Also, assuming I do a clerkship for a magistrate judge, would I be competitive for a more prestigious federal district clerkship the following year (relative to a new law school grad with better grades/law school)?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#10969819)

Might make you a bit more marketable to firms. D.Ct. will depend on how tight your MJ is with the D.Ct. judges. It won't hurt, but it's far from a guarantee.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#10969923)

For example, would an employer prefer someone who graduated median from a 40ish law school with a federal magistrate clerkship over a grad straight out of law school who graduated top third from a similarly ranked law school (assuming everything else is relatively equal)?

I know a federal magistrate clerkship won't HURT my employment prospects, but I wanted to see what kind of boost I can get from a clerkship. Also, I'm not taking about getting into BIGLAW, but at a decent regional or boutique firm.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#10986655)

It's marginal, at best, for applying up the chain later. It's nice that you have the experience clerking, which means that a DCt judge might want you because you "get" the system a little more, but a lot more is on grade.

As for employment options, you're in a bind with those grades. Same thing--MJ will help, but it's marginal at best. Maybe your MJ still has some connections at his old firm.

Basically, it's much more worthwhile to work your tail off as a 3L to bring that cumulative GPA up than poke around XO asking how much an MJ can add to your resume. A 0.05 GPA bump is going to look a lot better than most resume filler.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#10986707)

edit: also, ite, of the 5 dings, 4 judges interviewed 10-20 people for one spot; 1 judge interviewed 3. even if you give a great interview you still will prob get dinged.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#14355016)

1) discuss how you came (plane/train/car)

2) discuss geographic trend of resume

3) discuss latham pwnage

x-- [at some point between 1)-5)

......Discuss commmon interests / interest listed at bottom of resume / organic good conversation

5) so you did corporate work at latham?

6) discuss corporate work you did and why lit now?

7) so why do you want to clerk exactly?

8) and where is your writing experience then?

9) ok but you wouldn't know what a [insert litigation motion i have never heard of] is?

10) is there anything you want to tell me that's not on your resume?

11) well you are a great candidate and have a great resume.

12) i have a few more candidates i promised id interview!

13) youll hear from me in the next 2-3 weeks.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#14355246)

If you were interviewing in my chambers I would ding you for this before you even got to the judge.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#14356743)

I would imagine it's harder than a state-level appeals court but how much harder?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=937821&forum_id=2#14357194)