Pre-Clerkship SA + Bar Study Forum

[Anonymous User]

How many of you have experience with this? Did you ask your firm for a reduced work day or time off before the exam? I suppose I don't have to take the bar until after the clerkship is over, but studying while clerking seems harder to do.

[piccolittle]

Is this something your firm does commonly? Sorry I'm not being helpful, but I'm interested to know how you arranged this.

[Anonymous User]

Is this something your firm does commonly? Sorry I'm not being helpful, but I'm interested to know how you arranged this.

Don't know, to be honest. I'll be at a firm that I wasn't at for my 2L summer. From what I can tell, ITE nearly every firm won't want to pay you for a pre-clerkship SA if you already summered with them. It looks like a few firms, however, will offer pre-clerkship SA positions to those who didn't summer with them as a way to try and snag clerks.

[Anonymous User]

I did this. The firm I summered at was great about it. I left at 5:30 every day, and was not asked to stay late or work weekends. Everyone encouraged me to have a good summer, but also to get my studying done. I ended about a week and half before the exam to cram. One tip: don't try to keep up with everything BarBri says to do. I borrowed an old outline, and I did some, but not most, of the assignments.

[Anonymous User]

3L. SA'd at a V30 last summer. Secured SSC clerkship for next August. Firm is deferring me.

They also invited me back to summer next year. Will end 4 weeks before the bar. Full schedule up till then. There were a few who did this last year when I was a 2L summer. Seemed to work well for them.

I'm doing it for the $$$. And to stay in touch with people there. But mostly for the $$$.

[brainking]

If you have a firm willing to do it, it's a great way to make some extra money to tide you over during your clerkship. You could try doing Barbri night classes, but honestly taking off from July 4 until the test and cramming works just as well.

[ndirish2010]

I worked an 8:30-5 job this past summer and studied for the bar and I passed. It was not a fun summer though. Now I have to do the same thing again, studying for another bar while clerking.

[Anonymous User]

better get permission from your future judge first. i know someone who got fired from their clerkship before it even began for doing this without telling the judge

[Anonymous User]

better get permission from your future judge first. i know someone who got fired from their clerkship before it even began for doing this without telling the judge

How? Unless you're accepting an offer through your clerkship, this shouldn't affect the judge in any meaningful way.

[A. Nony Mouse]

The judge might have a conflict with that firm.

[Anonymous User]

The judge might have a conflict with that firm.

right. in the situation I know of this happening, the judge had one or two cases in which that firm represented a party. some judges don't allow this as a matter of policy because even if there isn't currently a conflict, there could be one at any point in the future