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Obviously I'll ask my judge when I start next week, but has anyone been told they can't socialize with lawyers who appear in front of your judge? I'm good friends with a few lawyers who regularly appear before him. (If it matters, one is a close friend of the judge, and I know that person's recommendation helped me get the job.)

I really don't see any problem with socializing with lawyers who appear in front of your judge--and neither did either of the judges I clerked for. Now, I wasn't close friends with any of these lawyers but I went to plenty of bar association, inns of court and other networking events (and was encouraged to do so by my judges). Obviously just be smart about what you discuss with your friends. I think you can talk about your work in general terms but obviously you can't talk about any cases or specifics.