Biglaw, Job Searches, Law Schools, Summer Associates

Accept Your Offers: Stop Screwin' Around You Kids Screw Around Too Much

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In case you haven’t been paying attention, the economy is bad. People are losing their jobs, firms are cutting back on summer programs, and some firms are dissolving.

If you are a 2L sitting on multiple offers, could you please — for the love of God — accept one of them already, so the spots you don’t want can be filled by other candidates? At this point, in this market, it is just common courtesy.

And it might be in your best interest as well. The career services office at U. Penn Law School sent around a letter to students today, urging them to make a decision:

We recommend that you do not wait until the expiration of the offer to render a decision. Additionally, in this market, we advise that you seek an extension for an outstanding offer only if you fall under the public interest exception or have truly extenuating circumstances that justify your need for more time. Indecision does not qualify as a legitimate reason for an extension. …

Wednesday, we learned that one of your 2L colleagues had their offer for employment rescinded before the expiration of the offer because the firm experienced a higher than usual acceptances from outstanding offers and had to close their class immediately to prevent over subscription thereto.

If you are sitting on an offer, you might find that your offer has been rescinded by the time you’ve made up your mind. We’re getting (unconfirmed and highly speculative) reports to ATL that multiple firms have extended more offers than they intend to honor and that slots will be given on a first come, first employed basis.

Accept now!

Read the full Penn letter, after the jump.

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UPENN LAW SCHOOL — MEMORANDUM — ACCEPTING OFFERS

Dear Students,

As you are aware the fall recruiting season has been affected by the serious challenges facing our economy. It is becoming increasingly important for those of you with offers to review them carefully and to narrow them down to five and accept an offer for employment as soon as possible. We recommend that you do not wait until the expiration of the offer to render a decision. Additionally, in this market, we advise that you seek an extension for an outstanding offer only if you fall under the public interest exception or have truly extenuating circumstances that justify your need for more time. Indecision does not qualify as a legitimate reason for an extension.

We are making these recommendation because of several precipitating events. Wednesday, we learned that one of your 2L colleagues had their offer for employment rescinded before the expiration of the offer because the firm experienced a higher than usual acceptances from outstanding offers and had to close their class immediately to prevent over subscription thereto.

On a another note, we also learned that at least three 2Ls had offers for callbacks rescinded because a different firm again filled their summer class before the students even came in for a follow-up interview. While these are unfortunate events and ones that we hope will not occur again, we wanted to share these developments with you so that you may plan accordingly. As we do not want other students to experience similar issues, we hope you will take some time now, consider and weigh your options and select the best employer for you as soon as possible.

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We realize that, in a market like this, many of you will be adjusting your career strategies. Be assured that we are keeping a finger on the pulse of the market, and that we are here to assist you in your adaptations. Recently, a group of 3Ls who are adapting their market strategies met with the CP&P staff and with three alums who shared their job search experiences. Next week, we are hosting a similar program for 2L on how to conduct a successful job search given the current market conditions. We are hosting national experts on trends in the market in November, with a panel on November 18 with Larry Richard, PhD and Penn Law ’72, of Hildebrandt, Inc., followed by a second program towards the end of November featuring legal headhunters from national markets. As Dean Fitts noted in his e-mail earlier this month, knowledge is power, and we are here to help you equip yourself with the knowledge you need to succeed – not just in finding your “next” job, but in building a satisfying career.

If you need help considering your options, please come and speak with a CP&P counselor. We are available Monday-Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Additionally, we’ve set aside the noon hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays to offer two drop-in counselors to assist those who are adapting their job search strategies. We look forward to working with you throughout the season.

Earlier: Open Thread: How is the Fall Recruiting Season Shaping Up?

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