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Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 10:35 am
by Anonymous User
Is it ok to accept the offer of the firm you spent the first half of the summer with while you are currently in your second half with another firm?
Re: Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:01 am
by gaddockteeg
Nah. You'll get a fine from the Department of Split Summers.
Re: Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:05 am
by Anonymous User
If you're a 2L talking about accepting a permanent offer, this is considered very poor form. This is worse than reneging in my opinion.
If you're a 1L talking about accepting an offer to come back, that's less of an issue.
Re: Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:09 am
by Fed_Atty
Of course it is OK. This is business. Suppose you didn't accept, and first firm yanked the offer and second firm decided not to extend an offer? You would be out of luck without recourse.
Re: Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:22 am
by Anonymous User
Fed_Atty wrote:Of course it is OK. This is business. Suppose you didn't accept, and first firm yanked the offer and second firm decided not to extend an offer? You would be out of luck without recourse.
I'm above anon. I would give your response to any law firm hiring scenario other than this one. If the first firm wants to yank your offer, they can regardless of whether you've accepted or not. You don't have "recourse" either way. Generally the first firm makes their "offer" to you shortly after you stop working there, but the offer letter doesn't come out until the summer program is over. So the timing typically doesn't work like this anyway. You have 28 days or whatever from the date of the offer letter.
If I was at the first firm, I would think less of you if you accepted our offer while working at another firm. It's just polite to wait, even if your decision is already made. The R&D team of the second-half firm is busting their butt for you -- you have to be a special type of asshole to not care about that.
Re: Accepting first offer while splitting
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:41 am
by 2014
Your first firm will almost certainly give you 28 days following completion of your second firm summer - if they don't volunteer as much just tell them "I'm very likely to accept but I can't ethically do so until I finish my second half at [firm]. Can we extend my deadline until that second half is complete?"
They will say yes - you aren't the first nor will you be the last person this comes up with.