September 01, 2014

    Networking and the Forgotten Benefits of a Clerkship

    Nathan T. Kipp

    I was fortunate enough to have clerked for several years. By now, I’m sure, everyone has heard about how wonderful of an experience clerking is: how you work closely with, and learn from, judges; how you learn about different areas of the law; how you learn how (and how not) to present arguments in briefs and in court; etc. All of those things are true.

    But what is often overlooked are the relationships that you form with your co-clerks and the clerks from other chambers. They are relationships that last long after your clerkship ends and grow while everyone’s careers develop. And the diversity of everyone’s career path is amazing.

    Among my friends with whom I clerked include, nationwide, assistant U.S. attorneys, partners in the world’s largest law firms, in-house counsel, solo practitioners, presidents of start-up companies, law professors, athletic directors for major universities, and law enforcement agents—a little bit of everything.

    Despite the fact that we have different careers in different parts of the nation, we keep in touch regularly. I cannot think of a better way to have developed a more organic network of not just colleagues, but friends as well.

    Nathan T. Kipp

    Nathan T. Kipp is a commercial litigator in Chicago, Illinois.