Gracefully declining summer offer. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Any advice on how to gracefully decline an offer from the firm you are summering at when you have another offer that you would like to accept? I have really enjoyed my summer at my current firm; however, I recently received an offer from a firm in the practice group of my choosing, so I have decided to accept the offer from the new firm. I may be overthinking the situation in my head, but I am starting to worry about how I tell people I will not be returning. Especially because (1) my current firm really took a chance on me considering I was median at a T20, (2) I am now close to top 30% at my school and the new firm is more "prestigious" in my market, so it looks like I just traded up, and (3) I played up my interest in litigation big time to get a spot at my current firm (was a lit paralegal for 2 years prior to LS), despite my lack of interest, and I am switching to be in a corporate practice. More or less, I've been expressing an interest in lit all summer (working under the assumption I would not get another offer), and now I am worried about seeming like a big fake (which I am). I just really like the people I've met and it really sucks having to go to happy hours and dinners and discuss what it will be like when I actually work there (no official offer...but this has come up more and more throughout the summer) knowing, officially now, that I won't actually be there.

[Anonymous User]

First off, congrats on getting an offer from another firm so early - I literally don't know any 3Ls who have gotten other offers yet! Re: telling your current firm you don't want to work there, I would say you don't have to worry about it as much as you think you do because I don't think they ask you in-person and, even on the off chance they do (because I don't know what firm you're working at), they give you weeks to accept/decline the offer. Thereafter, you can just call the appropriate person or send an email politely declining the offer - if they ask questions as to why, you could just say that you received and accepted an offer at "NEW FIRM" and they would probably understand. I mean you will likely "burn" some bridges but you don't want to work in lit anyways so it shouldn't matter. As long as you do it in the most respectful way, they can't really be mad (although some people will be butt hurt no matter what). Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

OP here.

Thank you for the response. In terms of my early offer I don't want to mislead anyone who may see this, I was really helped by personal connections.

I guess I am mainly worried because I am in a somewhat smaller secondary market and I don't want to develop a bad reputation. I feel really bad about outright misrepresenting my interest in lit and then just bailing for corporate. I suppose I am just looking for justification for me being a real POS.

[nixy]

Except you're not being a POS. What you're doing is perfectly normal and people do it all the time. Your summer firm is an employer, not a family member or some kind of personal friend. You did the job they hired you to do, and in the meantime you got another job. You're not bound to the first firm in any way.

I mean, I can't guarantee no one will be in any way salty, but that would be because they're jerks, not because you somehow owe them anything. It's certainly not anything that's going to get you a bad reputation in any way.

Re lit v. corp, 1) interests change, and 2) because you're going corp now doesn't mean you had *no* interest in lit; you did a good job with your lit work and I'm sure you would have done a good job if you'd stayed with that firm.

It's really not the evil you're making it out to be.

[2013]

I mean, you are going to look like a POS, but who cares? You don’t owe them anything. They’ll just think you’re prestige hungry. Again, who cares?

No one at the firm you’re summering at is going to ruin your career. It’ll make them look bad.

Just don’t expect to work at that firm for a few years, if ever.

You do you. Congrats.

[Wild Card]

Firms would reassign you to random practice groups or even fire you in a heartbeat. Remember that.

[BeeTeeZ]

OP here.

Thank you for the response. In terms of my early offer I don't want to mislead anyone who may see this, I was really helped by personal connections.

I guess I am mainly worried because I am in a somewhat smaller secondary market and I don't want to develop a bad reputation. I feel really bad about outright misrepresenting my interest in lit and then just bailing for corporate. I suppose I am just looking for justification for me being a real POS.

At the end of the day, your summer firm hasn't made you an offer yet. Your top priority is to secure post-graduation employment. Period. That's what your goal was coming into the summer, and your summer firm knew that. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You're a top candidate and someone else swooped you up before your summer firm pulled the trigger. That's on them.

When you talk to your summer firm, express to them that you wish they had made you an offer sooner (assuming they make you an offer). Tell them that you've had a wonderful summer and hope to work with them again down the road. But that unfortunately (and unpredictably) you were forced to make a very hard decision.

You could have either (1) accepted a post-graduation job at a great firm; or (2) declined that offer because an even better firm (your summer firm--you can lie one last time for the sake of flattery) might offer you a post-graduation job. Tell them that given your student loans, you just couldn't justify taking that chance, so you went with the sure thing and secured your financial future.

I can't imagine anyone at the firm holding that against you. If anything, people will just shrug and say, "I guess we should have made her/him an offer sooner."

[totesTheGoat]

1) Don't say anything that will burn bridges (not that you would)
2) Thank them for all of the experience you received from them and tell your mentor/managing partner that you really hope to bump into them at the local (insert relevant lawyer social event) soon.
3) Don't let it eat you up.
4) Take the job you want.

During law school, I worked full-time at a firm for 2 years, including a summer. This position was meant to be a pipeline for new associates to the firm. I got a pair of better offers and walked. They tried to convince me to stay, but at the end of the day they were happy for me and have been cordial ever since. I've grabbed lunch with a few of the senior associates that have since moved on, and it's like I'm just another associate who lateraled out. You have nothing to worry about.

[Npret]

Do you even have an offer to decline at this point?
Keep doing a great job where you are and make connections. People move around a lot in law.

Don’t say anything about wanting an offer sooner. That doesn’t benefit you and it sounds like it’s not true.

Say you enjoyed your experience but you found a place that’s a better fit for now. You don’t have to say you are going to corporate or you could say that after reflection you realize litigation isn’t your passion.

They will forget about it in 10 minutes and start looking to hire if they need someone. You aren’t as important to them as you may think. Associates live in a revolving door.

[dabigchina]

Don't worry, people will forget you ever existed around September or so. Just keep being nice and doing good work.

[RedGiant]

1) Don't say anything that will burn bridges (not that you would)
2) Thank them for all of the experience you received from them and tell your mentor/managing partner that you really hope to bump into them at the local (insert relevant lawyer social event) soon.
3) Don't let it eat you up.
4) Take the job you want.

During law school, I worked full-time at a firm for 2 years, including a summer. This position was meant to be a pipeline for new associates to the firm. I got a pair of better offers and walked. They tried to convince me to stay, but at the end of the day they were happy for me and have been cordial ever since. I've grabbed lunch with a few of the senior associates that have since moved on, and it's like I'm just another associate who lateraled out. You have nothing to worry about.

^TCR. You may be young, or feel guilty, but there is literally a whole pipeline of associates who want your spot. They will fill it. People have been kind and helpful and patient to you this summer. That still doesn't mean you owe them a long or detailed explanation. If you are not pressured to say yes at the end of the summer (before you leave the internship), just continue your summer of lit. Ask the junior associates how and when offers were delivered. If you know you're going to have an uncomfortable convo, prepare a few very brief talking points (see prior poster's great advice) and say that you're considering another offer but you will revert just as soon as possible with your decision. If they pry, don't provide information--you don't owe them that. You don't. Even though you think you might...you really don't.

And as for the corp v. lit thing, remember you're not starting at the new firm for 13+ months and you likely won't go on their website for a while, and you'll be old news before anyone at your summer firm figures out the change. It's really not relevant. No need to go into it.

Don't waste too much emotional energy on this, even if you feel like a fraud. Consider this summer a great training summer for lit to round out your resume and then move TF on!