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I'm interviewing a 3L candidate on a callback next week. Just got her resume and she summered at a big firm after 2L. Is it fair to ask if she got an offer?

Does it matter? If she got no-offered, will you use that against her? If you will use a no-offer against her, that would be unfair because people get no-offered for a variety of undisclosed (or often masked) reasons.

I mean yes it's sort of an expected question? This is why it's hard to job search with a no offer and easier with a cold offer.

Not really. I'm sure recruiting and the hiring partners have already considered this issue. You aren't a decision maker here (you wouldn't have asked the question if you were). The point of junior associates doing callbacks is to make the candidate feel comfortable. Your role is more selling than anything else. Don't make the candidate uncomfortable.

I was a 1L summer associate and every single OCI screener asked me if I got an offer, whether junior associate or senior partner. A few callback interviewers thus far have also asked.

devilblue wrote:I was a 1L summer associate and every single OCI screener asked me if I got an offer, whether junior associate or senior partner. A few callback interviewers thus far have also asked.

It is an important question for deciding who gets called back. It isn't that important once that decision is made, because the hiring partners have already determined that it is ok that this person got no-offered. OP, if you have a burning desire to know whether or not this person received an offer from his/her 2L firm, just ask recruiting. They already know.

ClubberLang wrote:You aren't a decision maker here (you wouldn't have asked the question if you were). The point of junior associates doing callbacks is to make the candidate feel comfortable. Your role is more selling than anything else.

This is flat wrong for many firms.

SmokeytheBear wrote:

ClubberLang wrote:You aren't a decision maker here (you wouldn't have asked the question if you were). The point of junior associates doing callbacks is to make the candidate feel comfortable. Your role is more selling than anything else.

This is flat wrong for many firms.

Yeah agree with Smokey. Many firms let junior people have legit say in the process.

sparkytrainer wrote:

SmokeytheBear wrote:

ClubberLang wrote:You aren't a decision maker here (you wouldn't have asked the question if you were). The point of junior associates doing callbacks is to make the candidate feel comfortable. Your role is more selling than anything else.

This is flat wrong for many firms.

Yeah agree with Smokey. Many firms let junior people have legit say in the process.

Agree with this - at my firm even if a first year has negative things to say about a candidate it can be tough to overcome.

I'm interviewing a 3L candidate on a callback next week. Just got her resume and she summered at a big firm after 2L. Is it fair to ask if she got an offer?

Sure. I'd ask anything that helps you make a decision as long as the question doesn't run afoul of any law or similar...

As for whether it's unfair to the applicant, well, no, it's not really any more unfair than many other questions that get asked. As much as it sucks because a no-offer could be for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the applicant, it also could be because the applicant sucked or did something stupid but not quite ATL-worthy.

I worked at a big law for my 1l summer and they asked me whether I was invited back. So I believe that question is normal and I am pretty sure the candidate expects this question.

I normally just phrase it as to why they are not returning to their 2L summer firm. This pretty much always results in them indicating whether or not they got an offer from that firm.