Time off from law firm Forum

[Cupidity]

The Federal District Court that I worked at strictly forbade all clerks and judicial interns from taking any work home, accessing the Court's internal computer network or files from home, or letting unfinished work products, like drafts of opinions, leave the building. All Judges strictly adhered to the rule, so writing opinions in bed may not be a viable option.

[Anonymous User]

An appellate clerkship would be conducive to recuperating at home while drafting bench memos and opinions.

This. One of the clerks in my circuit court chambers has been living in another city since February (6 hours away) and is able to do the work just fine. There really isn't anything that can't be done remotely. Even if the judge has to travel to attend oral arguments, he can only take 2 clerks with him, so the other clerks can just handle that role during those 3 months.

The Federal District Court that I worked at strictly forbade all clerks and judicial interns from taking any work home, accessing the Court's internal computer network or files from home, or letting unfinished work products, like drafts of opinions, leave the building. All Judges strictly adhered to the rule, so writing opinions in bed may not be a viable option.

This has not been my experience (although I agree such a rule makes sense).

[Anonymous User]

This is definitely a tough situation. I get that on the one hand, you'll be happier if you get the surgery, but on the other you don't want to ask for too much from your firm, and 3 months is definitely a lot of time.

No I could be in a wheelchair or crutches after about 2 months.

So go to work in a wheelchair?

I agree with this. What if you offer to go to work in a wheelchair, or to work from home? My firm has a great computer program for working remotely, and you can even forward your calls - and I imagine other firms offer similar options for working from home. Honestly, if you offer to work remotely or come in a wheelchair and stay on top of your game, I think you'll come out of this looking BETTER than if you skip the surgery. Asking to work remotely or coming to work in a wheelchair would show you're dedicated to the firm and can problem solve, plus you look like a real trooper for working through those conditions.

PS: that being said, I wouldn't ask for the time right when you start. Work a few months, then run this idea by a mentor at the firm, then run it through HR and your department chair.

[Anonymous User]

The Federal District Court that I worked at strictly forbade all clerks and judicial interns from taking any work home, accessing the Court's internal computer network or files from home, or letting unfinished work products, like drafts of opinions, leave the building. All Judges strictly adhered to the rule, so writing opinions in bed may not be a viable option.

I only have COA experience, but we had a secure server that gave us remote access, and everyone used it to work from home at night and on weekends, as well as when we were traveling on calendar. The judge didn't like us taking physical files home, but with CM/ECF, we could access electronic versions of briefs and other filings from home. Every court may be different, so try to find out from current clerks or the judicial assistant how your court works.