Reneging Job Offer for Law School Forum

[Anonymous User]

Deleted

[CanadianWolf]

Be open & honest.

[CanadianWolf]

But, before declining, how much is the offer ?

[Anonymous User]

Salary is that of a typical first year associate at a Big 4, high 50,000's.

[cartesianproduct]

Any reason you wouldn't work for a year or two, get your CPA and some good experience, then go to law school?

[Anonymous User]

Deleted.

[Danger Zone]

That's the better option, but given my personal situation, starting law school in 4 years is just not possible. I know everyone says that law school can always wait, and I wish that was the case for me, but it's just not an option. I have decided in the last year that I would really like to become a lawyer, and I don't want to give that up because of a fear of reneging. Also, in the event that I can't get into a T14 law school, I have a guaranteed job offer at another firm so I believe the benefits of reneging outweigh the cons. Just looking for a way to break the news in a candid, assertive way without burning any bridges.

Thank you all for your help, really appreciate it.

You're making a bad decision.

[trebekismyhero]

That's the better option, but given my personal situation, starting law school in 4 years is just not possible. I know everyone says that law school can always wait, and I wish that was the case for me, but it's just not an option. I have decided in the last year that I would really like to become a lawyer, and I don't want to give that up because of a fear of reneging. Also, in the event that I can't get into a T14 law school, I have a guaranteed job offer at another firm so I believe the benefits of reneging outweigh the cons. Just looking for a way to break the news in a candid, assertive way without burning any bridges.

Thank you all for your help, really appreciate it.

You're making a bad decision.

+1. Take the job, get some work experience, get into a good school with scholarship is tcr.

Do you even have an LSAT score

[Anonymous User]

I had a Big4 offer for the fall, and I reneged in March to go to law school. They told me to stay in touch if I wanted to work for them after law school. So just be honest; they don't care. They can replace you in 15 seconds at a state university job fair.

That said, don't quit your job until you've got something good actually lined up. If you haven't taken the lsat, you really probably should work for a year at least.

[Danger Zone]

Go to school part time. Best of both worlds. Or just don't go honestly.

[dixiecupdrinking]

They would fire you in a heartbeat if their circumstances changed. Do not waste another minute worrying about this.

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

I know next to nothing about you as a person but I feel - as someone who was in a similar position as you but opted to work three years after graduation - that you are making a mistake by rushing to school.

Your law school application, and really your life in general, will improve vastly by working after graduation. As for the nitty-gritty, you'll have excellent work experience and an advanced degree that would allow you to head back into that sector after a few years as a non-descript biglaw lawyer. I know a friend who, solely by virtue of his big 4 work experience, was able to get a $200k job from a TTT. Another was a big 4 accountant and is now headed into biglaw with plans to eventually transition back into accounting but on the legal side. I can't overstate how much more financially secure you would be if you choose to take this job before going to school. If you bomb the LSAT and go to a lower school, you still stand a great chance of being hired on the accounting side and getting paid well. But if you forgo this opportunity and you end up doing bad in law school or going to a bad law school, you could be in real jeopardy. That could set your career back by five, even ten years. Hell, just spending 1 or 2 years at the big 4 firm would brighten your legal future.

[LadyProspero]

I know next to nothing about you as a person but I feel - as someone who was in a similar position as you but opted to work three years after graduation - that you are making a mistake by rushing to school.

Your law school application, and really your life in general, will improve vastly by working after graduation. As for the nitty-gritty, you'll have excellent work experience and an advanced degree that would allow you to head back into that sector after a few years as a non-descript biglaw lawyer. I know a friend who, solely by virtue of his big 4 work experience, was able to get a $200k job from a TTT. Another was a big 4 accountant and is now headed into biglaw with plans to eventually transition back into accounting but on the legal side. I can't overstate how much more financially secure you would be if you choose to take this job before going to school. If you bomb the LSAT and go to a lower school, you still stand a great chance of being hired on the accounting side and getting paid well. But if you forgo this opportunity and you end up doing bad in law school or going to a bad law school, you could be in real jeopardy. That could set your career back by five, even ten years. Hell, just spending 1 or 2 years at the big 4 firm would brighten your legal future.

This.

[Anonymous User]

I know next to nothing about you as a person but I feel - as someone who was in a similar position as you but opted to work three years after graduation - that you are making a mistake by rushing to school.

Your law school application, and really your life in general, will improve vastly by working after graduation. As for the nitty-gritty, you'll have excellent work experience and an advanced degree that would allow you to head back into that sector after a few years as a non-descript biglaw lawyer. I know a friend who, solely by virtue of his big 4 work experience, was able to get a $200k job from a TTT. Another was a big 4 accountant and is now headed into biglaw with plans to eventually transition back into accounting but on the legal side. I can't overstate how much more financially secure you would be if you choose to take this job before going to school. If you bomb the LSAT and go to a lower school, you still stand a great chance of being hired on the accounting side and getting paid well. But if you forgo this opportunity and you end up doing bad in law school or going to a bad law school, you could be in real jeopardy. That could set your career back by five, even ten years. Hell, just spending 1 or 2 years at the big 4 firm would brighten your legal future.

This.

+1. You only increase your odds of getting a solid job out of law school by working here. I also have a friend who was hired by one of the big 4 after law school in 2010 (the worst year for a law grad), he came from a TTT.

[CanadianWolf]

OP: Since the job offer was for Fall, 2016, you still have a great deal of time in which to consider your options. If, however, the job offer was based on your obtaining a master's degree during the intervening year & you have definitely cancelled that plan, then you should communicate your new plan (law school) to the Big 4 accounting firm recruiter.

As to whether or not you should work before law school, it depends upon the individual & what other options are present. For example, if you have a full tuition scholarship to a T-14 law school, then that may be the better choice based on your current mind-set.

[Anonymous User]

After reading everyone's advice I've decided to start a year earlier at the firm (starting Fall 2015). Plan is to work there for a year and then attend law school the following year. As I've mentioned before, given my personal situation, there's just no way I can attend law school in 3-5 years. I haven't taken the LSAT yet, so I'll be studying hard over the summer and over the earlier part of next year Will likely take in October & December. Working full time and studying won't be fun, but it's something I'll have to do. Thanks everyone!

[Danger Zone]

given my personal situation, there's just no way I can attend law school in 3-5 years

Gonna attribute 5% chance of truth to this statement

[PvblivsScipio]

given my personal situation, there's just no way I can attend law school in 3-5 years

Gonna attribute 5% chance of truth to this statement

0%. There are middle aged people in law school. OP is finding excuses.