Reneging on 1L Internship? Forum

[futurebartlet]

Hello! I received an offer to intern with someone in Congress last week and they only gave me a day and a half to respond, so I accepted. I genuinely didn't think I would receive any other offers at that point; however, I just got an offer for my dream internship with another member of Congress. Is it okay to renege on the other offer and accept this new offer? If so, how do I renege? I don't know much about DC or working on Capitol Hill, but I've heard it's a small town and word gets around really quickly. I really want this new internship but I also don't want to start off my career with a poor reputation.

[sparkytrainer]

I mean its a bad look to renege in this circumstance I think, especially because they are colleagues. If this is the difference between a long-serving Senator and a freshman Congressman from the middle of nowhere, then I think you can plausibly explain it. But if its just two fairly equal people, then I would be nervous about reneging and ruining your rep on the hill before you even get there

[Dunnkirk85]

I am surprised you would even consider reneging in this circumstance. This is the exact type of situation where it would be inappropriate to do so. Chances are that the word will spread back to the original member quickly, and it's also possible the dream job congressperson will look unfavorably on you if it is ever brought up. Generally, I would say it's really not worth even a slight chance of ruining your reputation over a 1L internship.

[Anonymous User]

If the two are on good terms, why not propose a split?