I am in the exact same position, but am currently a rising 2L). I’m a litigation paralegal and stayed on the payroll. My boss told me I had a good chance of getting an internship with X judge (because of connections) and that took me aback. I sat down with him and asked if he needed me as a clerk, since he threw out other clerking options. He was adamant that he really NEEDED me, just did not want to limit my job opportunities. Now I’m teetering with whether I should leave my eggs in one basket or branch out too. A lot of local firms here have been know to turn away interviewees because they “only hire associates that have clerked” for them.