Hillbilly Elegy

goal. Hell, I didn’t even have a long-
term goal. I just wanted to graduate and
get a good job. I had some vague notion
that I’d like to do public service after I
repaid my law school debt. But I didn’t
have a job in mind.
Life didn’t wait. Almost immediately
after I committed to a law firm, people
started talking about clerkship
applications for after graduation.
Judicial clerkships are one-year stints
with federal judges. It’s a fantastic
learning experience for young lawyers:
Clerks read court filings, research legal
issues for a judge, and even help the
judge draft opinions. Every former clerk
raves about the experience, and private-