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
got
exciting
news
about
yet
another
litigation
powerhouse
that’s
boosted
its
clerkship
signing
bonus.
Susman
Godfrey
—
a
firm
that
recently
decided
to
reject
Biglaw’s
broken
recruiting
model
in
favor
of
a
solution
that
should
work
for
law
students
and
law
firms
alike
—
has
also
announced
that
it
will
increase
its
signing
bonus
for
all
federal
district
or
appellate
clerkships
to
$180,000
(up
from
$125,000).
For
two
or
more
qualifying
clerkship,
the
firm
will
offer
an
additional
$20,000,
for
a
total
signing
bonus
of
$200,000
(up
from
$150,000).
Click here to
see
more
information
on
the
firm’s
U.S.
compensation
and
benefits.
“Every
one
of
our
associates
has
completed
at
least
one
(and
sometimes
several)
federal
clerkships,”
Hunter
Vance,
partner
and
co-chair
of
the
firm’s
employment
committee,
told
Above
the
Law.
“This
increase
in
clerkship
bonuses
reflects
the
firm’s
commitment
to
paying
these
superstar
associates
what
they
are
worth:
at
the
very
top
of
the
market.”
So,
which
other
firms
are
offering
six-figure
bonuses
to
former
clerks? Susman
now
joins
Hueston
Hennigan
in
offering
a
market-leading $180,000
bonus to
federal
clerks
who
join
the
firm.
Quinn
Emanuel
offers
an
impressive $175,000
bonus for
a
single
year
of
clerkship
experience,
with
an
additional
$25,000
if
the
applicant
completes
a
second
qualifying
clerkship.
Boies
Schiller
offers
a $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.
Fish
&
Richardson
offers
a
$115,000
clerkship
bonus,
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
the
managing
editor
of
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.