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I just received a letter from a federal judge, offering me a summer internship. I've already accepted an internship with another federal judge, but I haven't had a chance to send out withdrawal letters. Do judges typically extend offers without conducting an interview? What should I do? Is it really bad to turn down a judge? Should I send out a withdrawal letter and then call her chambers to thank her and reject the offer?

FB567 wrote:I just received a letter from a federal judge, offering me a summer internship. I've already accepted an internship with another federal judge, but I haven't had a chance to send out withdrawal letters. Do judges typically extend offers without conducting an interview? What should I do? Is it really bad to turn down a judge? Should I send out a withdrawal letter and then call her chambers to thank her and reject the offer?

Tell them: You have JUST accepted an internship from another judge prior to receiving their offer and you apologize for the inconvenience. I would send withdrawals at this point.

Drake014 wrote: Tell them: You have JUST accepted an internship from another judge prior to receiving their offer and you apologize for the inconvenience. I would send withdrawals at this point.

Do I even need to write a withdrawal letter then?

FB567 wrote:

Drake014 wrote: Tell them: You have JUST accepted an internship from another judge prior to receiving their offer and you apologize for the inconvenience. I would send withdrawals at this point.

Do I even need to write a withdrawal letter then?

I would think a withdrawal e-mail would suffice.

Edit: To that particular judge, telling him what I just said is the withdrawal.

FB567 wrote:

Drake014 wrote: Tell them: You have JUST accepted an internship from another judge prior to receiving their offer and you apologize for the inconvenience. I would send withdrawals at this point.

Do I even need to write a withdrawal letter then?

Not to the judge that sent you the letter, but you should send them out to the others that you have applied to as a courtesy.

Here I was thinking that it was awesome and a bit crazy that people got internship offers after interviews without grades. Now your telling me that you got an offer without even having an interview!? lol, I feel woefully inadequate right now. Congrats on getting that position. And yea, just be honest with the other judge who made you an offer, and make sure to get withdrawal letters out soon.

dakatz wrote:Here I was thinking that it was awesome and a bit crazy that people got internship offers after interviews without grades. Now your telling me that you got an offer without even having an interview!? lol, I feel woefully inadequate right now. Congrats on getting that position. And yea, just be honest with the other judge who made you an offer, and make sure to get withdrawal letters out soon.

Yeah, it's pretty unbelievable. Thanks everyone!

dakatz wrote:Here I was thinking that it was awesome and a bit crazy that people got internship offers after interviews without grades. Now your telling me that you got an offer without even having an interview!? lol, I feel woefully inadequate right now. Congrats on getting that position. And yea, just be honest with the other judge who made you an offer, and make sure to get withdrawal letters out soon.

I can almost bet that it's the grades that did the trick. Hard to imagine an offer without both (interview + grades).

I had a similar experience with a federal judge myself - got a phone call from a clerk offering an intern position based on resume/cover/writing sample, so the op's case not is an isolated one.

DeSimone wrote:

dakatz wrote:Here I was thinking that it was awesome and a bit crazy that people got internship offers after interviews without grades. Now your telling me that you got an offer without even having an interview!? lol, I feel woefully inadequate right now. Congrats on getting that position. And yea, just be honest with the other judge who made you an offer, and make sure to get withdrawal letters out soon.

I can almost bet that it's the grades that did the trick. Hard to imagine an offer without both (interview + grades).

I had a similar experience with a federal judge myself - got a phone call from a clerk offering an intern position based on resume/cover/writing sample, so the op's case not is an isolated one.

Nice. I can't even get an interview with my grades, let alone an offer without an interview. Given that my grades were good, I feel like theres some fatal defect in everything I sent out that is completely turning people off.

The truth of the matter is that judicial internship/externship hiring is a very, very low priority. The chambers are busy and the only hiring that they put significant effort into is clerkship hiring.