Top Law Schools

Just got an offer from a non NALP firm so they can withdraw it whenever they would like. I am very excited and the firm is great but I am still waiting to hear back from an Am Law 100 firm I had a CB with in my home town. How do I tell the non-NALP firm that I need more time without them withdrawing the offer or giving me a strict deadline! THANKS!

Tell them your cat died, and you are grieving and can't make a decision?
Tell them you are taking it seriously, and ask what their timeline for a decision is?
Accept and then renege if you get the other one?

The polite way to do this is to ask when they need an answer by. You should have done this when you got the call. If they try to set a short deadline, ask for a longer one. If you can buy a week or two, call the other firm, explain your situation (you got another offer that you have to move on soon, but you really want to work for them). If all else fails, you can do the accept ---> reneg thing, although it may have some negative consequences and some would say it is ethically questionable. But you know what? If they don't like it, then they should have given you more time, IMO. Choosing a firm is a really important decision, and it shouldn't be rushed.

Good luck OP.

Asking them when they need an answer by is good advice, but not good in practice because you end up getting stuck on or around their time line.

Find the date 28 days from the date of your offer, then call and say:

I appreciate the offer, but I still have a few more interviews. This is a very important decision, and I'd like to have all the cards out in front of me so that I can feel comfortable that I'm making the right one. From what I understand, most firms hold an offer open for 28 days. Would it be okay if I got back to you at the latest X date, which is 28 days from the date of your offer?

I said essentially this to all the non nalp firms I got offers from, and all of them understood and gave me the 28 days.