2L SA no offer? If so - why? Forum

[typeslowly300]

Hi TLS,

I am curious about the prospect of NOT receiving a full-time offer after 2L SA summer for Biglaw. I recently saw that 95% of summer associates received offers last summer (or some insanely high percentage). Is it fair to say that in 2019, if you are kind, polite, hard-working, show up on time, and don't get wasted at a social event that you are good to go for an offer? I just want to do everything I can to get an offer, and show the firm that I was a great pick for their summer class. (My grades in a T20 are average, I interview very well, some connections helped me get interviews). Thank you!

[cavalier1138]

A firm that regularly no-offers a significant chunk of the summer class is a problem. It shows a practice of taking on more summers than they know they will end up being able to hire back.

But from your description, this sounds more like 1 summer who either completely fucked up (and that's a high threshold) or had some kind of unique issue. That's not that unusual, even among firms that usually give offers to 100% of the class.

[JHP]

I think everything you say is pretty much right--show up and be polite, show good skills, do inoffensive work, don't get inappropriately wasted at events, etc. and you'll probably be fine. If you are really concerned, just do a little due diligence and look at how many summers the office you're summering at has historically hired, how many did they hire this year, and are the numbers notably different? Otherwise, don't sweat it.

[andythefir]

I worked for a firm that called the position summer associate, paid us like 1st year associates for 10 weeks, had firmwide gatherings, etc. NALP said they’d have 4 summers and keep 4. 1st day they told us there were 3 summers and they might keep 1. Ended up keeping none of us.

>500 attorney summer associate jobs are highly regular. Regional firms can be highly irregular.

[Vursz]

My DC biglaw firm has no-offered folks in the past, but for eminently good reasons (blowing deadlines, getting drunk and going on a racially charged rant, etc.). Don’t do that and you’ll be fine.

[Yea All Right]

If a partner gives you feedback on how to improve, don't ignore it.

[Npret]

Track your deadlines. Don’t take on more work just to show you are hard working. Do good work, carefully, not extra work.

Never complain about anything.

Be polite and respectful to everyone but especially support staff.

[LaChusa2020]

Track your deadlines. Don’t take on more work just to show you are hard working. Do good work, carefully, not extra work.

Never complain about anything.

Be polite and respectful to everyone but especially support staff.

Seconded. Also, don’t be entitled. Humor old partners and listen to their stories, don’t act like you’re better than your peers, be grateful when taken out to fancy things (and don’t try to squeeze fancy meals out of the firm in a transactional way). Just treat it like a privilege and a job interview because it is both.