Quitting Law Review after 2L. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Flagship journal. I really like the people, but I really hate the time investment. Assume that most 3Ls are expected to have some sort of editorial board position.

Has anyone quit? Were there any possible negative job consequences? What about working with the other staffers for the second semester, since we do board elections long before the end of first semester and therefore I would have to make it known that I have no intention of sticking around next year?

Please share your experiences.

P.S. I have a job lined up this summer but it's in a tiny market and an offer is nowhere near guaranteed or even really expected.

[kahechsof]

Quitting Law review without a job lined up sounds pretty dumb

[Anonymous User]

I should clarify. Part of the deal is that I will be working during the school year at the firm, so more face time and more projects = potentially better job prospects.

Second, I would like to use the time saved to spend more time at a PI-type clinic. This place actually hires a fair number of people, too.

[Anonymous User]

Many journals consider it a two year commitment. I believe my journal, second tier though, makes you sign an agreement stating you will work both years or remove the journal's name from your resume. While they have no way of enforcing this, it would be fairly embarrassing for it to ever come up later in your career. Just suck it up and do the work.

[Anonymous User]

I thought most law reviews didn't expect much of the 3Ls who don't have a board position? Maybe this is unique, but at my school the 3Ls who aren't on the board don't have any duties yet remain on the masthead.

[imchuckbass58]

Yeah, usually being a senior editor (non-board 3L) isn't much of a time commitment.

[Anonymous User]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my secondary journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

[Borhas]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

you'd probably ought to disclose the change in your resume to your employer since they hired you based on that resume (unless you didnt have it on there at the time)

[Anonymous User]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

you'd probably ought to disclose the change in your resume to your employer since they hired you based on that resume (unless you didnt have it on there at the time)

But other than that there really isn't anything else (negative) to it right?

[existenz]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

you'd probably ought to disclose the change in your resume to your employer since they hired you based on that resume (unless you didnt have it on there at the time)

But other than that there really isn't anything else (negative) to it right?

Nope. Other than explaining to your future employer that you quit a student journal because it is too much work and you are lazy, there is nothing else negative to it.

[somethingdemure]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

you'd probably ought to disclose the change in your resume to your employer since they hired you based on that resume (unless you didnt have it on there at the time)

But other than that there really isn't anything else (negative) to it right?

Nope. Other than explaining to your future employer that you quit a student journal because it is too much work and you are lazy, there is nothing else negative to it.

I think this is the real point. I can't imagine a satisfactory explanation that would justify quitting law review from the perspective of an employer. Lots of people do difficult classes, or other extracurriculars, or part-time work, etc. and law review too, so whatever your internal time management calculus looks like, you're just going to look lazy.

[Anonymous User]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

[Anonymous User]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

i imagine that's a case-by-case basis but i've heard the same...

a friend of mine was able to quit with the blessing of his editorial board (due to family circumstances). apparently without that blessing/extenuating circumstances, it's a black eye you're going to have to address in the future.

[vanwinkle]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

I call BS on this. What is there to report?

[Anonymous User]

Along this same line, if I receive an offer for a summer position, and then quit my journal (as in right after I receive the offer) the only negative consequence is that I have to remove the journal from my resume right?

I don't think you have to disclose anything to someone (e.g., law firm) who doesn't ask. But quitting the journal (that probably played some part in getting you the job) even before doing your 2L duties reeks of sleaze and is quite fucked up. More, you are literally dumping extra work on your member peers.

I don't buy the strident warnings about things like reneging SA offers (magical blacklist anyone?). But I do believe that reputation in your class matters quite a bit. Junior associates routinely say that they have had to rely on their law school friends far more than they ever thought. Many of the people you would be screwing over on your journal are going places, precisely because they are on law review. I would think about that if I were you.

[Anonymous User]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

I call BS on this. What is there to report?

For what it's worth, our Law Review (at a T6) told us the same thing: that it would be reported to the bar and there might be issues with C&F later. Scare tactic? Probably. But still enough to give anybody pause when they're contemplating not putting as much time into it as they should.

[Anonymous User]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

I call BS on this. What is there to report?

Same poster that you quoted...

Don't know. Like someone below said, it could be a scare tactic or it could be legit. Would you fail C&F because of it? Again, don't know.

Just something to consider...As for me, I'm going to just suck it up and spend the 3-4 hours a week footnoting, rather then have to deal with C&F issues later.

[Borhas]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

The only way I could see this happen is if your school is also the one that requires a two year commitment. Backing out of an agreement like that seems relevant to C&F, but even then I doubt it would be a huge deal.

Outside of that it seems like BS... Making BS threats to keep people in your organization might be something the Bar may be interested in though... I'm no lawyer but that sounds a little bit like extortion.

[MrKappus]

Can't speak to the validity of this, but it is something to look into as I jokingly raised this prospect with another interviewee during a callback...

We go to different schools, so I cannot speak to whether it applies to my school or even his, but he claims that his journal has addressed this before and warned that when someone quits, the journal reports that to the state bar. apparently it can hurt you big time for character & fitness.

I call BS on this. What is there to report?

Some journals say they will notify future employers, the school administration, and bar, etc. UVA had something like this happen a little while ago.

Edit: sorry. That was the Lile Moot Court Board. Not Law Review. http://abovethelaw.com/2010/02/lile-moo ... law-again/

[MrKappus]

Outside of that it seems like BS... Making BS threats to keep people in your organization might be something the Bar may be interested in though... I'm no lawyer but that sounds a little bit like extortion.

Hopefully you're joking, but just in case you aren't: having an enforceable two-year commitment for your journal isn't extortion. Law Review's a voluntary activity. You don't have to sign the two-year agreement.

[Borhas]

"Outside of that..." = barring 2 year commitment

if something seems obviously wrong, try reading again to make sure you didn't fuck up

[MrKappus]

"Outside of that..." = barring 2 year commitment

if something seems obviously wrong, try reading again to make sure you didn't fuck up

Yaaaawn.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. I signed no sort of commitment, and the original question was about giving proper notice this year that I will potentially not continue next year.

I have no intention of not fulfilling my duties for this year.

[MrKappus]

OP here. I signed no sort of commitment, and the original question was about giving proper notice this year that I will potentially not continue next year.

I have no intention of not fulfilling my duties for this year.

Then it seems like the only negative you might face is if a particularly detail-oriented resume reviewer asks why you only did Law Review for one year.

[clintonius]

Couldn't you just remove yourself from the running in the ed board elections without (or before) officially quitting? It's probably in your interest to be a nominal editor, especially if your responsibilities are reduced, when the other option is potentially angering people and endangering your job by quitting outright.

Also, "signing" a commitment doesn't really matter. Did your write-on instructions or supplemental info indicate that LR is a two-year commitment? Did they talk about it at any point? Even if not, I think it's usually assumed that you'll hang out for two years unless they specifically indicate otherwise.