One
of
the
many
benefits
of
having
a
federal
clerkship
is
the
extra
bonus
you’ll
receive
if
you
decide
to
head
to
a
Biglaw
firm
post-clerkship.
Many
elite
firms
really
want
people
with
highly
demanding
clerkship
experience
to
work
for
them,
and
that’s
why
the
high
end
of
bonuses
for
federal
clerks
who
decide
to
join
some
Biglaw
and
boutique
firms
post-clerkship
can
reach
six
figures.
To
that
end,
we’ve
recently
learned
of
a
yet
another
litigation
powerhouse
that’s
increased
its
clerkship
signing
bonus.
Numerous
sources
tell
us
that
Latham
&
Watkins
—
a
firm
that
brought
in
$7,000,000,000
gross
revenue
in
2024,
putting
it
at
No.
2
on
the
Am
Law
100
—
has
increased
its
signing
bonus
for
all
federal
district
and
appellate
court
clerkships
to
$125,000. For
a
second
qualifying
clerkship,
the
firm
offers
an
additional
$25,000,
for
a
total
signing
bonus
of
$150,000.
Click here to
see
more
information
on
the
firm’s
U.S.
compensation
and
benefits.
So,
which
other
firms
are
offering
six-figure
bonuses
to
former
clerks? Hueston
Hennigan
offers
a
market-leading $180,000
bonus to
federal
clerks
who
join
the
firm.
Boies
Schiller
offers
an
impressive $150,000
bonus for
all
federal
clerkships,
or
$175,000
for
those
who
have
completed
multiple
clerkships.
Plaintiffs
firm Dovel
&
Luner offers
$140,000 as
a
clerkship
bonus. Cravath offers
clerkship
bonuses
of
$125,000,
while
those
who
have
completed
a
clerkship
of
two
years
or
two
one-year
clerkships
will
receive
a
bonus
of
$150,000. Munger
Tolles
pays a
bonus
of
$125,000
for
a
single
federal
clerkship,
and
$150,000
for
those
with
two
federal
clerkships
under
their
belt. Susman
Godfrey
offers $125,000
for
one
clerkship,
and
$150,000
for
two.
Fish
&
Richardson
made
headlines
with
an impressive
number
to
former
clerks ($115,000),
but
that
only
applies
to
folks
with
Federal
Circuit
experience
and
it
requires
two
years
of
service
as
a
clerk. Robins
Kaplan offers
$100,000 bonuses
to
former
federal
clerks.
With
the
rush
on
top
talent
in
a
still
hot
lateral
market,
what
are
the
other
firms
waiting
for?
Don’t
they
want
to
capture
some
of
the
magic
that
former
federal
clerks
can
offer?
If
you
have
information
about
any
firm’s
clerkship
bonuses,
you
should email
us or
text
us
(646-820-8477)
with
all
the
details.
Thanks.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.