Caseload

Callback Q&A

When will firms extend callback offers? 

Callback invitations may be extended any time after the on-Grounds interviewing process begins in August. A number of callbacks take place in September, but many callback invitations for UVA students aren’t extended until September or October. If you get an “early” callback, or a callback received within a week to 10 days after the on-Grounds interview, you are likely someone the firm is very impressed with. Most firms have an early callback list of superior candidates and a “hold” list made up of other candidates they also like, and if you’ve interviewed with a firm but not heard from them you are probably in the “hold” group. Employers are rarely able to fill their needs from their early callback list, and they routinely make later offers for callbacks to those on “hold.” This contributes to a “second wave” of callbacks in September and October.

What if I haven’t heard from some on Grounds interviews?

If you have interviewed with a firm and two weeks have passed without hearing anything from the firm, you should contact those firms to let them know you are still interested. A good way to do this is to email your interviewer and copy the recruiting contact on CASE. This can expedite the process of a firm giving you a callback invitation if you are in the “hold” group.

You should also let firms know if you are going to be in their city on other callbacks once you have scheduled one or more callbacks for that location.

How soon do you need to respond to a callback invitation? 

 Sooner rather than later. Without question, within 24 hours of receiving the callback invitation, you should return the call to acknowledge your interest in visiting. If it is a firm in which you are especially interested, you should try to schedule the callback as soon as possible. If you are not sure about going on a callback, you should still acknowledge that you received the invitation and will be getting back to them within a certain time frame to schedule the callback.

Can you turn down a callback? 

You can absolutely turn down a callback. You can also cancel a callback that has been scheduled, but you should do so well in advance. Once you’ve decided you should cancel a callback, call either the attorney who extended the callback invitation or the firm’s recruiting coordinator and tell him or her politely that you’ve decided to accept another offer and that you don’t feel it’s in your or the firm’s best interests if you come. You can follow up with an email, but you should call the attorney or the recruiting administrator. Just as you should not send an email to decline a callback, you should not call at 2:00 a.m. when you know [or think] the person will not be there. As awkward as declining a callback may seem, it happens all the time. Firms expect some students to decline callbacks. Make sure you do it as soon as possible, since you don’t want the firm to waste time and resources on you, which will happen if you cancel at the last minute.

Once you get an offer or two or feel that you have enough callbacks, you may, and indeed should, cancel those callbacks you don’t really need or want [with sufficient advance notice; one day is not sufficient]. Canceling a callback may result in one of your classmate’s getting one.  Don’t go on a callback just for the sake of it; if you have no interest in the firm and know that you wouldn’t accept an offer to work there this summer, don’t go.

When should you schedule the callbacks? Is October too late?

Getting there early gives you the best chance of getting an offer and gets the process moving so that the firm can extend callback invitations to others on “hold.” October is not too late, and indeed many students will use Fall Break to interview.  For the firms coming on Grounds in September, October callbacks make sense. 

What should you expect to be asked about? 

Anything on your resume is fair game.  Firms are usually okay with your transcript by this stage, but questions about classes or grades are still fair game.  You should also have a few questions that you can ask when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions.

What kinds of questions should you ask at a callback? 

As you did in the OGI, you should ask about the work you will be doing as a summer associate and as an associate.  Questions about billable hours requirements, lifestyle, etc. are off limits. You might also want to wait to ask about splitting until after you receive an offer.

What expenses will the firm pay for? 

Reasonable expenses related to your travel and accommodations. This is not the time to order pay-per-view and raid the mini-bar. If you have specific questions about what is covered, ask the recruiting contact in advance. It is usually okay to fly out of Charlottesville, unless the firm specifies otherwise or if you’re going to DC.

What about Phase 2 and September OGIs?

The deadline to sign up for September interviews is 10pm Sunday night, August 31. Only sign up for firms that you really want to interview with. If you have requested OGIs in September and have scheduled a callback for one of the interview dates, be sure to cancel your interview request on CASE before the published cancellation deadline. If you need to have your interview scheduled in the morning or in the afternoon to accommodate your already scheduled travel arrangements, please let Career Services know as soon as possible but no later than the cancellation/confirmation deadline.

It is better to go ahead with the callback and contact the OGI firm directly if you’re in this situation. Let the firm know you’ve cancelled your interview request because you had already scheduled a callback, but that you’re very interested in interviewing with that firm. Often, you can bypass the initial interview and get a callback by doing this.

