Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship? Forum

(Seek and share information about clerkship applications, clerkship hiring timelines, and post-clerkship employment opportunities)
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about clerkship applications and clerkship hiring. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?

Post by Anonymous User » 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!

Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?

Post by Anonymous User » 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.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?

Post by Anonymous User » 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!

Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:03 am

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.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428113
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Firm Pulling Bonus Before Leaving for Clerkship?

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:46 pm

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.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Judicial Clerkships”