Downside to Accepting Jones Day Offer Pre-OCI? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I recently received a summer associate offer from Jones Day in my target market and wanted to know if there are any downsides to accepting it before I go through my school's traditional OCI process. While I am in the range for biglaw at my school, I was not assuming that biglaw was a given. Jones Day seems to get a lot of hate online, mainly for their black-box comp system, but given my grades and the fact that I would be in my target market, are there any additional downsides to accepting the offer aside from trying to end up with a firm that pays lockstep?

[Anonymous User]

Depends on market? No one can answer this without that. In OH where JD is the market leader and best option flat out? Ofc

Chicago where there's 5-7 firms that are objectively better? No

[Anonymous User]

I recently received a summer associate offer from Jones Day in my target market and wanted to know if there are any downsides to accepting it before I go through my school's traditional OCI process. I am at a T20 and just below median, so while I am in the range for biglaw at my school, I was not assuming that biglaw was a given. Jones Day seems to get a lot of hate online, mainly for their black-box comp system, but given my grades and the fact that I would be in my target market, are there any additional downsides to accepting the offer aside from trying to end up with a firm that pays lockstep?

What's the downside to going through OCI? I cannot think of a single market where I would choose Jones Day over another AmLaw 100 firm...

[Anonymous User]

Go through OCI.

I accepted an exploding offer during Covid OCI at a different firm (it was weird because some firms started interviews months before the "official" OCI that year) and I regret it. Fuck every firm that did this during Covid, but here OCI is what like next week? Just do it.

None of the partners/recruiters will care about you showing eagerness to accept the offer early. But good luck trying to upgrade during 3L. If you're already thinking "what if" I guarantee that feeling will only get worse.

Also, firms offer very different stipend and even employee benefits packages (I hate that I didn't know this too before accepting) so you might 1) get an offer at a lockstep firm in your market, 2) make more money doing nothing as a bar studying grad, AND 3) get better benefits while you're a junior associate.

-Jaded alum studying for the bar going to a market firm that scrimps on benefits/bar stipend/but was in a weird Covid exploding offer situation that doesn't apply here

[Anonymous User]

If it's an exploding offer and you're below median at a T20 that's a tough one. In your shoes I'd probably accept. Better to get paid 200+ and figure it out later if to lateral than risk not getting anything.

If it's not exploding then do OCI! You might get a better offer, especially if you let them know that you have an offer in hand.

[blair.waldorf]

Can’t you just accept and renege if you get something better? Firms don’t care if you do this, it happens all the time (I mean maybe you can’t work for that specific office again for the next few years but no one in biglaw really remembers or cares).

[Pneumonia]

Can’t you just accept and renege if you get something better? Firms don’t care if you do this, it happens all the time (I mean maybe you can’t work for that specific office again for the next few years but no one in biglaw really remembers or cares).

This 100%

[Anonymous User]

Go through OCI.

I accepted an exploding offer during Covid OCI at a different firm (it was weird because some firms started interviews months before the "official" OCI that year) and I regret it. Fuck every firm that did this during Covid, but here OCI is what like next week? Just do it.

None of the partners/recruiters will care about you showing eagerness to accept the offer early. But good luck trying to upgrade during 3L. If you're already thinking "what if" I guarantee that feeling will only get worse.

Also, firms offer very different stipend and even employee benefits packages (I hate that I didn't know this too before accepting) so you might 1) get an offer at a lockstep firm in your market, 2) make more money doing nothing as a bar studying grad, AND 3) get better benefits while you're a junior associate.

-Jaded alum studying for the bar going to a market firm that scrimps on benefits/bar stipend/but was in a weird Covid exploding offer situation that doesn't apply here

OP here. Do you have any tips on the most professional way to figure out what benefits a firm offers? Is it acceptable to just ask the firm about those benefits?

[Anonymous User]

I am at a T20 and just below median, so while I am in the range for biglaw at my school, I was not assuming that biglaw was a given.

Given your stats, I'd take the bird in hand. OCI would be rough and likely yield nothing better, unless you have a STEM background.

[Anonymous User]

Go through OCI.

I accepted an exploding offer during Covid OCI at a different firm (it was weird because some firms started interviews months before the "official" OCI that year) and I regret it. Fuck every firm that did this during Covid, but here OCI is what like next week? Just do it.

None of the partners/recruiters will care about you showing eagerness to accept the offer early. But good luck trying to upgrade during 3L. If you're already thinking "what if" I guarantee that feeling will only get worse.

Also, firms offer very different stipend and even employee benefits packages (I hate that I didn't know this too before accepting) so you might 1) get an offer at a lockstep firm in your market, 2) make more money doing nothing as a bar studying grad, AND 3) get better benefits while you're a junior associate.

