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I received an offer last week from a law firm pre-OCI. It is a firm that I would like to work for, but I want to wait to make a decision until after OCI to see what other offers I get. Unfortunately, I am afraid I wont know what other offers I have before I have to give this firm an answer. I am supposed to call the firm this week to flesh out the details of the offer. Is it possible to ask for more than the 28 days that NALP suggests to leave the offer open for? If so, how do I bring this up?

Just ask. Basically say the same thing you said here, politely, and stress that you're thrilled to receive an offer and seriously considering the firm. They may extend the offer deadline. They may not. I've heard anecdotal stories of early offers to pressure people from good school into accepting early.

I reckon you can ask. On the other hand, they may be extending offers this early so that they can have some certainty.

Anonymous User wrote:I received an offer last week from a law firm pre-OCI. It is a firm that I would like to work for, but I want to wait to make a decision until after OCI to see what other offers I get. Unfortunately, I am afraid I wont know what other offers I have before I have to give this firm an answer. I am supposed to call the firm this week to flesh out the details of the offer. Is it possible to ask for more than the 28 days that NALP suggests to leave the offer open for? If so, how do I bring this up?

This happened to me last year--the firm ended up giving me 28 days from the start of OCI, which I thought reasonable. It wouldn't be ridiculous if you asked your firm to do the same.

These don't have to be answered publicly on the board, but I would ask yourself these rhetorical Qs:

- How competitive of a candidate am I? Be realistic: can you actually do "better," are you lucky to get an SA/offer at all.
- How will the firm perceive the extension? Will they know that you are recruiting or do they think you are thinking things through with your parents, family, significant other.
- How confident are you that you are not building ill-will, such that if you return they will see you as the guy who saw them as second fiddle?

Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

MrAnon wrote:Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

Eh two firms, unprompted, told me to take as long as I needed. You never know.

OP here...Thanks for the advice. I think I am a competitive candidate and will likely (hopefully) get a few more offers from firms that vault would say are better. However, I like the feel of this firm. My concern is accepting prematurely out of necessity when there may be other firms that are just better fits for me (a fact I may never know if I have to accept early).

MrAnon wrote:Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

This is what I want to avoid...

Anonymous User wrote:OP here...Thanks for the advice. I think I am a competitive candidate and will likely (hopefully) get a few more offers from firms that vault would say are better. However, I like the feel of this firm. My concern is accepting prematurely out of necessity when there may be other firms that are just better fits for me (a fact I may never know if I have to accept early).

MrAnon wrote:Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

This is what I want to avoid...

Can firms really revoke an offer like that? Have they, or is that just a worst-case scenario/urban legend?

AP-375 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:OP here...Thanks for the advice. I think I am a competitive candidate and will likely (hopefully) get a few more offers from firms that vault would say are better. However, I like the feel of this firm. My concern is accepting prematurely out of necessity when there may be other firms that are just better fits for me (a fact I may never know if I have to accept early).

MrAnon wrote:Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

This is what I want to avoid...

Can firms really revoke an offer like that? Have they, or is that just a worst-case scenario/urban legend?

OP here...I didn't think that law firms were obligated to follow NALP guidelines, but I was under the impression they were strongly encouraged to do so. Since I do not know what that means I will assume that firms can pull offers if they feel offended enough.

If a firm pulls your offer because you want to go through OCI (they won't), you don't want to work there. They are offering you temporary employment. Until you have an offer of permanent, post-graduate employment in hand, you owe them nothing.

AP-375 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:OP here...Thanks for the advice. I think I am a competitive candidate and will likely (hopefully) get a few more offers from firms that vault would say are better. However, I like the feel of this firm. My concern is accepting prematurely out of necessity when there may be other firms that are just better fits for me (a fact I may never know if I have to accept early).

MrAnon wrote:Think about it from their perspective. Worst economy in 80 years and they extend you an offer. You dance around and ask for an extension.

If I were them I'd pull the offer on the spot.

This is what I want to avoid...

Can firms really revoke an offer like that? Have they, or is that just a worst-case scenario/urban legend?

Zero percent chance they revoke the offer in this situation.