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Good idea, bad idea? Do most people send thank you letters after callback interviews (i.e., firm takes you out to nice restaurant, meet with a bunch of partners, etc)?

Sweet Jesus. Of course you send thank you notes after callbacks. Send one to each attorney who spent more than 20 minutes talking to you and also whatever staff member coordinated the whole thing. I prefer handwritten, but that is just my hustle.

Thank you notes send the message that you do not feel entitled, know your place, and appreciate the time they just wasted meeting with you instead of doing something billable.

Of course you thank the people who just spend 20-30 minutes interviewing you. How can this even be a question? This is basic manners and etiquette.

Thank you notes after a 20 min screener? Thank you emails? Nothing?

Anonymous User wrote:Thank you notes after a 20 min screener? Thank you emails? Nothing?

Nobody is going to be angry at you for sending a thank you note. Some might care that you didn't. I have heard a story about recruiting coordinators that have a checklist for thank you notes received. No note=no CB. They view it as a people-skills thing.

I typically only do handwritten, but email should be okay if it is classy and you have been communicating with the firm email already.

Anonymous User wrote:Thank you notes after a 20 min screener? Thank you emails? Nothing?

An email is totally fine. Just shows that you are courteous, and that is all you need. Absolutely no harm in saying thank you.

I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

Wooostl2012 wrote:I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

Seems like its a pretty easy call. Not sending one won't necessarily hurt you, but in certain cases it could. Sending one can't possibly hurt you. So why take an unnecessary risk?

meh. law firm recruiter at my last cb told me ty letters never made a positive difference, but can get you dinged if they have typos and such. i still sent him one, along with one to the first recruiter i met, and one of the partners.

but now i am regretting not sending one to the pair of associates who took me to lunch, and to the other pair of younger associates i met. while the partners probably dont give a fig -- along with the hr folks, the younger associates, just because they are young, are probably the type to exaggerate the importance of this stuff ("yeah he was ok, but he didn't bother writing meeeeeeeeee") and have me dinged for it. additionally, i am certain that the input of these associates in the hiring process is limited to impressions about "fit," rather than credentials, which a thank you letter can only help.

bottom line: i am now thinking failing to send a ty letter to the associates was a major misstep. ugh.

Anonymous User wrote:meh. law firm recruiter at my last cb told me ty letters never made a positive difference, but can get you dinged if they have typos and such. i still sent him one, along with one to the first recruiter i met, and one of the partners.

but now i am regretting not sending one to the pair of associates who took me to lunch, and to the other pair of younger associates i met. while the partners probably dont give a fig -- along with the hr folks, the younger associates, just because they are young, are probably the type to exaggerate the importance of this stuff ("yeah he was ok, but he didn't bother writing meeeeeeeeee") and have me dinged for it. additionally, i am certain that the input of these associates in the hiring process is limited to impressions about "fit," rather than credentials, which a thank you letter can only help.

bottom line: i am now thinking failing to send a ty letter to the associates was a major misstep. ugh.

It wasn't. I work with recruiting at my (large) firm, and I can't tell you how little trivial things like thank you notes matter. In virtually all cases, the note, letter, email, whatever shows up at the firm well after the person who receives it has made their input anyway.

Don't stress over it. You absolutely don't need to do it and it will not make a positive impression. Do it anyway if you'd like. Do make it perfect, as it can hurt if it gets done wrong.

The consensus of this forum is that you should not send notes after a screener. It is split for after a callback.
My career services specifically told us to not send after the screeners.

I always send a thank you note. I don't care if it helps or has an effect. To me, it's just proper manners. And not sending one for fear of a typo is absolutely idiotic. You are an adult. You can proofread a 2 sentence email sufficiently. And if you don't trust yourself to do so, well then you have much bigger problems to address.

I sent thank you letters for my callback interviews.

What about if you did screener and you got CB but interviewer left voicemail. Should I return call or email thank him?

Anonymous User wrote:What about if you did screener and you got CB but interviewer left voicemail. Should I return call or email thank him?

Just saying how nice it was to meet them, and how you look forward to visiting the firm can't possibly hurt you. It shows you are a courteous and polite candidate who is grateful for the call.

Anonymous User wrote:What about if you did screener and you got CB but interviewer left voicemail. Should I return call or email thank him?

I had the same thing recently. Didn't do either. Called the recruiting office to set up my callback, but that's it. I can only imagine that calling him to thank him for giving you a callback would be awkward as hell and completely unnecessary.

I think it is a regional thing. We had a panel of hiring partners at our OCI and to a man they said they said it was a mistake to send them because then can only hurt, and that never once in any of their experience had the presence of a thank you tipped the scales in favor of an applicant, but had in many cases tipped it against them (because of typos or factual errors). At the same time, I believe lawfirmrecuriter who said in another thread that you should always sent them, but he is based out of the south, which has a different take on manners then NYC where I am.

Wooostl2012 wrote:I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

the journal at my school had a pre-oci off-the-record meeting with partners from three v10s, two v 25...all said the same thing: NO THANK YOU NOTES AFTER SCREENERS.

