Top Law Schools

I am in a bit of a conundrum right now. I currently have two employers with outstanding offers on the table: One is a public defender office, and the other is a legal clinic dealing with family law and housing disputes. I owe one employer a response tomorrow night (after just receiving the offer today) and another employer a response next week.

In addition to those applications, I have two applications in at big DC firms, and several applications in at the DOJ in various divisions/offices.

I am unsure of what to do. On one hand, I do not want to let opportunities slide, but on the other hand, I would kick myself if I received an offer from, say, the DOJ, and was unable to take it.

If it helps, I am at a T50 school, currently with a 4.02 GPA (Class rank ~ top 3%).

Any advice?

Anonymous User wrote:I am in a bit of a conundrum right now. I currently have two employers with outstanding offers on the table: One is a public defender office, and the other is a legal clinic dealing with family law and housing disputes. I owe one employer a response tomorrow night (after just receiving the offer today) and another employer a response next week.

In addition to those applications, I have two applications in at big DC firms, and several applications in at the DOJ in various divisions/offices.

I am unsure of what to do. On one hand, I do not want to let opportunities slide, but on the other hand, I would kick myself if I received an offer from, say, the DOJ, and was unable to take it.

If it helps, I am at a T50 school, currently with a 4.02 GPA (Class rank ~ top 3%).

Any advice?

Ask if you could have more time to see the results of your other applications. If the employer is offering an unpaid position then you probably have a decent shot of pushing back the acceptance deadline. If it is a paid position then it is more difficult.

In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

At least with the Public Defender, that tends to be my general sentiment. If I turn down that offer, I still have another on the table, AND I will be able to buy another 1.5 weeks of time to make a decision.

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Agree with this completely. Take whatever offer you want that you have currently and you can always pick a firm offer later.

TTRansfer wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Agree with this completely. Take whatever offer you want that you have currently and you can always pick a firm offer later.

"Later" meaning during 2L year?

TTRansfer wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Agree with this completely. Take whatever offer you want that you have currently and you can always pick a firm offer later.

Isn't this very bad faith? (Reneging after saying yes). (Not OP here). My school's CSO said under no circumstances should I take an offer and then bail later. Of course I take that with a grain of salt, but still.

Anonymous User wrote:

TTRansfer wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Agree with this completely. Take whatever offer you want that you have currently and you can always pick a firm offer later.

Isn't this very bad faith? (Reneging after saying yes). (Not OP here). My school's CSO said under no circumstances should I take an offer and then bail later. Of course I take that with a grain of salt, but still.

CSO is telling you that because it serves their institutional interest, not yours. You should renege if you get a paying job after you accepted a non-paying job.

Anonymous User wrote:

TTRansfer wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:In addition to the above advice, have you checked in with the firms? Also, don't sweat it too much if you don't get the 1L summer job you're after. Your high ranking will carry you much further than a 1L summer job.

Plus if your offers are to work for free and you get a paying offer later, I can't fault you for reneging an offer to work for free.

Agree with this completely. Take whatever offer you want that you have currently and you can always pick a firm offer later.

Isn't this very bad faith? (Reneging after saying yes). (Not OP here). My school's CSO said under no circumstances should I take an offer and then bail later. Of course I take that with a grain of salt, but still.

If you listen to everything the CSO says, have fun being unemployed.

If the CSOs could force EVERYONE to take realllly shitty jobs they would. They salivate at achieving 100% employment and do not care how.

1L Anon with the "bad faith" comment here: Not trying to hijack the OP, but I have an offer with an attorney general's office (which is supposed to be a decent job) but interviews with a couple firms coming up/just had. While one of the firm interviews I already had went really well, I feel like a bird in the hand, ect. ect. Would pissing off the deputy attorney general be a shit career move, even if I intend to go into private practice anyway? I don't want to screw anyone over, but obviously I prefer paying work. Thanks again for your help.

I'm a 1L interviewing with a state AG office. Somehow it came out that I had interviewed with firms as well and the lady from the AG office said "Look, we know we're probably not your first choice and they might leave you hanging for a while. So, we'll give you lots of time to decide and if you have to take another offer, that's fine." I wouldn't expect most PI orgs to keep it that real and maybe not all would be that understanding but I'm guessing most know what's up.

pick one of the offers... since the time has lapsed on one of them, go with another if you haven't heard back from anything else yet. Contact the places where you are still waiting to hear a response ASAP and if you still hear nothing, accept the offer.

Anonymous User wrote:1L Anon with the "bad faith" comment here: Not trying to hijack the OP, but I have an offer with an attorney general's office (which is supposed to be a decent job) but interviews with a couple firms coming up/just had. While one of the firm interviews I already had went really well, I feel like a bird in the hand, ect. ect. Would pissing off the deputy attorney general be a shit career move, even if I intend to go into private practice anyway? I don't want to screw anyone over, but obviously I prefer paying work. Thanks again for your help.

Do you want to do firm work or do you want to be a prosecutor?

If you want firm work, who cares if you piss someone off who isn't giving you money? Do it respectfully and he won't care.

If you want to be a prosecutor, obviously take the AG job.