Federalist Society & NYC BigLaw Forum

[dood]

had a big law partner comment how he normally doesn't see that on a resume, I got an offer then and eventually offer for full time too. take what u want from this.

[IAFG]

Here's the thing I don't understand about listing FedSoc: everything on my resume is there for a reason. The details I mention about my WE, the extracurriculars I mention, my awards and accomplishments... I put the ones on my resume that are consistent with the overarching message I am trying to send to employers. My interests could be more accurately summed up as: eating cake, watching HGTV, swilling whiskey and posting snarky comments on the internet, but obviously that's not what my "interests" section says.

So what message, exactly, would you be trying to send by mentioning FedSoc? There are some people who are going to dislike it, probably most won't think it adds a damn thing, and maybe a couple others will take something positive away from it. But there are other (better, more professionally relevant) ways to leave someone with a positive impression of you.

[kwais]

This is an interesting one. At my school, our Dean is Fed Soc, and the organization is probably the most well-run and prominent on campus. They easily have some of the best events on a consistent basis. However, I bet at some schools, it's a bunch of lunatics. I wonder if any employers know the reputation of one fed soc chapter vs. others.

[Renzo]

This is an interesting one. At my school, our Dean is Fed Soc, and the organization is probably the most well-run and prominent on campus. They easily have some of the best events on a consistent basis. However, I bet at some schools, it's a bunch of lunatics. I wonder if any employers know the reputation of one fed soc chapter vs. others.

I don't see how this is germane to anything. It's a law school extracurricular activity; no one is impressed by that, but everyone should probably have one or two for resume-padding. The only difference between FedSoc and other similarly mundane activities is the political signal that it sends.

[roguey]

I would be careful putting it on there. Politics on your resume can be killer. My resume is covered with immigration law, which often prompted immigration "discussions" about how we should send all the illegals home because they are able to get public benefits and pay no taxes. Now, I take issue with all of that, but I had no idea what to say at an interview that did not involve starting an argument, so I would say something like we need an immigration system that better reflected our country's values and labor needs. One interviewer, after I talked about working on asylum cases for victims of FGM, started talking about how circumcision was seen by many as male genital mutilation and went into a long and uncomfortable tirade (that really has nothing to do with this thread, I have just been dying to post that story somewhere). I did not get any callbacks from the firms whose interviewers expressed their views on immigration. First of all, I was not very convincing when I said that I wanted to move away from immigration law and go into corporate law. Second, I think the my stance on immigration showed through and probably was way too far to the left. Unless you are applying to a firm which targets Federalist Society members or you are applying to clerk for Scalia or Thomas, I would leave it off. Also check their attorney profiles and see if a lot of them list the Federalist Society on their bios. If they do, then it may be safe to put it on there.

[Anonymous User]

had a big law partner comment how he normally doesn't see that on a resume, I got an offer then and eventually offer for full time too. take what u want from this.

I think the message here is to know your employers a bit. If the organization is known to have a conservative bent (I think GDC is reputed to have a more conservative set), then I think it's probably OK. Some other organizations may be more on the side of exclusively left leaning and would probably be more judgmental when they saw the line your resume.

The president of the FedSoc at my school had a very prestigious DC SA position doing appellate work (not GDC though), in part based on his/her FedSoc credentials and connections. That person is not on law review (although I don't know their exact grade situation).

Also, not at HYS or a DC school.

[Anonymous User]

I had experience much further to the right than FedSoc listed on my resume, and the only problem I had with it was convincing firms I wanted to be in NY rather than DC. I think it's silly to leave it off of your resume if you're passionate about it and involved.

[Anonymous User]

Few conservatives are lame enough to give you a boost, and few liberals are petty enough to give you a ding. It might actually do more to turn off the politically agnostic/ anti-drama group than those that actually care about politics.

Caveat: If you can match it up with something Outlaw or ACLU it might actually make you look interesting.

[IAFG]

Few conservatives are lame enough to give you a boost, and few liberals are petty enough to give you a ding. It might actually do more to turn off the politically agnostic/ anti-drama group than those that actually care about politics.

Caveat: If you can match it up with something Outlaw or ACLU it might actually make you look interesting.

Interesting... or like a blathering incoherent resume-padder?

[Old Gregg]

Nobody spends this much time thinking about your resume. Also, people here are really underestimating how many in biglaw are republican.

