I have gone on multiple second-round interviews at NYC mid-sized and Big Firms. It has been over a week, and I have not received an offer / rejection letter. Should I call the recruiter and inquire? How long does an offer / rejection take to be processed?
Chill out. It’s been a week. Not a month. Don’t call. Don’t inquire. Law firms know how to get in touch with students when they want to.
As for the decision process, sometimes decisions are made very quickly—like the same day you interview. If you’re a superstar, that is. It’s not typical, but it does happen. On the flip side, decisions usually take a few weeks or more. Sometimes the delay has nothing to do with the candidate and everything to do with the logistics of getting the Hiring Committee together to discuss. As you might imagine, lawyers—especially partners—are busy as hell and often have bigger things on their minds than summer associate offers.
Yet another possibility: The firm likes you but doesn’t love you, so they’re waiting to hear back from the students to whom they actually extended offers. Think of it as a “summer associate waiting list.” If they get a more no’s than expected, they’ll make offers to their “next best” list of candidates.
Hang in there, sparky. It’s only been a week, and you haven’t been rejected yet.
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