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Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 am
by Anonymous User
To give two week's notice before I leave and start my clerkship, I would have to give notice now, but bonuses roll out in a couple of weeks (actually, on what would probably be my last day or second-to-last day). My firm's policy is to give bonuses to associates in "good standing." Would a firm ever decide not to give me my bonus after I give notice (i.e. argue that I'm not in "good standing" because I'm leaving for a clerkship)? Thanks in advance!
Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:27 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 am
To give two week's notice before I leave and start my clerkship, I would have to give notice now, but bonuses roll out in a couple of weeks (actually, on what would probably be my last day or second-to-last day). My firm's policy is to give bonuses to associates in "good standing." Would a firm ever decide not to give me my bonus after I give notice (i.e. argue that I'm not in "good standing" because I'm leaving for a clerkship)? Thanks in advance!
Current District clerk. Your judge may be helpful with this.
Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:58 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:27 am
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 am
To give two week's notice before I leave and start my clerkship, I would have to give notice now, but bonuses roll out in a couple of weeks (actually, on what would probably be my last day or second-to-last day). My firm's policy is to give bonuses to associates in "good standing." Would a firm ever decide not to give me my bonus after I give notice (i.e. argue that I'm not in "good standing" because I'm leaving for a clerkship)? Thanks in advance!
Current District clerk. Your judge may be helpful with this.
OP here. Do you mind elaborating? Thank you!
Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:03 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:58 pm
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:27 am
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 am
To give two week's notice before I leave and start my clerkship, I would have to give notice now, but bonuses roll out in a couple of weeks (actually, on what would probably be my last day or second-to-last day). My firm's policy is to give bonuses to associates in "good standing." Would a firm ever decide not to give me my bonus after I give notice (i.e. argue that I'm not in "good standing" because I'm leaving for a clerkship)? Thanks in advance!
Current District clerk. Your judge may be helpful with this.
OP here. Do you mind elaborating? Thank you!
First, caveat that all judges -- and their relationships with clerks -- are different. But you might consider presenting the situation to the judge and seeing if you could start a little later or something. If you know the career clerk/exiting clerk, you could ask them their input as well.
Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:46 pm
by Anonymous User
Agree with this. The judges I clerked for would be very understanding of this and wouldn't want to see a clerk lose out on a boatload of $$ that they earned because of a week or two. At my Circuit clerkship, former clerks routinely stuck around unofficially for a week or two off the books to tidy things up on their cases.
You'd have to negotiate with the outgoing clerks/see if the judge would go a clerk down for a few weeks, but it is definitely worth asking about.