Early offer at my number one firm--should I still do secondary journal? Forum

[gregfootball2001]

A number of people are giving anecdotal opinions stating that having, or not having, journal on their resume didn't affect their job prospects. While interesting, that's not really the point. People here may be familiar with the hiring practices of their firm, or even a few different firms, and those firms may not care about journal. However, I think we can all agree that there are some firms out there that would prefer to see journal on an applicant's resume, whether it's at 3L OCI or an early lateral. That number may be very low, but it's not zero. So, the question is whether the possible disadvantage, should OP apply at one of those firms without journal, outweighs the shittiness of being on a journal.

In my opinion, I would rather do journal and not have any potential disadvantages down the road. It may literally never be an issue, as it seems to have not been an issue for many people here. For my risk-averse self, though, I'd rather just get it done and never think about it again.

[jkpolk]

A number of people are giving anecdotal opinions stating that having, or not having, journal on their resume didn't affect their job prospects. While interesting, that's not really the point. People here may be familiar with the hiring practices of their firm, or even a few different firms, and those firms may not care about journal. However, I think we can all agree that there are some firms out there that would prefer to see journal on an applicant's resume, whether it's at 3L OCI or an early lateral. That number may be very low, but it's not zero. So, the question is whether the possible disadvantage, should OP apply at one of those firms without journal, outweighs the shittiness of being on a journal.

In my opinion, I would rather do journal and not have any potential disadvantages down the road. It may literally never be an issue, as it seems to have not been an issue for many people here. For my risk-averse self, though, I'd rather just get it done and never think about it again.

Like ya, you can min-max anything with maximum time and effort but, in reality, for someone with a big law offer, from a good law school, who wants to do corporate, who exists in the real world with limited time, resources and fucks to give, there are better uses of those limited resources than a secondary journal. One I can think of: almost anything.

[gregfootball2001]

A number of people are giving anecdotal opinions stating that having, or not having, journal on their resume didn't affect their job prospects. While interesting, that's not really the point. People here may be familiar with the hiring practices of their firm, or even a few different firms, and those firms may not care about journal. However, I think we can all agree that there are some firms out there that would prefer to see journal on an applicant's resume, whether it's at 3L OCI or an early lateral. That number may be very low, but it's not zero. So, the question is whether the possible disadvantage, should OP apply at one of those firms without journal, outweighs the shittiness of being on a journal.

In my opinion, I would rather do journal and not have any potential disadvantages down the road. It may literally never be an issue, as it seems to have not been an issue for many people here. For my risk-averse self, though, I'd rather just get it done and never think about it again.

Like ya, you can min-max anything with maximum time and effort but, in reality, for someone with a big law offer, from a good law school, who wants to do corporate, who exists in the real world with limited time, resources and fucks to give, there are better uses of those limited resources than a secondary journal. One I can think of: almost anything.

I disagree with you, but sure, that's the argument. One thing, though - we can make assumptions, but we don't know that OP has a "big law" offer or that they're at a good school. Plus OP thinks that they may want to do corporate, but isn't 100% sold (not to mention that people change tracks all the time).

[jkpolk]

A number of people are giving anecdotal opinions stating that having, or not having, journal on their resume didn't affect their job prospects. While interesting, that's not really the point. People here may be familiar with the hiring practices of their firm, or even a few different firms, and those firms may not care about journal. However, I think we can all agree that there are some firms out there that would prefer to see journal on an applicant's resume, whether it's at 3L OCI or an early lateral. That number may be very low, but it's not zero. So, the question is whether the possible disadvantage, should OP apply at one of those firms without journal, outweighs the shittiness of being on a journal.

In my opinion, I would rather do journal and not have any potential disadvantages down the road. It may literally never be an issue, as it seems to have not been an issue for many people here. For my risk-averse self, though, I'd rather just get it done and never think about it again.

Like ya, you can min-max anything with maximum time and effort but, in reality, for someone with a big law offer, from a good law school, who wants to do corporate, who exists in the real world with limited time, resources and fucks to give, there are better uses of those limited resources than a secondary journal. One I can think of: almost anything.

