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Leaving stuff off your resume is not an ethical breach. Lying on your resume, maybe. But a resume is a selection of your qualifications, not a sworn statement that you have disclosed everything you've ever done.Toni V wrote:If you are ever seriously considered by a real law firm [i.e. “V”] they will have you thoroughly checked out. No way in hell would you ever be able to explain your omission of a previous legal employer. You would be immediately disqualified on ethics.
I doubt this is true in the context of a resume - it's just a personal advertisement you can put whatever you want or leave whatever you want off.Toni V wrote:If you are ever seriously considered by a real law firm [i.e. “V”] they will have you thoroughly checked out. No way in hell would you ever be able to explain your omission of a previous legal employer. You would be immediately disqualified on ethics.
Yes, there can be a conflict based on your work as a clerk (or as a summer associate).Anonymous User wrote:OP here. Will there be a conflict issue even if I worked as a law clerk and never filed any paper with my name on it? The reason why I want to leave this off is this firm is toxic and went bankrupt. It is barely staying afloat.
The partners will probably be disbarred or at worst, go to jail, for something they did before I got there.rpupkin wrote:Yes, there can be a conflict based on your work as a clerk (or as a summer associate).Anonymous User wrote:OP here. Will there be a conflict issue even if I worked as a law clerk and never filed any paper with my name on it? The reason why I want to leave this off is this firm is toxic and went bankrupt. It is barely staying afloat.
By the way, I think you're vastly overthinking this. Law firms dissolve/go bankrupt all the time. A junior associate is not tainted by association with such a firm. Leaving relevant legal experience off of your resume is weird and not in your interests.
All legal work has to be disclosed - I've had to fill out forms for serving as a legal assistant to a solo practitioner during collegeAnonymous User wrote:OP here. Will there be a conflict issue even if I worked as a law clerk and never filed any paper with my name on it? The reason why I want to leave this off is this firm is toxic and went bankrupt. It is barely staying afloat.
Then it sounds like you'll have some interesting stories to tell! Seriously, this is not as bad for you as you think it is. Put the legal experience on your resume.Anonymous User wrote:The partners will probably be disbarred or at worst, go to jail, for something they did before I got there.rpupkin wrote:Yes, there can be a conflict based on your work as a clerk (or as a summer associate).Anonymous User wrote:OP here. Will there be a conflict issue even if I worked as a law clerk and never filed any paper with my name on it? The reason why I want to leave this off is this firm is toxic and went bankrupt. It is barely staying afloat.
By the way, I think you're vastly overthinking this. Law firms dissolve/go bankrupt all the time. A junior associate is not tainted by association with such a firm. Leaving relevant legal experience off of your resume is weird and not in your interests.
every interview i had that asked why I left the firm, I said it's because i wanted more challenge and responsibility and something closer to home. would u at any point disclose the true reason?rpupkin wrote: Then it sounds like you'll have some interesting stories to tell! Seriously, this is not as bad for you as you think it is. Put the legal experience on your resume.
If it's true that you want more responsibility and something closer to home, then say that. But if a bunch of folks (including you) were let go because the firm is about to collapse--and if the reasons for that collapse are publicly known--why not say that as well? It might actually help you. If someone stopped working at a healthy firm after just a few months, I would probably assume they were asked to leave for performance reasons. But if the firm is in massive trouble, I would assume that the departure is probably unrelated to performance.Anonymous User wrote:every interview i had that asked why I left the firm, I said it's because i wanted more challenge and responsibility and something closer to home. would u at any point disclose the true reason?rpupkin wrote: Then it sounds like you'll have some interesting stories to tell! Seriously, this is not as bad for you as you think it is. Put the legal experience on your resume.
rpupkin wrote:Edit: Removed double post
So true. If you omit your previous firm and your potential employer's point-of-view is that your omission is unethical....it's unethical. Short read....you're sunk.2014 wrote: All legal work has to be disclosed - I've had to fill out forms for serving as a legal assistant to a solo practitioner during college
I am just worried that they might think I am connected to the unethical activities of the firm. It's just a really awkward conversation. "I left the firm because the partner was engaged in conduct that led to the firm's bankruptcy and possible investigation by the state bar. but I had nothing to do with it."rpupkin wrote: If it's true that you want more responsibility and something closer to home, then say that. But if a bunch of folks (including you) were let go because the firm is about to collapse--and if the reasons for that collapse are publicly known--why not say that as well? It might actually help you. If someone stopped working at a healthy firm after just a few months, I would probably assume they were asked to leave for performance reasons. But if the firm is in massive trouble, I would assume that the departure is probably unrelated to performance.
Disclosed for a conflicts check as part of the hiring process. Not on a resume. It's not any type of ethical violation to not put them on a resume.Toni V wrote:So true. If you omit your previous firm and your potential employer's point-of-view is that your omission is unethical....it's unethical. Short read....you're sunk.2014 wrote: All legal work has to be disclosed - I've had to fill out forms for serving as a legal assistant to a solo practitioner during college
C'mon. No one is going to think a law clerk is responsible for a firm going bankrupt. If asked, just say that you left because the firm was in financial trouble.Anonymous User wrote:I am just worried that they might think I am connected to the unethical activities of the firm. It's just a really awkward conversation. "I left the firm because the partner was engaged in conduct that led to the firm's bankruptcy and possible investigation by the state bar. but I had nothing to do with it."rpupkin wrote: If it's true that you want more responsibility and something closer to home, then say that. But if a bunch of folks (including you) were let go because the firm is about to collapse--and if the reasons for that collapse are publicly known--why not say that as well? It might actually help you. If someone stopped working at a healthy firm after just a few months, I would probably assume they were asked to leave for performance reasons. But if the firm is in massive trouble, I would assume that the departure is probably unrelated to performance.
Yeah, please stop saying it's unethical to omit past work from a resume. It's absolutely not. And the OP has never said anything about not revealing what's necessary for conflicts checks.kalvano wrote:Disclosed for a conflicts check as part of the hiring process. Not on a resume. It's not any type of ethical violation to not put them on a resume.Toni V wrote:So true. If you omit your previous firm and your potential employer's point-of-view is that your omission is unethical....it's unethical. Short read....you're sunk.2014 wrote: All legal work has to be disclosed - I've had to fill out forms for serving as a legal assistant to a solo practitioner during college
I think you have a reading comprehension problem.Toni V wrote:When the firm gives you an in-person callback and they go over your work experience and resume, you’re saying that it’s okay to omit a firm you recently worked for? This is your advice, seriously?
My advice is that the OP should put the firm on their resume, because the benefit of having legal experience to talk about outweighs any downside to being associated with the firm (which I think the OP is overestimating - I get why they're concerned, but I don't think it's the problem they fear it is).Toni V wrote:When the firm gives you an in-person callback and they go over your work experience and resume, you’re saying that it’s okay to omit a firm you recently worked for? This is your advice, seriously?