I’ve got an interview today for a law clerk position with the Public Defender’s office. The Deputy Public Defender is my Evidence professor, seems to like me and is looking forward to the interview (as he told me yesterday when I left class). I’ve got some stiff competition though, 3 other students with very high GPA’s, who always participate in class (I’m more of the sit and the back and be invisible type).
So, lawyers out there with law clerks, what do you look for in your clerk? What types of questions would you ask them on an interview?
Law Clerks: what is it like? What traits do you feel are most important? What types of questions were you asked on your interview?
My interview is at 3:00 PST. I’d really appreciate any help anyone could give. I really want to snag this one. Clerkships aren’t easy to come by around here, especially as a lowly second year (in a four year program).
Good luck. The one thing I look for in a law clerk is that they “get it”. Not that they necessarily know the black letter law, though that is a definite plus, but that they can apply the law to the facts to come up with a useful answer. Law clerks do a lot of research around our office, but without the ability to read the facts of a case, that research is entirely too academic.
If possible, get across the idea that not only can you apply the law to the facts in a useful manner, but that you can also sit down with a guy you find morally repugnant (not a lawyer) and interview him to get the facts in the first place without getting caught up in a bunch of thin excuses. Then apply the law to those facts in a way that helps the PD. That would get my attention in a big hurry.
I actually did a stint as a caseworker for an Assemblywoman where I did nothing but interview random people who walked in the door and called on the phone and drew out the essential facts from their sometimes decade-(seemingly)-long stories, then applied those to the applicable law to see if there was anything we could do to help. I’ll make sure I bring it up. That was very helpful.
Lezlers I’m sorry I didn’t see this before your interview–I hope it went well.
FWIW I was a law clerk at the DA’s office my second year. I think you need to be flexible to do this type of thing. I did arraignments and drafted warrants and did research on stuff. I even got to watch Tin Drum to see if it should be considered pornographic.
I got to see a real live dead body (thanks investigators) and a tape of a man and his underage stepdaughter having sex. But I also helped the police find a reason to interrogate a man to find a kidnapped child based on exigent circumstances. And I also ran errands.
I suppose this type of thing varies from office to office, but remain open–don’t think you’re always going to be doing important stuff and you’ll be fine.
The way your evidence prof. said that I think you’ll get it!
Sorry for the super-late post, I lost track of this thread.
Well, I got it! Apparently they liked me so much they just hired me instead of me plus another clerk (there were supposed to be 2 openings).
So far I love it. The people are really cool and laid back. I finished my first motion last week (a juvie DUI) which was pretty difficult, considering there was very little law to argue. But signing my name underneath the attorney’s on the motion kicked a metric-ton of ass.
