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Hi all.

NYC student with a kid on the way. I've gotten 2L SA offers in the market in which I want to end up, but would love to spend part of the summer w/ the new baby in NYC (spouse will keep working there over next summer). Are firms open to letting SAs split for such reasons, if so how do I broach the subject/what steps do I need to take, and if I do split will it negatively affect my relationship with the office where I ultimately want to be?

Thank you.

It's not as common as it used to be, but it certainly happens.

Aside from the compelling life story (congrats on the kid), how much leverage do you have--i.e. do you have good grades from a top school?

Do the firms in that market have NYC offices? It's probably easier to split intra-firm than with two different firms. Firms are more open to intra-office splits because it means you're pretty much already committing to them.

OP here, thanks for the congrats.

Mullens wrote: Do the firms in that market have NYC offices?

Yes, they're all firms w/ large NYC offices.

SmokeytheBear wrote: how much leverage do you have--i.e. do you have good grades from a top school?

Yes to both, plus good WE. Humility aside, I look good on paper at least.

Sounds like it's something I could try to make happen, even if it doesn't work out. If so, any thoughts on how I should go about broaching the subject/what the process is? Do I need to interview at and get an offer from the NYC office separately, then go to both and ask? I assume I can't just ask the offices I've got offers at to call the NYC offices to save me a seat...

Anonymous User wrote:OP here, thanks for the congrats.

Mullens wrote: Do the firms in that market have NYC offices?

Yes, they're all firms w/ large NYC offices.

SmokeytheBear wrote: how much leverage do you have--i.e. do you have good grades from a top school?

Yes to both, plus good WE. Humility aside, I look good on paper at least.

Sounds like it's something I could try to make happen, even if it doesn't work out. If so, any thoughts on how I should go about broaching the subject/what the process is? Do I need to interview at and get an offer from the NYC office separately, then go to both and ask? I assume I can't just ask the offices I've got offers at to call the NYC offices to save me a seat...

Are you summering in the home office or is NYC the home office?

SmokeytheBear wrote:Are you summering in the home office or is NYC the home office?

Home office = the firm's base? If so NYC. My target market's offices (where I have offers) are satellites.

Anonymous User wrote:

SmokeytheBear wrote:Are you summering in the home office or is NYC the home office?

Home office = the firm's base? If so NYC. My target market's offices (where I have offers) are satellites.

So you have multiple offers from different firms, all of which have offices in our target market and NYC?

SmokeytheBear wrote:So you have multiple offers from different firms, all of which have offices in our target market and NYC?

Yes, sorry if I've been unclear. Pre-OCI offers from the target-market offices of firms which are all based in/have large offices in NYC.

If you already have the offers then go ahead and ask and let them know why. In some cases firms don't like splits because it suggests you won't come to that satellite office but your reasoning would resolve any concerns in that regard. It makes a lot of sense to want to be near your new baby and S/O. Just make it clear that you ultimately do want to be in the satellite office city. They'll try to work something out for you if they can. If not, it's not like theyll rescind their offer or anything.

It's worth asking. There are firms that don't care if you want to split the summer; they wouldn't even ask why. But other ones could be PITA.

In terms of receiving offers, splitting is not, in itself, a factor in my experience. . . . at least in cities with high offer rates, like NYC (large firm offer rate in NYC was over 99% in 2016, IIRC).

Definitely ask, and it sounds like you have a legit reason for it (though some firms might not want to let you go to NYC if you make it sound like there's no chance you ever end up there, so I might frame it as wanting to see what the New York office is like for a few weeks in combination with the family stuff).

OP here - first, thanks for all the advice. It's much appreciated.

Last question: Am I correct that to attempt this I will need to separately interview for and obtain an offer from the NYC office of X firm from which I have a target market offer, then approach both offices of X firm and ask to split for such-and-such reasons?

Anonymous User wrote:OP here - first, thanks for all the advice. It's much appreciated.

Last question: Am I correct that to attempt this I will need to separately interview for and obtain an offer from the NYC office of X firm from which I have a target market offer, then approach both offices of X firm and ask to split for such-and-such reasons?

Varies by firm. I know some firms let you split automatically (like DPW, I believe) and others require you to have offers from each office (like Weil, at least for U.S. offices).

I think you should be fine asking to split. I'd suggest reaching out to one of the partners who interviewed you to chat with them, or with the recruiter that you feel is easiest to communicate with.

I asked to split two U.S. offices at my firm and was denied, so then I asked to split with an international office and was approved. So I guess it doesn't hurt to ask because I'm still with the firm, and you have better reasons to split than I did when I asked!