a smart reminder that the best clerkship isn’t one size fits all and isn't just a line on a résumé—it’s a working relationship that can shape how you write, think, and practice for years. ✍️ Here's a short breakdown of what the article shows: 🔍 Research question: Do appellate clerks choose judges for ideology, prestige, or other factors—and how do they evaluate the experience afterward? 👩⚖️ Case study: Judge Alfred T. Goodwin (Ninth Circuit), described as a pragmatic moderate known for giving clerks autonomy. 📩 Method: Survey/interviews with Goodwin’s former clerks—31 of 75 participated (41.3% response rate). 🏛️ Why clerk at all? 1) Prestige + résumé boost (“door-opener”) 2) Learn the judicial process “from the inside” 3) Improve research/writing 4) A bridge year—sometimes even a way to delay career decisions 🧭 Why an appellate clerkship (vs. district court)? - More legal (less factual) focus - More research/writing and doctrinal variety - Sometimes just logistics (e.g., one-year preference) 📍 Why this (particular) judge? Mostly location + reputation + personal fit—especially after the interview. - Ideology mattered less than people assume: Goodwin reportedly didn’t prioritize ideological matching and even preferred clerks who weren’t “yes people.” - What sealed it for many: The interview—often described as comfortable, wide-ranging, and the judge “selling himself” through personality and connection. - How clerks rated the experience: Overwhelmingly positive—“excellent,” “fantastic,” “unforgettable.” ⚠️ Main downside: The judge’s absences/travel, which some felt limited feedback or discussion on cases. ✍️ Career effects: Big gains in writing and analysis, deeper understanding of appellate decision-making, and a credential that opens doors—sometimes shaping practice areas, teaching paths, or even a move into judging. 🤝 Afterward: Most stayed in at least light contact (cards, notes, lunches when possible), but many described it as infrequent. You can read more by me on my Substack. https://lnkd.in/gq_JtsFH Article linked in the comments:

My student was very excited to secure a PPO to her dream lawfirm. She had just secured a PPO in December last year. Fast forward to today - It’s been just one month into the job. And she has already asked me, “Ma’am, am I eligible to move in-house already?” I paused. Not because I was surprised - I’m already accustomed to hearing this by now. But because I knew something had cracked early. So I asked her: “What happened?” Here’s what had happened at the Job: Despite 'her best efforts', she had been repeatedly hearing, “You don’t look serious for this job. Do better - or we’ll reconsider your hiring.” No guidance. No feedback. No roadmap on what "better" looked like. She told me what all freshers say, “I did exactly what I was told… why wasn’t that enough? Nobody told me what else should I have done. I am a first generation lawyer, this is my first job. I thought I would learn from my seniors. But here's the tough truth: Law firms don’t always tell you what’s missing. They don’t handhold. They expect you to figure it out, sometimes without saying a word. These comments aren’t just about the output. The Partners want you to take ownership. It is about you (not) taking Initiative. The ability to read between the lines, dig deeper, and do more than the bare minimum. Quitting lawfirm too early wondering if going in-house would be better - calmer, kinder, more structured? Maybe one day it will be the right move. But not yet - not before one learns the skill of decoding unspoken expectations in our profession. Not before she’s built the muscle of taking charge before being asked. Because whether you're in a law firm or in-house, nobody promotes “task-takers.” They promote problem-solvers. The trick is simple- You won’t be applauded for doing what you were told. You’ll be remembered for what you thought of, when no one asked. And no, it’s not fair. But it is real. Welcome to the profession. It won’t hold your hand, but it will build your backbone. Your Legal Career Coach (YLCC) Sammanika

Dear younger people, lawyers, freshers, and law students, #01 expectation of the legal profession by freshers or new lawyers. This is a continuous post of my previous post. Speak about the “expectation” of working as a pupil or a new lawyer. I once spoke to a relative of mine, an SPM graduate who is about to decide on his degree. He said, if I take the law, is it going to be like what I see in the dramas in the movies? The expectation of a slick suited lawyer driving a big car with handsome pay. I replied, “No”. I told him, that your expectations will only happen in dramas, the reality and things that you will have for starting a career as a pupil/lawyer, 1) the starting pay is low, if one starts as a pupil, you probably get only 1.5k to 3k depending on area. So, no big cars and expensive suits unless your parents buy them for you. 2) the working hours are extremely long and usually there’s no OT. This is because our work is “assignment-based” and you are required to complete it within a timeline. So the 9-5 thing doesn’t apply. 3) the initial positioning in a firm’s structure is low. A senior legal clerk might know more than you and be positioned above you and you might have to learn from a clerk. Not much of “face” if you are expecting the job to be a high-up big boss kinda job😄. 4) that you will be facing a lot of put-downs because of seniority. This is one of the professional professions where you are judged on your seniority (in my opinion and experience). So, low pay, long working hours, and not so much of a shiny label of being a lawyer and why do you still do it after many years? Tips: this is a high-return profession if you practice for a long time with the right mindset. “Lower your expectation” when you’ve just joined, “work hard”, “be humble”, and “be passionate” in doing your work. The return of grinding for a “long time” in this profession can be fulfilling in both, your passion, and ambition to be an aspiring lawyer and earn big bucks from handsome fees. Don’t give up for those who gave up in the middle of the journey won’t see the goodness at the end of the road. Whether I will do it again if I’m given a second choice? Hell, yes!😂 This is just my 2 cents, it might or might not help. Selamat maju jaya kalian. Happy Saturday people. #lawyerlife #motivation #pupil #lawstudent #fresher #tips #legalprofession #law #lawyer #positive #career #mindset Photo: just another day of working on a Saturday morning.