Class rank on firm bio Forum

[rpupkin]

Resurrecting this thread to keep firm bio advice in the same place.

Soliciting thoughts on:

(1) Firm bio wording: "law clerk to the Honorable Judgeo McJudgerson" vs "law clerk to Judge Judgeo McJudgerson"

(2) including tangentially-relevant pre-law-school work experience (say you worked for a year doing entry-level in-house legal/regulatory compliance work in a somewhat burgeoning industry between undergrad and law school)

(1) It doesn't matter. No one cares.

(2) It depends on how tangentially relevant it is to your current practice and your firm's potential clients. Use your judgment.

[elendinel]

(2) including tangentially-relevant pre-law-school work experience (say you worked for a year doing entry-level in-house legal/regulatory compliance work in a somewhat burgeoning industry between undergrad and law school)

Clients won't care that you've been doing basic work in compliance/whatever since undergrad; they'll care what projects you worked on and what you did when you worked on them. To the extent you actually did any meaningful work that may be interesting/relevant to potential clients, maybe it's worth an add, but there's not much value in adding tangential work experience just to try and drag out the "years of experience" you have in the field, if this is the goal.

[Jchance]

(2) including tangentially-relevant pre-law-school work experience (say you worked for a year doing entry-level in-house legal/regulatory compliance work in a somewhat burgeoning industry between undergrad and law school)

As a side note, I don't understand why people still post their law school experience or activities or awards. No one really cares whether you externed for a judge or USAO or the like. They all (except LR, Coif and journal publications) seem unimpressive to practicing attorneys.

[masque du pantsu]

Just follow the conventions at your firm / in your marketplace, they will tell you all you need to know. Do not ask TLS. At my firm, I won't even get to have a bio for another year; until then, it's just the very basics of education plus any publications. And when I do, it will just be representative matters, and any graduation honors would be included in education. That said, "graduation honors" means like order of the coif, harlan fisk stone scholar, shit like that. If I listed a class rank I would be absolutely annihilated with ridicule.

On the other hand, in smaller markets (Ohio, Michigan), I have seen partners who have practiced since like 1976 still list "best grade in torts" or whatever. I would be ridiculed by opposing counsel behind my back, and by my own colleagues mercilessly and directly to my face, if i were to do something like that. Maybe different with litigators? I don't know.

[sparty99]

This entire thread is stupid and pretentious.