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First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:45 am
by Anonymous User
I’ll graduate in December then sit for the February bar. If I tell my v30 firm I could start earlier in the year, do you’ll think the firm will let me do that?
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:47 am
by 2013
No. First years have all of that training and crap planned out, so they can learn the basics of working at a law firm. The firm will not want to expend additional time/effort/energy just so you can start early.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:55 am
by Anonymous User
Same thing happened to me. I graduated early and took the February bar. I let my V50 know I was open to starting early if they wanted and because my practice group was busy, they asked me to start shortly after the bar.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:06 am
by Fireworks2016
2013 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:47 am
No. First years have all of that training and crap planned out, so they can learn the basics of working at a law firm. The firm will not want to expend additional time/effort/energy just so you can start early.
I don't agree that it's an open-and-shut case that OP's firm will stunt his/her development for ~6 months by not letting them start. It's not like stub-years need that much training to draft signature pages or certificates of service lol.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:36 am
by CPA-->JD
Certainly worth asking and perhaps even finding a firm that will let you. March vs Oct/Nov(or later?) start is a lot of money.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:56 am
by nixy
Fireworks2016 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:06 am
2013 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:47 am
No. First years have all of that training and crap planned out, so they can learn the basics of working at a law firm. The firm will not want to expend additional time/effort/energy just so you can start early.
I don't agree that it's an open-and-shut case that OP's firm will stunt his/her development for ~6 months by not letting them start. It's not like stub-years need that much training to draft signature pages or certificates of service lol.
I agree it’s definitely worth asking and the firm may well go for it, but “stunting development” seems a little much.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:32 am
by Mullens
My firm has 1-2 early starters every year that graduated in December. Totally normal to ask.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:58 pm
by Anonymous User
When would it be appropriate to ask? For example, I haven't even summered yet. Getting ready to in May.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:05 pm
by nixy
I’d imagine you should wait until you have a permanent offer.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:58 pm
by Anonymous User
Anon from above who successfully started early.
Over the course of the summer, it came up during various conversations that I was graduating early, so people were aware. As the summer was wrapping up and it was clear that the whole class was getting a return offer, I mentioned to a few of the partners I had worked for that I would be happy to start early if they had a spot for me. The group was seriously busy, so they took me up on it. But just be ready to hit the group running with very little guidance when you start.
Re: First Year Starting Early
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:15 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:58 pm
Anon from above who successfully started early.
Over the course of the summer, it came up during various conversations that I was graduating early, so people were aware. As the summer was wrapping up and it was clear that the whole class was getting a return offer, I mentioned to a few of the partners I had worked for that I would be happy to start early if they had a spot for me. The group was seriously busy, so they took me up on it. But just be ready to hit the group running with very little guidance when you start.
I asked after graduation, they said yes, I started a little over 2 months early.