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Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 12:30 pm
by Anonymous User
Congratulations to all of you with multiple outstanding offers! Please decline the offers you KNOW you are not seriously considering. There are people on reserve/waitlists patiently waiting for offers from firms you KNOW you don't want to work at. I can appreciate that these decisions may take time and thorough consideration. But if you KNOW you will ultimately decline a firm, please send a quick email declining your offer

Congratulations again!
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 7:59 pm
by Anonymous User
Just theorizing: wouldn’t there be an accordion effect like law school admissions where the prestigious firms fill any remaining spots with backups?
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:20 pm
by Anonymous User
Not necessarily, just like not all law schools admit substantial #s off the waitlist (Columbia, for example, is pretty famous for having a waitlist that barely budges). Law firms have gotten pretty good at predicting yield, so it'd take an unusual number of declines to trigger a hunt for more folks to offer.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:43 pm
by Anonymous User
There’s definitely reserve lists and IF someone is at the top of that list, they will be given an offer if someone declines. Considering these forums feature a lot of ppl asking for advice on which firm they should choose from their MULTIPLE OFFERS, offers will be declined eventually. But better to do it sooner than later
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 10:19 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:There’s definitely reserve lists and IF someone is at the top of that list, they will be given an offer if someone declines. Considering these forums feature a lot of ppl asking for advice on which firm they should choose from their MULTIPLE OFFERS, offers will be declined eventually. But better to do it sooner than later
For sure. Just to preface this: I am a begger not a chooser. But I don’t begrudge the choosers for holding onto their offers until they are sure that another potential opportunity is no longer viable.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:25 pm
by Anonymous User
I know of at least 2 V10 firms I have offers with that have mentioned their yield this year exceeds norms/projections. Meaning, they're fine with people declining because they are "above the curve". So, the fact someone "DECLINEs offers ASAP" in no way suggests firms will be extending offers to others.
Wish you the best though...
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:42 pm
by star fox
Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:45 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Anonymous User wrote:There’s definitely reserve lists and IF someone is at the top of that list, they will be given an offer if someone declines. Considering these forums feature a lot of ppl asking for advice on which firm they should choose from their MULTIPLE OFFERS, offers will be declined eventually. But better to do it sooner than later
For sure. Just to preface this: I am a begger not a chooser. But I don’t begrudge the choosers for holding onto their offers until they are sure that another potential opportunity is no longer viable.
Definitely understandable if people are actually weighing their options(and rightfully so). The first post specifically said for people to decline offers they KNOW they will definitely not choose.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:46 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
Firms do have waitlists. Speaking from experience.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:48 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:I know of at least 2 V10 firms I have offers with that have mentioned their yield this year exceeds norms/projections. Meaning, they're fine with people declining because they are "above the curve". So, the fact someone "DECLINEs offers ASAP" in no way suggests firms will be extending offers to others.
Wish you the best though...
That is only 2 out of hundreds of firms. Speaking from experience, there are wait lists at some firms and movement depends on people declining. Best of luck choosing!
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 11:50 pm
by Anonymous User
Why are people acting like it’s outrageous to decline an offer you KNOW you will not take lol
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:23 am
by Anonymous User
ASAP =As soon as possible. Not “now”
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:49 am
by lavarman84
Anonymous User wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
This is so wrong and should not be Anon.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:38 am
by smokeylarue
lavarman84 wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
This is so wrong and should not be Anon.
Ditto. This board has gotten so much worse with the anon dominated posts.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:14 am
by barkschool
smokeylarue wrote:lavarman84 wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
This is so wrong and should not be Anon.
Ditto. This board has gotten so much worse with the anon dominated posts.
Can’t let anyone know your username has an opinion
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:30 am
by brdlw
yes as someone going crazy on a (confirmed) waitlist for a firm, please help a fellow student out and turn down the offers you don't want soon!
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 10:23 am
by Anonymous User
Great source informed me that AO above yield since more accepted than anticipated.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:30 pm
by totesTheGoat
smokeylarue wrote:lavarman84 wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
This is so wrong and should not be Anon.
Ditto. This board has gotten so much worse with the anon dominated posts.
Agreed, but people got pissy when I started outing anons, and it was hard to differentiate between legit anon and abuse when there are 50 anon-heavy threads going at the same time, so I stopped bothering. If it's particularly egregious (trolling, etc.) I'll out it. Otherwise, I don't mess with it.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 7:40 pm
by Anonymous User
A firm that I had callback called me and said "You are still in consideration. Are you still interested?" I think they are just waiting for offers to expire/people to cancel. Are my chances good?
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 9:30 pm
by Anonymous User
I sit on a BigLaw hiring committee. I can confirm that we “hold” candidates with the hope that people will start declining offers. The later you interview, the more likely it is that you’re being held for offers to open up. (That is, if you’ve been waiting longer than a week or two.)
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 9:45 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:I sit on a BigLaw hiring committee. I can confirm that we “hold” candidates with the hope that people will start declining offers. The later you interview, the more likely it is that you’re being held for offers to open up. (That is, if you’ve been waiting longer than a week or two.)
Do you have an opinion on whether someone should call to check in? I do not have any other offers, so there is no rush on the decision. FWIW I already know I am on some sort of "waiting list" because a friend's sibling works at the firm and told me.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 1:26 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Anonymous User wrote:I sit on a BigLaw hiring committee. I can confirm that we “hold” candidates with the hope that people will start declining offers. The later you interview, the more likely it is that you’re being held for offers to open up. (That is, if you’ve been waiting longer than a week or two.)
Do you have an opinion on whether someone should call to check in? I do not have any other offers, so there is no rush on the decision. FWIW I already know I am on some sort of "waiting list" because a friend's sibling works at the firm and told me.
I’m the first anon. The safer course is to do nothing. If it’s been a few weeks, you can email the recruitment person and say “hey, I just wanted to check in. Still very interested in your firm,” but I don’t think that’ll move the needle much. There is the slight chance that your renewed interest will speed up a ding (no offers to give + you seem to be in a hurry), but I don’t think that would happen (at least not at our firm).
If you were in a late wave of callbacks, I would give it a week or two. We wouldn’t waitlist you if you weren’t qualified, and the first wave of offers should be expiring in the next week or so. Depends on the market too, of course, but 28 days is a long time, and we can only give out so many offers at once.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:33 am
by Anonymous User
I used to believe that because firms have data from previous years, they know how many offers to give out and don't really keep a waitlist. However, after my oci, I got the impression that I have been waitlisted by at least one firm as they got back to me after over a month.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:00 pm
by Anonymous User
Seconding this post.
Some firms don’t have wait lists. Others do. It’s considerate to the firm and your fellow classmates to decline offers you know are towards the bottom of your list.
Come on guys, this is common courtesy.
Re: Please DECLINE Offers ASAP
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:51 pm
by Anonymous User
star fox wrote:Firms don’t have waitlists. They have years of data at their disposal. They know how many people to offe rto get roughly their desired summer class.
My office 100% has a waitlist. Perhaps it's more common for firms/office with smaller classes to do this because it's more of an issue for them to end up with a 1 or 2 too many summers.
That said...my office is a bit ridiculous about it as they pretty much refuse to give out more offers than slots, which is absurd in my opinion.