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Ok, so I'll be at interviewing with firms at NYU's EIW. But I don't have a lease yet, so I had planned on leaving afterwards until classes started. Didn't really think anything of it until the sheer logistics of it dawned on me, so now I've got a question. Assuming I get callbacks, will firms actually reimburse the travel expense back to NY? This is some next level having your cake and eating it too stuff here I know, but I'd still like to know if it's possible.

Yes, asking firms to pay for your own lapse in planning is totally an alpha move and will reflect positively on your candidacy.
(Assuming, of course, the firms you're interviewing with are also NYC offices)

I don't see a firm reimbursing travel expenses *to* New York for an NYU student (NB: I'm also at NYU). That's really pushing it.

Anonymous User wrote:Ok, so I'll be at interviewing with firms at NYU's EIW. But I don't have a lease yet, so I had planned on leaving afterwards until classes started. Didn't really think anything of it until the sheer logistics of it dawned on me, so now I've got a question. Assuming I get callbacks, will firms actually reimburse the travel expense back to NY? This is some next level having your cake and eating it too stuff here I know, but I'd still like to know if it's possible.

There is zero chance that any firm will pay for this. Literally none. Reimbursement policies are based on the distance from your law school to the firm. I wouldn't even be surprised if some firms refuse to pay for your transit within NYC to get to their office.

Assuming that you are asking for reimbursement for CBs, why would firms care? Many people have 1L internship outside NYC that still continues after OCI, so it's not outside the norm for students who are otherwise NYC residents to be flying back just for the CBs. This is assuming, ofc, that you are only asking for the travelling reimbursement for the CBs.

I know many students attending schools in the NY area (Cornell for example) who are otherwise NYC residents asked for reimbursements for going to CBs in the city. But there are programs by firms/schools that encourage those students to donate their travelling reimbursement to their public interests peers if they happen to live in the city, if my memory serves. I doubt that it would raise many eyebrows for you to ask for reimbursement. The people who are in charge of reimbursing (HR) are not the people interviewing you and/or making the hiring decision.

Anonymous User wrote:Ok, so I'll be at interviewing with firms at NYU's EIW. But I don't have a lease yet, so I had planned on leaving afterwards until classes started. Didn't really think anything of it until the sheer logistics of it dawned on me, so now I've got a question. Assuming I get callbacks, will firms actually reimburse the travel expense back to NY? This is some next level having your cake and eating it too stuff here I know, but I'd still like to know if it's possible.

Some firms might pay but this is bad form. No one might notice or give a damn, but if they do they will find it weird.

Anonymous User wrote:I don't see a firm reimbursing travel expenses *to* New York for an NYU student (NB: I'm also at NYU). That's really pushing it.

I don't think this is pushing it in any way. If there's a legitimate reason why you're not in NY (which there is), then the firm should be more than happy to pay for your travel expenses to get there for a callback. I had a similar experience where I was working in City X, went to school in City Y, and had firms reimburse me for travel from City X to City Y with no questions asked.

pml87 wrote:Assuming that you are asking for reimbursement for CBs, why would firms care? Many people have 1L internship outside NYC that still continues after OCI, so it's not outside the norm for students who are otherwise NYC residents to be flying back just for the CBs. This is assuming, ofc, that you are only asking for the travelling reimbursement for the CBs.

I know many students attending schools in the NY area (Cornell for example) who are otherwise NYC residents asked for reimbursements for going to CBs in the city. But there are programs by firms/schools that encourage those students to donate their travelling reimbursement to their public interests peers if they happen to live in the city, if my memory serves. I doubt that it would raise many eyebrows for you to ask for reimbursement. The people who are in charge of reimbursing (HR) are not the people interviewing you and/or making the hiring decision.

There are reimbursement policies and they run on budgets. Even if it seems like a bottomless expense pit they will notice and not appreciate this. Why do you think the same firms have 20 interview slots at Penn and 120 at NYU/CLS? A part of that decision is because the firm is counting on calling back people from NYU without eating a grand in travel and accommodations.

Firms will definitely pay for travel within NYC. I was explicitly told I could bill taxis if I didn't want to take the subway.

Mullens wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Ok, so I'll be at interviewing with firms at NYU's EIW. But I don't have a lease yet, so I had planned on leaving afterwards until classes started. Didn't really think anything of it until the sheer logistics of it dawned on me, so now I've got a question. Assuming I get callbacks, will firms actually reimburse the travel expense back to NY? This is some next level having your cake and eating it too stuff here I know, but I'd still like to know if it's possible.

There is zero chance that any firm will pay for this. Literally none.

Pro-tip: don't use phrases like "zero chance" and "literally none" when you have limited knowledge and don't really know what you're talking about.

2014 wrote:

pml87 wrote:Assuming that you are asking for reimbursement for CBs, why would firms care? Many people have 1L internship outside NYC that still continues after OCI, so it's not outside the norm for students who are otherwise NYC residents to be flying back just for the CBs. This is assuming, ofc, that you are only asking for the travelling reimbursement for the CBs.

I know many students attending schools in the NY area (Cornell for example) who are otherwise NYC residents asked for reimbursements for going to CBs in the city. But there are programs by firms/schools that encourage those students to donate their travelling reimbursement to their public interests peers if they happen to live in the city, if my memory serves. I doubt that it would raise many eyebrows for you to ask for reimbursement. The people who are in charge of reimbursing (HR) are not the people interviewing you and/or making the hiring decision.

There are reimbursement policies and they run on budgets. Even if it seems like a bottomless expense pit they will notice and not appreciate this. Why do you think the same firms have 20 interview slots at Penn and 120 at NYU/CLS? A part of that decision is because the firm is counting on calling back people from NYU without eating a grand in travel and accommodations.

There are perhaps firm-wide policies like you said. But on an individual basis, considering how fast decisions are made in OCI (screening day 1, 2 and 3, CB day 4, result on the spot or day 5), I doubt it will harm OP's chance as he likely would submit his reimbursement forms and receipts after the firms have made a decision.