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When do I have to give notice from big law? Obviously need to ensure u get bonus

Typically you don't want to give much more than a two-week notice, absent special circumstances where you KNOW you won't be replaced before your notice window is up. Protect your job! If you give notice two months out and they find a replacement for you after two weeks, then you just lost yourself six weeks of employment.

Two weeks seems a little close but I take your point. Any potential issues with sitting on the news ?

I would just be reasonable. Two weeks is minimum but if you want to avoid burning bridges I would go for more. Unless the firm is slow, it sucks when people leave on short notice because you just know they've probably left behind a ton of work that needs to get done. You definitely don't need to give notice 10 months out if you've already accepted the position starting in 8/18, but I'd probably give a month or two depending on how things are going to give everyone time to transition. You run the risk of being pushed out earlier rather than later, but if that happens, just enjoy the extra few weeks you have off. Treat it as a totally relaxed, uninterrupted vacation knowing you'll have a biglaw job when you get back; you just won't get paid during that vacation. (Just make sure you've saved up enough that you can take care of the rent and other expenses for those few unpaid weeks.)

This would be a fellowship-type position (trying to keep it general), not another firm, if it matters.