Renegging on Clerkship Forum

[Hibachi]

thanks

[A. Nony Mouse]

I'm sorry that your parents aren't doing well. I think most reasonable human beings would be sympathetic to this, and that you're right, the judge will have plenty of time to find a replacement. And I'd be really surprised if the dct judge would call your current boss to complain - I just can't see any reason to do so, since you withdrawing from a job based on family needs doesn't have anything to do with your current work.

In any case, based on my experience, you'd be fine. Of course, I can't guarantee that will be the case in your current circuit/future district, or how those judges would react, but I think it would be awful enough for a judge to blackball you for going home to care for your ailing parents that people would sympathize with you, not the judge.

[Shaggier1]

Assuming the judge is a reasonable human being (not always a safe assumption), I really think s/he would understand. This is a perfectly legitimate reason. And a year should be plenty of time to find a replacement.

[jkech]

I agree, the likelihood of the district judge calling and complaining is probably not high but, of course, there have been many reports from clerks on this board and others about judges with borderline personality disorders, so you never know. Since your current judge already knows your situation and is sympathetic to it, why don't you just ask him/her for her advice about telling the district judge. It would be likely your judge would say 'of course that judge will understand' and in the slight chance he/she does not and calls up your judge, the dist. court judge looks like the bad one.

[Hibachi]

And I'd be really surprised if the dct judge would call your current boss to complain - I just can't see any reason to do so, since you withdrawing from a job based on family needs doesn't have anything to do with your current work.

They don't know each other, so the only reason would be to try to screw me over. Normally, it's hard to imagine someone doing that but judges have all sorts of crazy expectations.

I agree, the likelihood of the district judge calling and complaining is probably not high but, of course, there have been many reports from clerks on this board and others about judges with borderline personality disorders, so you never know. Since your current judge already knows your situation and is sympathetic to it, why don't you just ask him/her for her advice about telling the district judge. It would be likely your judge would say 'of course that judge will understand' and in the slight chance he/she does not and calls up your judge, the dist. court judge looks like the bad one.

I agree that this would be the ideal course of action. But, although the judge that I work for now is sympathetic, she will most likely tell me that I need to honor my commitment and then I'd really be stuck. Like I said, it's not necessarily rational - but if I had a conversation with her in 2 months and told her that the district judge had agreed that I shouldn't come, she wouldn't hold it against me.

Circuit judge is dealing with personal stress at the moment (and not very well), and also cares a lot what other people think of her, so she would absolutely flip out if she got a call from another judge about some shitty thing that one her clerks did.

[Anonymous User]

Do these in the following order:

(1) Decide whether you need to renege. I'd really think it through. I say this with no personal judgment whatsoever, but the DJ will likely put on a good face about it but then be upset. It will likely affect his/her view of others from your school. My DJ had someone pull out for personal reasons (illness), and has since not hired from his school again, despite that it was one of the DJ's go-to schools before. And my DJ is actually a really cool guy; he just takes clerk hiring very very seriously and figures there are plenty of other great applicants at schools where the CSO would murder you for pulling out.

(2) Inform your current judge of what you're going to do, and why. I don't think she needs to be part of the decision-making process, though. You're just risking her being all like, "no, Billy, I really think you should honor your commitment," and you having to awkwardly overrule her, or fold.

(3) Call the DJ. Be apologetic and open.

I would try to expedite this process, as the DJ (and, by extension, your current judge) likely will wonder why if these events unfolded in x/2014, it took you until (x + 3)/2014 to pull out.

Sorry to hear about your situation; best of luck.

[Anonymous User]

Do these in the following order:

(1) Decide whether you need to renege. I'd really think it through. I say this with no personal judgment whatsoever, but the DJ will likely put on a good face about it but then be upset. It will likely affect his/her view of others from your school. My DJ had someone pull out for personal reasons (illness), and has since not hired from his school again, despite that it was one of the DJ's go-to schools before. And my DJ is actually a really cool guy; he just takes clerk hiring very very seriously and figures there are plenty of other great applicants at schools where the CSO would murder you for pulling out.

(2) Inform your current judge of what you're going to do, and why. I don't think she needs to be part of the decision-making process, though. You're just risking her being all like, "no, Billy, I really think you should honor your commitment," and you having to awkwardly overrule her, or fold.

(3) Call the DJ. Be apologetic and open.

I would try to expedite this process, as the DJ (and, by extension, your current judge) likely will wonder why if these events unfolded in x/2014, it took you until (x + 3)/2014 to pull out.

Sorry to hear about your situation; best of luck.

Thanks. I figure I have about a 2-3 week window to make this decision before it gets too late to do so.

#1: your judge was mad at someone who presumably got cancer (or something similar)? And thinks that the CSO should pressure a person like that to go? That's insane.

[Hibachi]

obviously that was me. Did not mean to post anon.

[forza]

Caring for your ailing parents is more important than any job. If you think they need your immediate support, go do it. You can overcome any professional consequences brought on by one nonsympathetic judge. You'll never get over not being there for your parents.

[Hibachi]

Caring for your ailing parents is more important than any job. If you think they need your immediate support, go do it. You can overcome any professional consequences brought on by one nonsympathetic judge. You'll never get over not being there for your parents.

Agree, but I'm still trying to figure out what those consequences will be.

Any other thoughts? I think I'm going to have both conversations this week (current boss/future boss).

[mvp99]

Even if the Judge is not a reasonable human being, I bet the person he/she complains to could be and so no damage will be done.. is it possible to take your parents with you?

[Hibachi]

thanks