Splitting the summer Forum
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Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. 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.
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Anonymous User
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Splitting the summer
I have one offer from a biglaw and one from a boutique. The biglaw's summer program takes 10 weeks. I plan to do the full 10 weeks and spend the rest of my summer at the boutique. Do I need to get approval from the biglaw to do this?
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RaceJudicata
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Re: Splitting the summer
Yes. Also, are you certain that the boutique will allow you to only spend ~3 weeks with them?
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Anonymous User
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Re: Splitting the summer
Not OP but (hopefully) will be in similar situation and honestly it did not even occur to me that I would not ask the biglaw firm.RaceJudicata wrote:Yes. Also, are you certain that the boutique will allow you to only spend ~3 weeks with them?
As to the boutique I know Susman only has a 4 week program--wouldn't be surprised if other boutiques are similar.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Splitting the summer
I accepted a 10-wk SA position this summer and then accepted a 5-wk govt position to do afterwards, and didn't clear it with the firm. My thought was that if I spent my 10 weeks with the firm, it shouldn't matter to them what I did after I left. Maybe I was thinking about it wrong? I did tell my firm while I was there, and it didn't seem to be a big deal, and it certainly didn't keep me from getting an offer.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Splitting the summer
You may have lucked out. I also split with the government and one firm that I was considering would not allow me to split with government or another firm (but PI was okay?). I don't know, biglawl is kinda ridiculous sometimes but maybe they're more worried about attrition to government than PI?Anonymous User wrote:I accepted a 10-wk SA position this summer and then accepted a 5-wk govt position to do afterwards, and didn't clear it with the firm. My thought was that if I spent my 10 weeks with the firm, it shouldn't matter to them what I did after I left. Maybe I was thinking about it wrong? I did tell my firm while I was there, and it didn't seem to be a big deal, and it certainly didn't keep me from getting an offer.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Splitting the summer
In a similar boat re: biglaw offer plus boutique. When I was interviewing I asked about all the details about splitting, minimums, all that. Once I figure out which big law to take, my plan is to reach out and say I have both offers and I want to split.
I think transparency is always the best call given that you have an offer--the firm is selling to you more than the other way around now. If anything, they will just be happy that you followed up to check and will respect the gesture. They aren't going to pull your offer (and if they did I wouldn't want to work there...). It's not really a downside that a highly selective boutique firm also thinks you are an attractive candidate. Firms think they are pretty great and will likely expect to be able to sell you on why they are better either way and convince you to return.
I think the only bad outcome is you not telling them, they find out later, and then they are pissed. Maybe they wouldn't care either way, but I would prefer up front honesty from the other side. Granted, I'm not on the other side, so you can take it with a grain of salt... You might consider just reaching out to ask about whether the firm has a splitting policy--talking to recruiting--before presenting them with a split proposal so that you can feel out whether it will be a big deal. Also talk to career services if you are really concerned.
Good luck! And I hope you choose the boutique long term, for your sake.
I think transparency is always the best call given that you have an offer--the firm is selling to you more than the other way around now. If anything, they will just be happy that you followed up to check and will respect the gesture. They aren't going to pull your offer (and if they did I wouldn't want to work there...). It's not really a downside that a highly selective boutique firm also thinks you are an attractive candidate. Firms think they are pretty great and will likely expect to be able to sell you on why they are better either way and convince you to return.
I think the only bad outcome is you not telling them, they find out later, and then they are pissed. Maybe they wouldn't care either way, but I would prefer up front honesty from the other side. Granted, I'm not on the other side, so you can take it with a grain of salt... You might consider just reaching out to ask about whether the firm has a splitting policy--talking to recruiting--before presenting them with a split proposal so that you can feel out whether it will be a big deal. Also talk to career services if you are really concerned.
Good luck! And I hope you choose the boutique long term, for your sake.
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favabeansoup
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Re: Splitting the summer
For conflict reasons I would get the ok. They probably won't care if you are doing their full program. Biggest problem I can see is a boutique being ok for that small of a SA (assuming 10 week stops end of July and you have school start again in mid-to-late August).Anonymous User wrote:I have one offer from a biglaw and one from a boutique. The biglaw's summer program takes 10 weeks. I plan to do the full 10 weeks and spend the rest of my summer at the boutique. Do I need to get approval from the biglaw to do this?
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RaceJudicata
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Re: Splitting the summer
Conflicts are a big part of my initial reasoning. You also don't want to get caught playing fast and loose in this situation.favabeansoup wrote:For conflict reasons I would get the ok. They probably won't care if you are doing their full program. Biggest problem I can see is a boutique being ok for that small of a SA (assuming 10 week stops end of July and you have school start again in mid-to-late August).Anonymous User wrote:I have one offer from a biglaw and one from a boutique. The biglaw's summer program takes 10 weeks. I plan to do the full 10 weeks and spend the rest of my summer at the boutique. Do I need to get approval from the biglaw to do this?
1. Biglaw could be pissed.
2. Boutique could be pissed.
3. Dates could overlap.
Just disclose and take the better (higher paying) position.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Splitting the summer
My firm (large NY firm) did/does have and your firm may have a written policy on this. We explicitly allow splits so long as you do 8+ weeks in NY and the split is with either a non-NY firm or a firm you did a 1L SA with. The policy just requires that you notify them, there are no follow-up logistics they just told me great, thanks.