I disagree with you, but sure, that's the argument. One thing, though - we can make assumptions, but we don't know that OP has a "big law" offer or that they're at a good school. Plus OP thinks that they may want to do corporate, but isn't 100% sold (not to mention that people change tracks all the time).

All fair but I think the convo re. secondary journals is emblematic of law student neuroticism/fetisihized risk aversion that I think is very harmful to many who get pulled in without knowing the implications. Broadly, I understand it feels safe to hind behind a resume, but ultimately it is more important to own your path. Jumping through hoops for others (and in this case, hypothetical others) is just paint by numbers, nothing new, just cogs in a machine, unclear if it is actually living (and when the hoop jumper figures this out years later, can be a traumatizing realization).

Now maybe that's unfair and I dont want to go full dinner with Andre but hoop jumping for the sake thereof (even wrt the fanciest, fancy pant "accomplishments") is not a perspective that I support or recommend. Do a journal because you want to (or dont do it because you dont want to).

[notinbiglaw]

The min-max move is to minimize time wasted bluebooking things almost nobody will read and maximize time spent on networking and getting better grades.

[Anonymous User]

Is a secondary journal helpful for litigation?
Would OP’s firm not offer him at the end of the summer program because he/she is not on a journal?

[albanach]

OP, just checking that the secondary journal isn't yet on your resume (or at least isn't on the resume that you submitted to the firm that made an offer)? If it was, some people would undoubtedly suggest that you need to tell the firm if you withdraw from the journal - indeed it may even be a rule at your school. If you haven't yet claimed you're on a journal, I don't think it will make much difference.

[Bingo_Bongo]

The min-max move is to minimize time wasted bluebooking things almost nobody will read and maximize time spent on networking and getting better grades.

This. The truth is nobody, aside from the authors who write the articles, and the editors who edit your journal, are going to read it. Even if it's law review (unless it's the Harvard Law Review, or something like that). Even your T13 Law Reviews aren't getting read by anyone other than the authors and editors.

Spending hours upon hours (days even) editing article that nobody aside from you and a half dozen other people are ever going to read is not a productive use of time. The only reason why people do it is because the law gods say you need to in order to be prestigious. That's literally it. Nobody enjoys it. It's an utterly useless way to spend your time. I wish all law journals would just fade into oblivion. Nobody likes them.

[QContinuum]

Biglaw 3rd year here. Don't listen to anybody that tells you your law school grades or activities after 1L don't matter. If you want to lateral while you are a junior, these things matter to some extent, especially if you are lateraling the middle of your first year or right after your first year. Things that are very improbable do happen. You are welcome.

The above is generally true. Yes, post-1L grades do matter. Maybe not so much for getting a permanent position out of the 2L SA, but certainly for 3L hiring and, yes, even for lateraling up to the first ~half-decade out of law school.

And yes, beyond grades, it helps to have something more to show for 2L/3L than "just" classes & seminars. BUT, for transactional folks, that "something more" need not mean secondary journal. Journal may not even be the best "something more" out there. A reputable in-house legal internship, for example, would almost certainly be valued more than a secondary journal. (Private sector employers don't care much for "ivory tower" legal theorizing.) Clinical work. Supervised research with a professor. Even pro bono (though there's a balance to strike here, as it's important - at least for those looking to stay in the private sector - not to have a resume that screams "public service").

[nixy]

Even for litigators, there are other ways to show research/writing ability (or simply the ability to grind away doing stuff you don't like for someone else, which is what I think journal really signals) than doing a journal - like RAing for a prof or publishing a note elsewhere or maybe just doing moot court.

(I actually enjoyed law review work, but I did research/writing stuff before going to law school. Probably the worst part about it was trying to get the people who hated it but felt they had to do it to carry their weight in doing the work that was required - and that was even though my school gave you credit and it wasn't a lot of hours at all.)