With Biglaw bonus news sweeping the industry, it’s easy for those on the outside looking in to feel left out. But there’s good news for those who aspire to clerk for federal judges: there’s a ton of money waiting for you on the other side of your clerkship — six figures of it! — should you decide to become a Biglaw associate.
It’s well known that federal clerkships are incredibly prestigious and highly demanding, and many high-end firms really want people with that experience to work for them. That’s why the high end of bonuses for federal clerks who decide to join Biglaw firms post-clerkship reach six figures. As of this week, a leading law firm is officially upping the financial ante, which other Biglaw firms eager for clerk firepower may soon match or even exceed.
Boies Schiller Flexner, a litigation-focused firm that brought in $246,000,000 gross revenue in 2023, recently announced in its year-end bonus memo that it would be offering a $150,000 signing bonus for all federal district and appellate court clerks, or $175,000 if the lawyer has completed multiple qualifying clerkships. The firm now takes the lead among all other Biglaw firms and litigation boutiques that offer these high-dollar signing bonuses to former federal clerks.
So, why did the firm increase its signing bonus for federal clerks? “As a disputes-focused firm, we place a premium on courtroom experience, which makes attracting judicial clerks a priority for us,” Matthew L. Schwartz, Boies Schiller’s managing partner and chairman-elect, explained to Above the Law. Schwartz continued, saying, “As a former district and circuit court clerk myself, I know just how valuable that experience is – seeing litigation of all sorts, being mentored by a judge, observing how lawyers, judges, and juries approach cases. We operate at the top of the market in terms of the complexity of the disputes we handle, which requires recruiting and retaining the best talent.”
Schwartz previously noted that having former judicial clerks among their ranks provided a “competitive advantage” to the firm. “Although compensation is only one reason why a young lawyer should want to start his or her career at BSF,” he tells Above the Law, “we want to make sure we are compensating judicial clerks for their experience.”
So, which other firms are offering six-figure bonuses to former clerks? 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. Susman Godfrey offers $125,000 for one clerkship, and $150,000 for two. Quinn Emanuel has a clerkship bonus of $125,000 for a single year of clerkship experience, with an additional $25,000 if the applicant completes a second qualifying clerkship. Hueston Hennigan pays $125,000 to former clerks, while Robins Kaplan offers $100,000 bonuses to former federal clerks. 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. Munger Tolles pays a bonus of $80,000 for a single federal clerkship, and $105,000 for those with two federal clerkships under their belt.
With the rush on top talent on what’s shaping up to be a 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.
