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JAG and Biglaw Pro Bono Hours
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:37 pm
by Barrred
This a pretty niche question, but has anyone heard of a biglaw firm allowing an associate to bill time spent as a reserve/national guard JAG officer each month as pro bono hours (toward billable hours goals)? Generally Reserve/National Guard JAGs will spend a weekend a month and two weeks a year training and working as military lawyers.
Background: I'm a recent T20 graduate heading into a clerkship, thinking about commissioning as a reserve/national guard JAG officer (I think I have a good shot), and will likely be going to biglaw after my clerkship.
Re: JAG and Biglaw Pro Bono Hours
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 7:37 pm
by zot1
Well, a lot of what you will do as a JAG won't necessarily be law related. Plus, you will be getting paid. Firm would be stupid to let you double dip.
Re: JAG and Biglaw Pro Bono Hours
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:13 pm
by Barrred
zot1 wrote:Well, a lot of what you will do as a JAG won't necessarily be law related. Plus, you will be getting paid. Firm would be stupid to let you double dip.
True (though the pay is minimal), but its also illegal for firms to discriminate against employees for their military service. I wonder how that would play out in a firm that viewed consistently not meeting billable hours goals as grounds for termination. I imagine that 2-weeks gone a year and a full weekend a month away from the office/email would seriously cut into an associate's ability to meet those goals without awarding some kind of credit.
Re: JAG and Biglaw Pro Bono Hours
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:42 pm
by zot1
Barrred wrote:zot1 wrote:Well, a lot of what you will do as a JAG won't necessarily be law related. Plus, you will be getting paid. Firm would be stupid to let you double dip.
True (though the pay is minimal), but its also illegal for firms to discriminate against employees for their military service. I wonder how that would play out in a firm that viewed consistently not meeting billable hours goals as grounds for termination. I imagine that 2-weeks gone a year and a full weekend a month away from the office/email would seriously cut into an associate's ability to meet those goals without awarding some kind of credit.
Are you thinking about joining the reserves or have you already done that? If the former, please do more research.
The firm will not openly say they're letting you go because of your military service. They are not that stupid. Rather, they will give you less and less work and then can you. Can you try to sue them for it? Sure. Will you win? I don't know.
I do know there are people in biglaw who can manage to do reserves, but it's not an easy or stress-free route.