Renegging on an accepted offer Forum

[Anonymous User]

Last week I accepted an offer, and now I'm wondering if I should reconsider.

I scored a mass mail interview today that I wasn't expecting. The firm pays 50k more than the firm I accepted at, it's in the city I want to be in, and I'd probably be doing more sophisticated legal work.

The firm I accepted is only hiring one SA, so they have probably already dinged everyone after I accepted. Suffice to say, I'd really be sticking it to them if I backed out. Both cities are in the same state, and the legal community here isn't super-massive. I don't know to what extent burning this bridge might follow me around.

I figure it's all academic until the second firm actually gives me an offer. I'm considering doing the interview. Whats the consensus on backing out of an accepted offer to take something else?

[Kiersten1985]

Talk to your career services people. I'm sure they've dealt with this before.

[newyorker88]

Career services is going to tell you not to back out because they're concerned with the school's reputation as opposed to your best interest. I would ask someone unbiased, like an attorney that practices in the area if you know one.

[Anonymous User]

Career services is going to tell you not to back out because they're concerned with the school's reputation as opposed to your best interest. I would ask someone unbiased, like an attorney that practices in the area if you know one.

Yeah, this was what I was thinking. I didn't imagine OCS was trustworthy on the issue.

[dood]

DO IT

[Anonymous User]

Career services is going to tell you not to back out because they're concerned with the school's reputation as opposed to your best interest. I would ask someone unbiased, like an attorney that practices in the area if you know one.

+1

[romothesavior]

Its just a screener and odds are you wont get the new job. But if you, I agree with talking to an attorney, or someone in CSO you trust to give sound advice.

[Anonymous User]

I reneged on an offer in my home-city I had accepted near the end of 3L. The circumstances were a bit different as though I had accepted the offer in 2L, I actually summered in 1L and 2L somewhere else. Anyway, a lot had changed in my life since the offer was accepted, and in the second half of 3L my now-spouse and I had decided we were going to move and I determined that I wanted a different sort of legal practice/career altogether in a smaller market. I found a position in my intended location and let my hiring/intended supervising partner at the first firm know. He was incredibly good about it. Though disappointed, he understood and asked if I knew of anyone who might still be looking for a position (I did, and referred them to the firm - one of them did get the position and is still there today and seemingly doing very well). I refer people who need counsel in their location to them all the time. I am biased of course, but I think it worked out well for everyone in the end. I went somewhere I wanted to be, found a job I love without regrets, they got an enthusiastic new grad who wanted to be there, and a talented and intelligent classmate of mine found a position after worrying he would not and doing what he wanted to do.

However, to differentiate, the firms were in very different locations, and there were other specific personal circumstances at play. I would definitely talk to someone in the legal market to determine what they would think. I do now practice in a small legal community, and reputation definitely is key in that sort of community. While if the situation was reversed and the firm decided to reneged it would only possibly harm their reputation with future students, there is a potential that you can harm your own budding career (or at least have the comments follow you for a while). However, this all depends on the size of the community, and as a rule, I tend to think you need to do what is best for you and not worry too much about the comments others may make. Employment should not be slavery.

If you renege to take another offer, just be as professional about it as you can be.

[mbaino]

Its just a screener and odds are you wont get the new job. But if you, I agree with talking to an attorney, or someone in CSO you trust to give sound advice.

+1. I say take the interview and review your options if you get an offer. ITE, the firm you've already accepted will have plenty of people to choose from to replace you. 50k is a too big difference in pay. If you end up reneging, just be as professional as possible.

[zomginternets]

50% will say renege, 50% will say not to.

/thread.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Renzo]

I can't say do it or not, but consider the position you'll be creating for the firm you accepted: they incurred some significant costs to do a job search, and probably had several good candidates. You accepted, they notified the others they were being passed over. Now, they will likely have to start the interview process again from scratch, at a time when all the "good" candidates have almost certainly taken other jobs. This will understandably frustrate the firm, and they will also likely feel it reflects poorly on you, as you didn't honor your commitment.

Maybe this other opportunity is worth burning this bridge ($50k is a lot of money, and geography is important); but be careful, because you will really be torching the fuck out out that bitch after your cross it.

And, maybe there's a middle way: if you get the second offer, tell them how bad you want it, and that you would accept in a heartbeat, and you want to work there after graduation, and you want to be in that city, etc., etc. Then tell them that unfortunately you've already accepted another offer, and as much as you would like to reneg, you don't feel it would be appropriate, but perhaps they would consider allowing you to split?

[kurla88]

Do the interview. If you get the job, try to do a split summer.

[TheFriendlyBarber]

Make good use of the balls you've been given. Do it.

[Anonymous User]

Is the firm your thinking about reneging on in SF, 4 Embarcadero?...

[Anonymous User]

i disagree with those saying "think about the firm's position." a random law firm's best interests should not amount to anything when weighed against your own personal best interests. i'm not telling you to renege -- just saying ignore that argument because it's wrong. you should still consider the other factors, such as reputation / etc..

If i were you, if you are ultimately offered the other job, tell the first firm you were offered a job that pays significantly more. See how they react -- they just might tell you to take it. Honesty is often the best policy.

[Anonymous User]

Also, just a thought and by no means a rock solid pronouncement, but if a firm is paying 50K more than another firm, my guess is that the work that the two do doesn't overlap a ton (e.g., corporate vs. personal representations, etc.), so reputationally you might not take the hit that intuitively we think you would. Again, this isn't a hard and fast rule, but maybe just one possible mitigating factor.

Agree with the poster above - tell firm 1 that you've got an offer if you get it, and let them have the chance to match it before you move on. But if they don't....I mean, where I come from, you'd be halfway to a decent house with that kind of money. End of the day, people leave jobs for higher pay all the time.

Let us know what happens!

[enibs]

Are you planning to tell firm 2 that you've already accepted another offer? If yes, be aware that some firms will not interview someone who has already accepted another offer. If no, be aware that if firm 2 finds out, they will feel you've been dishonest with them. In my mind, the latter is the bigger risk. E.g., consider the scenario that firm 2 gives you an offer not knowing that you accepted an offer at firm 1, you then renege on firm 1, firm 1 calls firm 2 and says, did you realize that the person you just hired had accepted an offer from us and reneged, firm 2 revokes your offer and you're left with nothing and a sullied reputation to boot.

If you're going to talk with firm 2, you should be honest up front that you've accepted another offer, but would really prefer firm 2. If they're still willing to interview you, great. If not, say that you'd like to keep in touch and talk with them next year about a position for after you graduate.

[Anonymous User]

Isn't renegging a huge risk to take for a screener? I suppose if you get an offer you could consider convincing the firms to allow you to split your summer, but it's far more likely that the firm that accepted you will not want you (considering that your original acceptance probably led to several rejections of other quality candidates). It just seems unprofessional to cancel an acceptance with a firm that was willing to take a chance on you.

[emkay625]

I would do the following:

1. Wait and see whether or not you get the other job.
2. If you do, ask to split your summer.
3. If that won't work, take the job you want.