JSP years of experience calculation Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have a slightly odd question about calculating experience for JSP purposes. I had a fellowship that paid us (not a stipend, part of our fellowship salary) for bar study for a month before our fellowship placements began. Would that month count as work experience when calculating JSP?

[Barrred]

The test is whether it is "post-graduate legal work experience," so it doesn't matter that it was pre-bar, and it doesn't even matter that it was paid. If you didn't do anything fellowship related during that time, and it was just bar studying, then I think you'll have a tough time arguing that it counts. But if you feel comfortable putting that pre-bar month as the start date of your fellowship (i.e., if there is a good faith argument you could make for that being your true start date), you might get away with it.

[Anonymous User]

I have a question in the same vein: Is the JSP bump automatic?

I start as a Biglaw litigation associate in September, but I am leaving to clerk in August of next year. Is it at the judge's discretion whether I will start at JSP-12 or will I start at JSP-11 and automatically bump in September once I have a full year of post-graduate legal work?

[nixy]

You’ll start at JS-11. It’s not in the judge’s discretion to bump you up before your 12 months is up. It is in the judge’s discretion to bump you up once you qualify (virtually all judges will, but they have to approve the increase).

[Anonymous User]

Another JSP question*: how do you figure out what JSP geographic region/table applies to a given locality? I realize the tables give a general sense of the region, e.g., Table NY covers "New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA," but how do you know the exact boundaries within listed states?

There are Pennsylvania cities, for instance, that could conceivably be under:

• Table NY (above)
• Table PHL (Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD)
• Table PIT (Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA)
• Table DCB (Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA)
• Table RUS (Rest of the United States)

I can't find any map online other than the GS scale map. Does JSP follow that?

* Happy to delete & move if this should be in a separate thread.

[polareagle]

Another JSP question*: how do you figure out what JSP geographic region/table applies to a given locality? I realize the tables give a general sense of the region, e.g., Table NY covers "New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA," but how do you know the exact boundaries within listed states?

There are Pennsylvania cities, for instance, that could conceivably be under:

• Table NY (above)
• Table PHL (Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD)
• Table PIT (Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA)
• Table DCB (Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA)
• Table RUS (Rest of the United States)

I can't find any map online other than the GS scale map. Does JSP follow that?

* Happy to delete & move if this should be in a separate thread.

JSP and GS are one and the same (at least for this purpose)

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversig ... finitions/

[Anonymous User]

Perfect. Thank you, polareagle.