Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) I would’ve waited until I was on leave at current firm. Or 2) I would’ve request paid leave as part of your acceptance. But since none of that was done, you don’t have a lot of options other than telling them you don’t want to start until X date or requesting whatever they’ll give you. They don’t legally have to give you anything outside of the standard disability, which would suck since lawyers usually get a bajillion weeks of paid leave.

Yeah you don’t know how any of this actually works.

lol I actually *did this* just two years ago and negotiated a 4 month paid maternity leave starting week 2. Try again!

Got a tentative offer from another DOJ component (subject to bg check) when I was 6-7 months pregnant. I told them after the offer and was able to work it out with my former employer to use their parental leave (as a sort of thank you for years of hard work) and my component was ok with me starting after my leave since you don’t get paid leave with the fed govt until you’ve been there for a year. I took 5 months.

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone assuming OP is joining USAO on the criminal side?

Well, it's a pretty good guess; not a lot of folks on the civil side in most offices, certainly not in DC's.

--DOJ attorney who handles civil matters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone assuming OP is joining USAO on the criminal side?

She mentioned prosecuting in one of her replies.

Thank you

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone assuming OP is joining USAO on the criminal side?

She mentioned prosecuting in one of her replies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

The phase “what kind of mother” should be removed from our vocabulary. I’ll add though — What kind of person would criticize a mother for her career choices?

Why is everyone assuming OP is joining USAO on the criminal side?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I just learned one additional wrinkle. My firm has a policy that employees are required to repay paid leave if they resign within six months of the leave ending. Ugh.

Should I call my employment lawyer friends and find out if that is even enforceable?

Of course, there is always a glimmer of hope the firm would waive this because they want to maintain a good relationship with someone who will be prosecuting their clients. (I have heard rumors of the firm waiving other policies to suck-up to people departing to work in house). Then again, I should probably not assume that. Sigh.

Uh, that's a major conflict of interest and for a fed to even hint at that is unethical.

+1000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, unfortunately I think you need to be eligible for FMLA in order to take advantage of the new Fed Paid Parental Leave. As a new employee you would not be covered by FMLA, so unless your agency is willing to be loose with the rules, you would not be eligible for paid parental leave. That is not a risk worth taking. Congrats on the offer and the pregnancy!

You're right, that she won't be eligible for it immediately. However, individuals who have had babies in my office within their first year have gotten to take a different type of leave (specific to my agency), and then when they hit their 1 year anniversary qualify for the 12 weeks PPL until their baby turns 1.

Would this timeline work? If she starts at least 12 weeks BEFORE giving birth then she could build up some sick leave and maybe take some unpaid leave and then take the 12 weeks of paid leave after her one year anniversary. But in that case she wouldn’t get any leave from her law firm and probably not much leave post-birth. If she holds off on starting until after she gives birth her baby will turn one before she’s eligible for leave.

OP- Commit to whichever scenario feels better for you/will be professionally and personally less disruptive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

Mother and former sex crimes prosecutor here. I sent many people to prison for doing unspeakable things to children. Have zero regrets about that. It’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done in my career.

+1,000. I spent most of my prosecutorial career prosecuting violent crime/homicide. Zero regrets for the time I spent doing that. Nothing I will ever do for the rest of my career will be as rewarding. Less stressful, but not as rewarding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

Hi Public Defender 👋🏻 What kind of mother represents child abusers and molesters?

Not a public defender. Constitutional Law prof.

Are you AUSAs really only prosecuting child SA these days? I see a lot of overcharged financials and process crimes vs the poor, and idk who delights in these.

Seriously, a constitutional law professor is posting things like what kind of mother can stand being a prosecutor 🙄 Let me guess you couldn’t hack it in a courtroom so you teach.

Congrats OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

Mother and former sex crimes prosecutor here. I sent many people to prison for doing unspeakable things to children. Have zero regrets about that. It’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done in my career.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

Hi Public Defender 👋🏻 What kind of mother represents child abusers and molesters?

Not a public defender. Constitutional Law prof.

Are you AUSAs really only prosecuting child SA these days? I see a lot of overcharged financials and process crimes vs the poor, and idk who delights in these.

Not sure if you know this, but poor people sometimes commit crimes too, just like the rich!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feds are very supportive of maternity leave. But yeah there’s nothing you can do to get it paid.

😂😂😂 very supportive.

Also, don’t be an AUSA, OP. What a horrible job. Why would you want to just send people to prison all day every day? What kind of mother. lol but really.

Hi Public Defender 👋🏻 What kind of mother represents child abusers and molesters?

Not a public defender. Constitutional Law prof.

Are you AUSAs really only prosecuting child SA these days? I see a lot of overcharged financials and process crimes vs the poor, and idk who delights in these.

Of course not. Turns out criminals commit all kinds of crime! Many of which result in convictions and sentences!