Does non-LR board membership matter? Forum

[Anonymous User]

2L at a T14 on a secondary journal; elections are coming up. I have a summer job lined up, but am hoping to apply for BigFed honors later on (or, failing that, consider a different firm at 3L OCI).

Does it matter if I'm Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor, etc? Spending time on journal would cut back on the amount of time I could spend on internships, clinics, etc.

[RedGiant]

Depends on the school, depends on the journal. I have had friends who absolutely got jobs due to their EIC credentials. Otherwise, I am not sure how much people care. I mean, sure, it's on your resume. And yes, the more you have to do, the less you have time to network and get jobs in the community. I'd try to speak with some upperclassmen at your school and find out if there's a stellar secondary journal where this might matter.

[jbagelboy]

Does LR board membership matter?

Matter for what?

[Good Guy Gaud]

It really depends on how much extra work you want to take on. If you don't mind it, go for it. The extra line can't hurt. If it's going to put you over the edge in terms of time commitments, then don't do it.

[zot1]

2L at a T14 on a secondary journal; elections are coming up. I have a summer job lined up, but am hoping to apply for BigFed honors later on (or, failing that, consider a different firm at 3L OCI).

Does it matter if I'm Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor, etc? Spending time on journal would cut back on the amount of time I could spend on internships, clinics, etc.

It doesn't matter.

[gaddockteeg]

I think it's worth it. Its a resume line you can use for life.

[zot1]

I think it's worth it. Its a resume line you can use for life.

Not at the cost of a clinic that could provide hands-on experience.

[gaddockteeg]

Even still, I would take the journal position. At least in big law, the experience you get is inapplicable to anything a junior associate would do. And then when youre a mid level associate, it matters even less.

journal positions on the other hand, there are 60y/o partners who still put EIC tax lawyer on their resume. I doubt you'll find too might too many partners listing housing clinci.

Idieally the answer is to do both - which I did. But if its one or the other, I would pick the journal.

[zot1]

Even still, I would take the journal position. At least in big law, the experience you get is inapplicable to anything a junior associate would do. And then when youre a mid level associate, it matters even less.

journal positions on the other hand, there are 60y/o partners who still put EIC tax lawyer on their resume. I doubt you'll find too might too many partners listing housing clinci.

Idieally the answer is to do both - which I did. But if its one or the other, I would pick the journal.

Dude wants to apply to BigFed positions. I was answering based on that caveat.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Yeah, for federal positions, I don't think there's any difference between being on a board and just being on the journal, and demonstrated commitment/pertinent experience is really important.

That said, I don't see why you can't do both, either.

[zot1]

Yeah, for federal positions, I don't think there's any difference between being on a board and just being on the journal, and demonstrated commitment/pertinent experience is really important.

That said, I don't see why you can't do both, either.

I understood the question to be if dude should run for a board position or just be an editor because being on the board would be so time consuming it would prevent him from participating in internships or clinics. If this is what the question was asking, I think there's no difference, so he should just be an editor and still do hands on stuff.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Oh, I agree. I don't actually think that being on the board would prevent them from getting the hands-on experience, though (except maybe as EIC).