[dood]

Few conservatives are lame enough to give you a boost, and few liberals are petty enough to give you a ding. It might actually do more to turn off the politically agnostic/ anti-drama group than those that actually care about politics.

Caveat: If you can match it up with something Outlaw or ACLU it might actually make you look interesting.

Interesting... or like a blathering incoherent resume-padder?

Lolololol

[bdubs]

http://abovethelaw.com/2009/12/discrimi ... -it-wrong/

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... ts_advice/

Judging from the comments on the ABA page, I would say don't put it on your resume.

[romothesavior]

If political affiliation is enough to tilt your app one way or the other wouldn't you have to be an incredibly marginal candidate to begin with? I don't see how political affiliation could affect your work product, especially doing stuff like doc review or due diligence.

Dude, everyone's a marginal candidate ITE.

This. Well maybe not everyone, but most. I think buckilaws argument is silly. If something can hurt more than it can help, you don't do it.

IMO, I don't think people will be turned off by your political affiliation, but by your staunch and in-your-face political affiliation. It wouldn't bother me to work with someone with different views, but if I see Federalist Society on a resume I'm probably going to assume "outspoken, insufferable Scalia-loving conservative nerd." Same with Law School Democrats. No problem being in an org like that, but if you can't take it off your resume, then I would assume you'd be annoying about it (we all know the type).

Its not necessarily the views that are likely to ruffle feathers, its your propensity to be an uber-politico douche that would turn me off.

[Anonymous User]

No problem being in an org like that, but if you can't take it off your resume, then I would assume you'd be annoying about it (we all know the type).

Its not necessarily the views that are likely to ruffle feathers, its your propensity to be an uber-politico douche that would turn me off.

Is this the general consensus? If someone leaves the Federalist Society off their resume, but a Google search turns up the names of the board members at the school's chapter, would that be held against a candidate at some firms?

[IAFG]

No problem being in an org like that, but if you can't take it off your resume, then I would assume you'd be annoying about it (we all know the type).

Its not necessarily the views that are likely to ruffle feathers, its your propensity to be an uber-politico douche that would turn me off.

Is this the general consensus? If someone leaves the Federalist Society off their resume, but a Google search turns up the names of the board members at the school's chapter, would that be held against a candidate at some firms?

Maybe some? At the Paul, Weiss 1L reception they couldn't stop talking about politics. I got the sense they're not very conservative-friendly.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe some? At the Paul, Weiss 1L reception they couldn't stop talking about politics. I got the sense they're not very conservative-friendly.

In the knee-jerk reaction sense of things, or on a more fundamental level?

I'm a libertarian minded member of Federalist Society and find this kind of disturbing as I generally share a good deal of social policy desires with liberals. I don't think I would feel uncomfortable, but its unfortunate that others may write me off because of my affiliations with a right-leaning group.

[IAFG]

Maybe some? At the Paul, Weiss 1L reception they couldn't stop talking about politics. I got the sense they're not very conservative-friendly.

In the knee-jerk reaction sense of things, or on a more fundamental level?

I'm a libertarian minded member of Federalist Society and find this kind of disturbing as I generally share a good deal of social policy desires with liberals. I don't think I would feel uncomfortable, but its unfortunate that others may write me off because of my affiliations with a right-leaning group.

Grades >>>>>>> all of this shit.

[romothesavior]

Maybe some? At the Paul, Weiss 1L reception they couldn't stop talking about politics. I got the sense they're not very conservative-friendly.

In the knee-jerk reaction sense of things, or on a more fundamental level?

I'm a libertarian minded member of Federalist Society and find this kind of disturbing as I generally share a good deal of social policy desires with liberals. I don't think I would feel uncomfortable, but its unfortunate that others may write me off because of my affiliations with a right-leaning group.

Again, I think a lot of people see "Federalist Society" and think to themselves "Ugh, this guy sounds like an insufferable nerdy douche," not "Ugh, this guy is a groty Republican." I agree with the poster above who said its not the liberals you have to worry about, its the huge swath of middle-of-the-road moderates who don't want to think or talk politics in the office. No one wants to work across the hall from the hippie chick who is constantly peddling her anti-gun, pro-life platform, or the rich conservative white kid who went to prep school and can't believe teh blacks want to take his jerb because of the color of his skin.

It doesn't really matter what political affiliation you wear on your sleeve, its just annoying that people feel the need to loudly wear them. So seeing it on a resume may rub some people the wrong way.