Among departing U.S. Supreme Court clerks, careers in academia, public interest law and the government hold much allure for life beyond the high court, but for those clerks who opt for private practice, big-firm lawyering appears to be the path they most often choose.
Since 2001, Jones Day, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and Chicago’s Kirkland & Ellis consistently have hired the most attorneys who leave the Supreme Court after their year-long stint is over. Other popular firms are Sidley Austin Brown & Wood and Washington’s Covington & Burling. In addition, it appears that a firm du jour phenomenon occurs at other shops that become popular picks among clerks from a given term.
