Bad look? Forum

[objctnyrhnr]

I think people are seriously overestimating the extent to which the partner will give a rip about this, let alone remember it a day later. First of all, it was not near as much of a blunder as some are trying to make it out to be. Mildly awkward at worst, but nothing that is going to put a bad taste in the partner’s mouth.

More importantly, in all likelihood the partner got off the phone with you, jumped back on to a few hours of conference calls, reviewed docs for a few hours and then raced home for a few precious moments with people he/she cares about. You were permanently off their radar within 5 minutes after the call. There is almost zero chance the partner ever thinks about you or your response again, let alone mentions it to anyone else. Your “gaffe” wasn’t even interesting enough for the partner to joke about it with associates later in the day.

I get it because I’ve been there. For law students this process is the most important thing in their lives, and it gets further magnified because the alternative to thinking about it is focusing on getting ready for another miserable year of law school. But for us on the other side recruiting, while very important, feels like just a small and insignificant blip in a very long year.

Some are going to think I’m underestimating human nature given the nature of your response, but I would let this go and move on. You have an offer and hopefully a few more on the way. Choose the one you like and do well next summer, but don’t let the mildly awkward call play into your decision because it will have no impact on your future with the firm.

I think most people (myself included) have agreed that the partner won’t remember this/care. I think the point is more that if OP continues to make these gaffes at a firm, he’ll be in some reputational trouble.

For example, if OP is an associate at a firm, and Partner A asks OP to join her case team and to do xyz work, OP Should consider coming up with a better reason for declining than s/he wants to work for (more prestigious) partner B.

This

[inter-associate]

I think people are seriously overestimating the extent to which the partner will give a rip about this, let alone remember it a day later. First of all, it was not near as much of a blunder as some are trying to make it out to be. Mildly awkward at worst, but nothing that is going to put a bad taste in the partner’s mouth.

More importantly, in all likelihood the partner got off the phone with you, jumped back on to a few hours of conference calls, reviewed docs for a few hours and then raced home for a few precious moments with people he/she cares about. You were permanently off their radar within 5 minutes after the call. There is almost zero chance the partner ever thinks about you or your response again, let alone mentions it to anyone else. Your “gaffe” wasn’t even interesting enough for the partner to joke about it with associates later in the day.

I get it because I’ve been there. For law students this process is the most important thing in their lives, and it gets further magnified because the alternative to thinking about it is focusing on getting ready for another miserable year of law school. But for us on the other side recruiting, while very important, feels like just a small and insignificant blip in a very long year.

Some are going to think I’m underestimating human nature given the nature of your response, but I would let this go and move on. You have an offer and hopefully a few more on the way. Choose the one you like and do well next summer, but don’t let the mildly awkward call play into your decision because it will have no impact on your future with the firm.

I think most people (myself included) have agreed that the partner won’t remember this/care. I think the point is more that if OP continues to make these gaffes at a firm, he’ll be in some reputational trouble.

For example, if OP is an associate at a firm, and Partner A asks OP to join her case team and to do xyz work, OP Should consider coming up with a better reason for declining than s/he wants to work for (more prestigious) partner B.

This

Just trying to figure out what OP did to give anyone the idea this was anything more than a one time social gaffe. The fact OP is here asking about it is enough to show they realize it was not a good response. OP comes here looking for a little reassurance during a stressful time and gets a stern talking to that is most likely not applicable to them anyways. Kinda of making a mountain out of a molehill here guys.

[beeoBoop]

Everyone here has said the partner won't remember. The higher level issue is what's more important. And I say this as a biglaw associate doing callback interviews right now

Just learn from it and be aware going forward. Because this stuff is important when you start

[objctnyrhnr]

I think people are seriously overestimating the extent to which the partner will give a rip about this, let alone remember it a day later. First of all, it was not near as much of a blunder as some are trying to make it out to be. Mildly awkward at worst, but nothing that is going to put a bad taste in the partner’s mouth.

More importantly, in all likelihood the partner got off the phone with you, jumped back on to a few hours of conference calls, reviewed docs for a few hours and then raced home for a few precious moments with people he/she cares about. You were permanently off their radar within 5 minutes after the call. There is almost zero chance the partner ever thinks about you or your response again, let alone mentions it to anyone else. Your “gaffe” wasn’t even interesting enough for the partner to joke about it with associates later in the day.

I get it because I’ve been there. For law students this process is the most important thing in their lives, and it gets further magnified because the alternative to thinking about it is focusing on getting ready for another miserable year of law school. But for us on the other side recruiting, while very important, feels like just a small and insignificant blip in a very long year.

Some are going to think I’m underestimating human nature given the nature of your response, but I would let this go and move on. You have an offer and hopefully a few more on the way. Choose the one you like and do well next summer, but don’t let the mildly awkward call play into your decision because it will have no impact on your future with the firm.

I think most people (myself included) have agreed that the partner won’t remember this/care. I think the point is more that if OP continues to make these gaffes at a firm, he’ll be in some reputational trouble.

For example, if OP is an associate at a firm, and Partner A asks OP to join her case team and to do xyz work, OP Should consider coming up with a better reason for declining than s/he wants to work for (more prestigious) partner B.

This

Just trying to figure out what OP did to give anyone the idea this was anything more than a one time social gaffe. The fact OP is here asking about it is enough to show they realize it was not a good response. OP comes here looking for a little reassurance during a stressful time and gets a stern talking to that is most likely not applicable to them anyways. Kinda of making a mountain out of a molehill here guys.

First, I’m a midlevel doing callbacks and I would absolutely remember that. But maybe I’m weird; who knows.

Second, I was the poster who first came down hard on OP (something I acknowledged in my post). My first statement is “hopefully this was a one-time mistake caused by stress...” or something like that. But, as echoed here by other posters, the broader point is that, if it’s not, OP has a problem that OP needs to fix before becoming a full associate. That’s it.