Anonymous User wrote:

Wooostl2012 wrote:I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

the journal at my school had a pre-oci off-the-record meeting with partners from three v10s, two v 25...all said the same thing: NO THANK YOU NOTES AFTER SCREENERS.

I don't doubt that, 99% of the time, it won't matter at all (hence their advice), but in no situation will it ever offend or hurt your chances (barring a stupid typo or screwup, though we are adults and should be able to proofread a 2 sentence email).

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Wooostl2012 wrote:I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

the journal at my school had a pre-oci off-the-record meeting with partners from three v10s, two v 25...all said the same thing: NO THANK YOU NOTES AFTER SCREENERS.

I don't doubt that, 99% of the time, it won't matter at all (hence their advice), but in no situation will it ever offend or hurt your chances (barring a stupid typo or screwup, though we are adults and should be able to proofread a 2 sentence email).

I have more important things to do with my time than writing and proofreading a non-generic and, ultimately, unnecessary thank-you letter.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Wooostl2012 wrote:I think this has been discussed on this website a great deal and that there is a pretty big split on whether or not thank you notes are necessary or a good idea. I sent them some times, did not send them others, and there didn't seem to be any correlation on whether or not I was called back or offered.

At the very least, I don't think there's a closed case in favor of them.

the journal at my school had a pre-oci off-the-record meeting with partners from three v10s, two v 25...all said the same thing: NO THANK YOU NOTES AFTER SCREENERS.

I don't doubt that, 99% of the time, it won't matter at all (hence their advice), but in no situation will it ever offend or hurt your chances (barring a stupid typo or screwup, though we are adults and should be able to proofread a 2 sentence email).

I have more important things to do with my time than writing and proofreading a non-generic and, ultimately, unnecessary thank-you letter.

If it takes you that long to read and review 2 sentences, you have bigger problems to address, bro.

Anonymous User wrote: If it takes you that long to read and review 2 sentences, you have bigger problems to address, bro.

I would literally rather spend two seconds on my couch zoning out than writing a completely meaningless e-mail. I guess if you get a natural high from kiss-assery or "networking" it might be worth it for you.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: If it takes you that long to read and review 2 sentences, you have bigger problems to address, bro.

I would literally rather spend two seconds on my couch zoning out than writing a completely meaningless e-mail. I guess if you get a natural high from kiss-assery or "networking" it might be worth it for you.

Nah, its just manners to me. Someone does something for you, you thank then. Its not so much a decision as it is a subconscious reaction. Perhaps its just a regional thing based on where I'm from.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: If it takes you that long to read and review 2 sentences, you have bigger problems to address, bro.

I would literally rather spend two seconds on my couch zoning out than writing a completely meaningless e-mail. I guess if you get a natural high from kiss-assery or "networking" it might be worth it for you.

Nah, its just manners to me. Someone does something for you, you thank then. Its not so much a decision as it is a subconscious reaction. Perhaps its just a regional thing based on where I'm from.

They didn't really do something for you. They were just doing what their firms told them to do. Did you write personal notes to everybody in the admissions office of every school that accepted you? Did you write personal notes to professors who gave you a good grade? Aside from that, I just don't see the use from a pure cost/benefit analysis. At least for the NYC market, it will never help. Maybe there is a 0.1% chance that you'll slip up and it will hurt you. Then again, maybe you've never made an e-mail mistake in your life and you can predict with 100% certainty that you'll never make a mistake. Good for you then. E-mail away. I'll spend my two minutes elsewhere.

I don't know what school you're from, but have you personally noticed a difference in callbacks/offers for firms that got a thank-you e-mail? Do you think you're doing better than students who don't do so?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: If it takes you that long to read and review 2 sentences, you have bigger problems to address, bro.

I would literally rather spend two seconds on my couch zoning out than writing a completely meaningless e-mail. I guess if you get a natural high from kiss-assery or "networking" it might be worth it for you.

Nah, its just manners to me. Someone does something for you, you thank then. Its not so much a decision as it is a subconscious reaction. Perhaps its just a regional thing based on where I'm from.

They didn't really do something for you. They were just doing what their firms told them to do. Did you write personal notes to everybody in the admissions office of every school that accepted you? Did you write personal notes to professors who gave you a good grade? Aside from that, I just don't see the use from a pure cost/benefit analysis. At least for the NYC market, it will never help. Maybe there is a 0.1% chance that you'll slip up and it will hurt you. Then again, maybe you've never made an e-mail mistake in your life and you can predict with 100% certainty that you'll never make a mistake. Good for you then. E-mail away. I'll spend my two minutes elsewhere.

I don't know what school you're from, but have you personally noticed a difference in callbacks/offers for firms that got a thank-you e-mail? Do you think you're doing better than students who don't do so?

It would be impossible to know the difference in callback/offer rate since I send thank you's to everyone I meet with. Interestingly, I find that I can gauge the level of interest on the part of the firm based on the responses I get. Almost every firm that ended up giving me a callback sent a nice response to my thank you (typically before I received the callback offer). So there could perhaps be something to it.