If you are weighing an EIW offer, consult the CDO’s Offer Guide, which contains advice about the mechanics and timing of accepting/declining offers.
Ignoring an offer or callback invite that is less preferred than another you already have is never ok. Declining these offers promptly not only preserves your professional reputation, but may help one of your classmates who may be on a waiting list.
We are all naturally reluctant to break bad news, but declining an offer in the context of recruiting is routine. Firms don’t take it “personally.” No need to give detailed or deeply apologetic reasons. Simply state that you appreciate the firm’s interest in you, and that the decision was difficult, but that you have decided that another firm would be a better option for you. It’s extremely bad form to just let a less preferred offer sit out there until it expires.
Contact us if you have questions about how long you should/can wait before responding, or if you need help deciding between offers. e Guide as to why if it’s not obvious to you).
If you participated in EIW, but are still on the job market, you may want to consult our Post-OCI Job Search Guide. You can find a link to it at the bottom of our OCI Alternatives webpage.
You should also check out our webcasts of some specific nuts and bolts job search programs (e.g., our Public Interest/Public Sector Job Search Workshops and our Small and Mid-Size Firm Job Search Workshop).
Also, our resources and webcasts about networking and informational interviewing, which will be crucial to your job search going forward, are well worth your time.
One last resource for continuing job seekers is an article that originally appeared in the ABA’s Student Lawyer publication. It was written for a slightly different audience in a very different time, nevertheless I thought some of you might find it useful.
We hope the above resources will be useful to you, but none is a substitute for the sort of personalized advice you can get during an appointment with an attorney-counselor. Alex and Melanie focus on public interest job searches. Eric focuses on government and Sarah, Marsha, or I can help refine your private sector job search. Samorn has expertise in the small and mid-size firm job market.