-Jaded alum studying for the bar going to a market firm that scrimps on benefits/bar stipend/but was in a weird Covid exploding offer situation that doesn't apply here

OP here. Do you have any tips on the most professional way to figure out what benefits a firm offers? Is it acceptable to just ask the firm about those benefits?

Just ask HR, they have no control over hiring anyways.

But I would agree with the others. Regardless of whether the offer is exploding, you should participate in OCI and renege later if needed. While getting paid less than market might not bother you now, it certainly will later when you realize the firm is making you work the same (if not more given the nature of black box comp) than your peers while paying you less.

[Anonymous User]

I recently received a summer associate offer from Jones Day in my target market and wanted to know if there are any downsides to accepting it before I go through my school's traditional OCI process. I am at a T20 and just below median, so while I am in the range for biglaw at my school, I was not assuming that biglaw was a given. Jones Day seems to get a lot of hate online, mainly for their black-box comp system, but given my grades and the fact that I would be in my target market, are there any additional downsides to accepting the offer aside from trying to end up with a firm that pays lockstep?

I'd take what you read online with a grain of salt. Jones Day is still a really good firm. No harm in doing OCI, but if it's the best you end up with you've done well for yourself.

[Anonymous User]

Even if it’s an exploding offer, you can always ask for an extension. A lot of firms would simply say yes.

[Anonymous User]

I recently received a summer associate offer from Jones Day in my target market and wanted to know if there are any downsides to accepting it before I go through my school's traditional OCI process. I am at a T20 and just below median, so while I am in the range for biglaw at my school, I was not assuming that biglaw was a given. Jones Day seems to get a lot of hate online, mainly for their black-box comp system, but given my grades and the fact that I would be in my target market, are there any additional downsides to accepting the offer aside from trying to end up with a firm that pays lockstep?

I'd take what you read online with a grain of salt. Jones Day is still a really good firm. No harm in doing OCI, but if it's the best you end up with you've done well for yourself.

It depends on the alternative. A lot of non market paying firms are really good firms too! But that's how it should be looked at. It's market (or above, ish) for first year, then below after.

[Anonymous User]

Here are your options, in descending order from best for you to worse for you:

Assuming offer explodes before OCI.

Assuming you aren’t targeting the markets of: DC, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, San Diego or Miami. (Reason—those are hard markets without a ton of great biglaw market opportunities excepting DC). In that case as a below median it’s better to take the “you got in” approach and try to wiggle around later.


1. Accept and Renege (after OCI or during 3L year)
2. Negotiate for more time to get you through OCI
3. Deny

People say “don’t reneeeegggeee it’s so bad!” but miss the fact it’s all at will employment. And, there are ways to manage the blowback later. You’re cog #400 as an associate to these firms. So long as you don’t go tattling on yourself, come up with compelling reasons, and be professional you will come through relatively unscathed.

You have three options. There aren’t a lot of choices here. Just suck it up, accept and renege later. It will feel bad and immoral but this is all at-will employment. Them’s the breaks.

I reneged twice to go from unranked to middle to v10. My two closest friends all did the same. We were honestly, besides sig others, the only people that knew.

The worst that can happen is a bit of reputational hit…MAYBE. Fact is, by the time you get to your firm in two years, half of those associates will have left.

Anyways, how pathetic would a senior associate look mentioning the fact that they interviewed you and you accepted but told them “insert legit practice group change reason here” or “family situation change that had you choose a different firm”, and therefore you didn’t accept? That’s right, super ridiculous.

Also, school OCR teams are complete jokes. They are just secretaries and event coordinators. There might be some concerns about “no reneging an accepted offer” but that is involuntary servitude. You can’t force someone to work a job. The most that will happen is you get blacklisted from their recruiting services…which suck anyways. The only useful thing about law school OCR teams are the fact they coordinate OCI for you. That’s it.

[Anonymous User]

Can’t you just accept and renege if you get something better? Firms don’t care if you do this, it happens all the time (I mean maybe you can’t work for that specific office again for the next few years but no one in biglaw really remembers or cares).

OP, do this but first make sure that your school doesn't have draconian rules that would require you to drop out of OCI if you already have accepted an offer. And if they do have such rules, consider doing this anyway and not telling your school until after OCI.

[Anonymous User]

Biggest downside is you could end up being at Jones Day

[Anonymous User]

You probably would never get a Jones Day interview again, but that's probably the only risk for turning them down after accepting an offer.

[Anonymous User]

Bird in the hand and all that but as far as black box goes, anecdotally I compared all in comp (so base and bonus) with 3 of my friends at JD and they were making rough average 40-60k less than me. We are all 3rd years for context. I was at a V10 at the time. Same market as them (non NY major market)

Fwiw two were women and one was a guy. The guy made substantially more than the women.