Any Real Downside to Phoning It In for SA? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey all. I'm a rising 3L, and I've had a very bad experience at my biglaw summer associate position in a major market. Won't go into specifics so as not to doxx myself, but I've been very disappointed with my firm's supervision, mentorship, and work assignments.

There are probably some things that I can do as the program wraps up to improve my odds of getting a return offer, but I'm feeling very burnt by this firm and wouldn't take an offer even if I received it. I have two federal clerkships lined up graduating, and will graduate with some honors from a school that tends to place very well everywhere, so I feel like my job prospects afterwards are still pretty good. Is there any reason why I should gun really hard to get an offer?

[Anonymous User]

There is a major firm that cold offered someone this summer, but it generally takes a lot to get no/cold-offered.

You should try getting an offer anyway, you may get asked about it later when interviewing and a no-offer is not going to go over well.

[nixy]

It’s August 3. I’m assuming you went to a 100% offer firm, or as close to that as makes no difference. What kind of gunning would you anticipate doing at this point that would really make a difference, such that not doing it is a risk? I would imagine keeping your head down and not drawing notice to yourself isn’t going to change your outcome in the slightest.

[hdr]

You should never start phoning it in until you're ready to leave biglaw. It sounds like you'll find another offer after clerking, but someone you work with now could end up lateraling to a firm you'd rather work for and sink your application there.

[Anonymous User]

There is a major firm that cold offered someone this summer, but it generally takes a lot to get no/cold-offered.

You should try getting an offer anyway, you may get asked about it later when interviewing and a no-offer is not going to go over well.

Sorry, but how do you (we?) know about the cold offer? Very curious and a bit terrified.

[Anonymous User]

Hey all. I'm a rising 3L, and I've had a very bad experience at my biglaw summer associate position in a major market. Won't go into specifics so as not to doxx myself, but I've been very disappointed with my firm's supervision, mentorship, and work assignments.

There are probably some things that I can do as the program wraps up to improve my odds of getting a return offer, but I'm feeling very burnt by this firm and wouldn't take an offer even if I received it. I have two federal clerkships lined up graduating, and will graduate with some honors from a school that tends to place very well everywhere, so I feel like my job prospects afterwards are still pretty good. Is there any reason why I should gun really hard to get an offer?

I know you don't want to go into details but I am so intrigued how in 10 weeks of what was most likely a virtual summer, you were able to be disappointed in the supervision, mentorship and work assignments received lol. Like 2/10 weeks is training, you're constantly in and out of events, and with virtual no one is even around to see/know you're there. Either way - you're going to get an offer unless you did something reprehensible, so this won't really be a concern.

[12YrsAnAssociate]

I know you don't want to go into details but I am so intrigued how in 10 weeks of what was most likely a virtual summer, you were able to be disappointed in the supervision, mentorship and work assignments received lol. Like 2/10 weeks is training, you're constantly in and out of events, and with virtual no one is even around to see/know you're there. Either way - you're going to get an offer unless you did something reprehensible, so this won't really be a concern.

I'm not OP, but I could actually see this for a virtual summer. Like, I didn't talk to a single SA all summer long and I get the sense that many here also ignored them. COVID just changed my ability and willingness to participate in extracurricular work events, and I think it did for others too. Would be a weird as fuck dynamic to be an ignored SA.

[Anonymous User]

Hey all. I'm a rising 3L, and I've had a very bad experience at my biglaw summer associate position in a major market. Won't go into specifics so as not to doxx myself, but I've been very disappointed with my firm's supervision, mentorship, and work assignments.

There are probably some things that I can do as the program wraps up to improve my odds of getting a return offer, but I'm feeling very burnt by this firm and wouldn't take an offer even if I received it. I have two federal clerkships lined up graduating, and will graduate with some honors from a school that tends to place very well everywhere, so I feel like my job prospects afterwards are still pretty good. Is there any reason why I should gun really hard to get an offer?

I know you don't want to go into details but I am so intrigued how in 10 weeks of what was most likely a virtual summer, you were able to be disappointed in the supervision, mentorship and work assignments received lol. Like 2/10 weeks is training, you're constantly in and out of events, and with virtual no one is even around to see/know you're there. Either way - you're going to get an offer unless you did something reprehensible, so this won't really be a concern.

I can certainly give you a V20 story from back in the day...worked with a difficult midlevel, happy to be done with her at the end of the matter...fast forward to mid-summer review, where my partner mentor reads some of the reviews to me...a whole litany of complaints - unprofessional, doesn't follow instructions, would never work with again, etc... Partner proceeds to give me entire speech on what it takes to succeed in Biglaw, and how bad associates end up with no one wanting to work with them and pushed out. Instantly I knew was bailing on this place.

[Anonymous User]

There is a major firm that cold offered someone this summer, but it generally takes a lot to get no/cold-offered.

You should try getting an offer anyway, you may get asked about it later when interviewing and a no-offer is not going to go over well.

Sorry, but how do you (we?) know about the cold offer? Very curious and a bit terrified.

End of summer firm party didn’t mention everyone getting an offer in contrast to years prior and then it leaked through the grapevine. A friend heard directly from the summer too.

[Anonymous User]

There is a major firm that cold offered someone this summer, but it generally takes a lot to get no/cold-offered.

You should try getting an offer anyway, you may get asked about it later when interviewing and a no-offer is not going to go over well.

Sorry, but how do you (we?) know about the cold offer? Very curious and a bit terrified.

End of firm party didn’t mention everyone getting an offer in contrast to years prior and then it leaked through the grapevine. A friend heard directly from the summer too.

Can you say what firm?