More Q&A

Mike asks, "what things did you learn during your year of clerking? Was it worth it?"

Things I learned:

• Seniority-based pay means that not all clerks are created equal.
• The feds give you free online OED access.
• Clerking for a senior judge means you get to travel to a wider variety of places but you get to travel less often.
• A good catsitter is hard to find.
• The sentencing guidelines are even tougher than you think.
  
• Presented with a choice between using flexible, usable software or outdated, buggy crap, the government will pick the latter every time.
  

Clerking was worth it. I recommend it to anyone. The hardest part was the relocation. Some people are good at making friends in new places; I am not. If you're an introvert too and will be leaving all your friends and loved ones behind to clerk, be aware of how disruptive this can be and try to figure out how you'll deal. I got cats. Your mileage may vary.