Question about backing out of a SA position that I accepted Forum

[Anonymous User]

Here is my situation: Accepted a 1st half 1L SA position that is local for me. Accepted a 2nd half SA position that's about 65 miles each way from my home in a rural area. Both pay but the 1st pays more than double the 2nd, if that even matters. It seemed like a good opportunity at the time but since then our career services has released additional OCI bid opportunities that are also local for me and that are more in-line with my interests. This has caused my wife and I to reconsider if the location 65 miles out is a place we want to be after graduation and we have come to the conclusion that it is not. If it is not a place we want to be I do not want to spend the time driving back and forth for 6 weeks. So I want to back out. It has only been a week since I accepted and the position does not start until the 2nd week of July. Has anyone done this in a smaller legal market? How much of a negative impact other than burning a bridge with the 1 firm? Maybe I am making a bigger deal out of this than it is but looking for suggestions/advice from those who have been in similar situations.

Thanks!

[guano]

if you do back out, post the details here so someone else can apply for that job.
If you trust your career services, ask them how best to back out

[Anonymous User]

Thanks Guano, my concern with going to career services on this issue is it would seem they would have no interest in me backing out of an opportunity. Unfortunately, it might look negative on them as well.

At the same time, they hounded us for weeks to apply to this job that was far out. Before I applied I asked if there were any later opportunities and at that time the only opportunity was a firm I'm not interested in. However, since then others have been added.

I also asked them again before I accepted what was on the horizon with later OCI rounds and I was told that they were mostly opportunities for students going into 3L. But that wasn't correct either.

[guano]

Thanks Guano, my concern with going to career services on this issue is it would seem they would have no interest in me backing out of an opportunity. Unfortunately, it might look negative on them as well.

At the same time, they hounded us for weeks to apply to this job that was far out. Before I applied I asked if there were any later opportunities and at that time the only opportunity was a firm I'm not interested in. However, since then others have been added.

I also asked them again before I accepted what was on the horizon with later OCI rounds and I was told that they were mostly opportunities for students going into 3L. But that wasn't correct either.

Then fuck your career services (too bad, because it could have helped all around).
Once you find something else, you can back out. Just tell them it's far away and you realized that with the commute you do not think you'd be able to give them your best work, and you do not think they deserve less than the best.

Bonus points if you can recommend a classmate who is interested and equally qualified - then you're A) helping the employer, B) helping the classmate, and C) helping CSO (not that they deserve it).
Don't worry about burning the bridge, do what's right for you, but try to minimize the impact. The sooner you do it, the better.

[Anonymous User]

It went better than expected. The partner understood, thanked me for being honest about not wanting to be in their area after graduation, and even welcomed me to apply again for the following summer should we reconsider our position.

Not sure how it will go over with our career services office but not real worried about it at this point.

[rad lulz]

You backed out BEFORE you picked up another half?

lol

[Anonymous User]

You backed out BEFORE you picked up another half?

lol

Yes I did.

At this point I don't mind taking the 2nd half of the summer off. It has been crazy since August and I would welcome the break to spend with my family.