Declining Call Back/Offer and Recruiter Asks "What Firm" Forum

[ajax]

With a couple offers in hand, I'm declining additional call backs that were previously scheduled for the coming weeks. I send a nice thank you, and routinely get asked by recruiters what firm I'm going to instead. Some have stated it is for their "statistics."

Does anyone know whether this is standard protocol? Should I respond to these emails and state the firm?

[Anonymous User]

Damn, great timing, just received that type of email from an employer I turned down and I was about to post the same question haha. However, I haven't accepted an offer yet, I'm just making the final decision over the firms I have narrowed it down to Any input on this scenario would be great as well.

[Anonymous User]

It's standard protocol. I've just been telling them the name of the firm whose offer that I'm leaning towards accepting.

[Anonymous User]

How are you guys declining? Email to recruiting coordinator?

[Anonymous User]

How are you guys declining? Email to recruiting coordinator?

I've done mine by email to the attorneys who extended the offers (i.e., the person who called you). The firms that I am most seriously considering I will probably do by phone call to the attorneys who called to extend the offers, simply because I have developed nice relationships with the attorneys who did my screeners, and others who were available for more information throughout the process.

Either works, though.

[Anonymous User]

It's just for statistics. If you haven't settled on one firm yet, you can let them know you're still deciding between other offers but will let them know where you accept. No one cares except recruiting's internal records-keeping about the competition.

[Swimp]

I think the more specific info law firms have about where [x] grades at y school puts applicants, the worse off future classes of applicants are. Do I care that much about that? No, but I care less about the recruiting statistics at a bunch of firms I'm not going to work at.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience, it's done solely so that firms can understand which firms they're losing recruits to, not for other GPA statistics or anything like that. We talk about this at the recruiting and hiring meetings at my firm every year. Basically, if you turn down a NY firm for a Chicago firm, for example, then the firm probably won't consider (for statistics/future recruiting purposes) that they lost you to a competitor, unless both firms had a big NY and Chicago presence and you did CBs at both offices. On the other hand, if you turn down STB for S&C in DC, or GDC for Williams & Connolly in DC, then the firm uses that for future recruiting efforts so that they know how to focus the discussion and selling points for top recruits next year. It's as simple as that -- nothing more sinister or complicated is going on, AFAIK.

[sandiego222]

In my experience, it's done solely so that firms can understand which firms they're losing recruits to, not for other GPA statistics or anything like that. We talk about this at the recruiting and hiring meetings at my firm every year. Basically, if you turn down a NY firm for a Chicago firm, for example, then the firm probably won't consider (for statistics/future recruiting purposes) that they lost you to a competitor, unless both firms had a big NY and Chicago presence and you did CBs at both offices. On the other hand, if you turn down STB for S&C in DC, or GDC for Williams & Connolly in DC, then the firm uses that for future recruiting efforts so that they know how to focus the discussion and selling points for top recruits next year. It's as simple as that -- nothing more sinister or complicated is going on, AFAIK.

Bizarre S&C DC reference

[Anonymous User]

In my experience, it's done solely so that firms can understand which firms they're losing recruits to, not for other GPA statistics or anything like that. We talk about this at the recruiting and hiring meetings at my firm every year. Basically, if you turn down a NY firm for a Chicago firm, for example, then the firm probably won't consider (for statistics/future recruiting purposes) that they lost you to a competitor, unless both firms had a big NY and Chicago presence and you did CBs at both offices. On the other hand, if you turn down STB for S&C in DC, or GDC for Williams & Connolly in DC, then the firm uses that for future recruiting efforts so that they know how to focus the discussion and selling points for top recruits next year. It's as simple as that -- nothing more sinister or complicated is going on, AFAIK.

Bizarre S&C DC reference

Meant NY