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Bar Teaching - Put on Resume or Not?
Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:36 pm
by Anonymous User
I was curious if anyone had any insight into how legal employers view teaching bar classes? I'm not sure if it's the kind of thing to put on a legal resume. Aside from this, my employment history consists of about 2 years of big law, and an approximately 6 month gap during which I had a non-fiction book published - the book is not even complete yet, but a deal is in place on the basis of research and a preliminary summary.The question is whether I should include teaching the bar on the resume in addition to the publishing deal, or keep it off. Thanks.
Will probably delete so please don't quote. Thanks.
Re: Bar Teaching - Put on Resume or Not?
Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:39 pm
by nealric
I'd keep it on. It shows you were doing something to keep up your legal skills while you were working on your book.
Re: Bar Teaching - Put on Resume or Not?
Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:48 pm
by Anonymous User
Is it perceived like doc review? I know that young lawyers respect it more, but it's further removed from legal practice than anything related to legal employment so I'm not sure how employers perceive it. I know that employers respect academia, but academia is much more prestigious.
Re: Bar Teaching - Put on Resume or Not?
Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:52 pm
by nealric
I wouldn't perceive it like doc review- at least you are having to think about legal issues. It's certainly not prestigious, but likely not affirmatively harmful.
Re: Bar Teaching - Put on Resume or Not?
Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 3:30 pm
by clerk1251
I guess it depends on what you are looking to do, but I don't see it being useful. Unless you are looking to score a teaching job, if I was reviewing your resume and saw that, it would not sit well with me.
Let me see if I understand this right, you spent two years in biglaw and have taken six months off to work on publishing a book, and now want to return to... where? Biglaw?
I think you can put something on your resume to the effect of you deciding to take a sabbatical to publish a book. Perhaps consider speaking with your law school's career service about how to best portray this. I don't think this would be a problem to have on your resume. As far as the bar teaching though, it seems like a very half ass way to look like you were still involved in law while you weren't. It also would be distracting from the fact that you spent this time working on your book deal.
Don't think you need it, and don't think it would be helpful.