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Switching firms/locations after 2L summer
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 11:04 am
by Anonymous User
I go to law school in secondary market X and I just spent my 2L summer at a firm in major market Y. My firm has no office in secondary market X. I will be clerking for two years (federal district then CoA) starting the year after graduation (not 2/9/DC but a very desirable city that is neither X or Y), so I would like to go to a firm for this in-between year, but I frankly don't want to return to major market Y and would prefer to stay in secondary market X for the year. I can't really say what I would want post-clerkship but at this point would be equally open to either X or Y. I am trying to understand the consequences of turning down my offer and trying to do 3L OCI/entry-level hiring in market X. (I would obviously not turn down the offer without a different offer in hand.)
Would I be blacklisted from my 2L summer firm? Would I have a harder time getting hired in city Y post-clerkship, if I decided to move there? How is the post-clerkship hiring market generally?
Re: Switching firms/locations after 2L summer
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2024 9:58 am
by Barry grandpapy
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 11:04 am
I go to law school in secondary market X and I just spent my 2L summer at a firm in major market Y. My firm has no office in secondary market X. I will be clerking for two years (federal district then CoA) starting the year after graduation (not 2/9/DC but a very desirable city that is neither X or Y), so I would like to go to a firm for this in-between year, but I frankly don't want to return to major market Y and would prefer to stay in secondary market X for the year. I can't really say what I would want post-clerkship but at this point would be equally open to either X or Y. I am trying to understand the consequences of turning down my offer and trying to do 3L OCI/entry-level hiring in market X. (I would obviously not turn down the offer without a different offer in hand.)
Would I be blacklisted from my 2L summer firm? Would I have a harder time getting hired in city Y post-clerkship, if I decided to move there? How is the post-clerkship hiring market generally?
I would strongly advise against turning down the offer without another offer in hand. 3L OCI/entry-level hiring is generally a long shot. You'd be setting yourself up for a likely scenario of scrambling to accept anything during the gap. Also yes, I can't imagine the firm being fine with you declining the return offer then applying later so I think you'd be blacklisted.
Personally, I think people get too paranoid about the firm finding out about 3L apps so if I were you I'd just accept and still do 3L OCI/other apps. Might as well shoot your shot but maybe don't get your hopes up.
If it doesn't pan out, no firm will knock you for doing a brief stint before the clerkship, then targeting your preferred market after the clerkship. People clerk then move markets all the time.