 

Callbacks and Course Selection

Today’s post is in response to questions we’ve received from students regarding class schedules and callbacks. We will post much more information on the callback process and strategy as the interview season approaches. For now, we’ve limited this discussion to scheduling issues as they relate to callbacks.  For the September OGIs (September 18-24), we will not schedule any interviews during classes; no exceptions.

Should I plan my class schedule to have one day each week free? 

First and foremost, you should plan to take the classes that are most interesting to you. What usually ends up happening is that most law students don't schedule classes on Friday, so students will try to schedule callbacks for Fridays. Firms are bringing back many students from many different schools, and Fridays tend to book up quickly. Your better bet would be to try to schedule callbacks for another day, although again you need to be flexible. Some students wait until fall break (which is October 6-8 this year) to schedule callbacks, but we recommend going on a callback as soon as possible.

Will I need to have weekends free to interview?

Generally, no, although it somewhat depends on the market(s) you are considering. If you are planning to interview on the west coast, it would make sense to plan to visit a few firms and stay for a longer period of time. In that case it might make sense to include a weekend. If you're looking on the east coast (DC, Richmond, NY, Atlanta, etc.) you can make more frequent trips and shouldn't have to plan on spending a weekend. Because callbacks are scheduled on weekdays, the only times you would spend a weekend would be if you were visiting more than one firm or if you had personal reasons for staying over the weekend (but then you wouldn't stay at the hotel for more than one night).

I am considering signing up for a short course. When should I expect to be finished with callbacks? What is the timeline for callbacks?

Attendance at all short courses is mandatory, so you would probably be wise not to schedule a short course this fall unless it begins later in the fall. You should consider seriously whether you can make such a commitment, and consider taking the short course another semester.

Callbacks usually begin after Labor Day and go through October or November, although some students are finished by October. It really varies by student. A few students will get many early callbacks, while others will not get or schedule callbacks right away. There are many prestigious firms coming to interview in late September, so those callbacks will obviously not happen until late September/early October.  Again, September OGIs will be scheduled around your classes and interviews will under no circumstances be scheduled during class time.

Dress for Success Seminar

Dress for Success, Tuesday, February 19, 2008

6:00 PM, Caplin Pavilion

Career Services and PILA will hold a "Dress for Success" seminar next Tuesday night, February 19 at 6pm in Caplin Pavilion. The presentation will cover the basics of dressing for a professional environment and the finer points of dressing for an interview, building a functional business wardrobe, and dressing in a business casual environment.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Responding to Offers

If you have received an offer, you should follow up with the firm and express your interest in the offer, or politely decline the offer. Some firms have contacted us to let us know that some students never responded to their offers. It is perfectly fine to decline an offer, but you should affirm your interest or decline. For more information, see the post on Declining Offers.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Career Services.

Declining Callbacks and Offers

As soon as you decide that you are not interested in going on a callback or accepting an offer from a firm, you should decline the callback or offer. To do so, call the person who extended you the offer originally, either the person you interviewed with on Grounds or the recruiting coordinator. You should call the person during business hours and not email him or her to decline the offer or callback invitation. [However, you can follow up with an email to the attorney (cc the recruiting contact) to confirm.] As uncomfortable as it may seem, students routinely turn down offers from firms, and you should do so professionally and graciously. The legal community is small, and you never know when your paths will cross again.

If you are concerned about the number of callbacks or offers you have or lack, please contact Career Services.

The NALP guidelines are as follows:

Sept 15 -- no more than 5 offers open

Oct 1 -- no more than 4 offers open

Oct 15 -- no more than 3 offers open

Nov 1 -- no more than 2 offers open

How to Distinguish Between Law Firms

Ralph Baxter '74, Chair and CEO of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe will be here on Monday, September 17 at noon in Caplin Pavilion to speak to students about How to Distinguish Between Law Firms. 

What are the questions you should be asking in the on-Grounds interview and the callback? What should you be looking for on your callbacks? How can you find the information you need to make the best decision? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of our most distinguished alumni. Under Mr. Baxter’s leadership, Orrick has expanded, diversified, and extended its geographic reach, transforming from a domestic firm with California origins to one of the world’s largest and most prominent law firms, with almost 980 lawyers in 18 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Open to all students.  Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Thank You Notes

Should you write thank you notes after your callback?  Do you need to thank everyone with whom you met?

Most students send thank you letters or emails after callbacks. It is fine to send an email. One letter to your “host” for the callback or any other appropriate person will do, although some students also like to write selected lawyers with whom they met. If you send thank you notes or emails to more than one person, do not send the same thing to each person. Many times these emails or letters become part of your file, and it will be obvious if you have written the same thing to everyone. You don’t need to write a tome; a few sentences should be fine. If you do send thank you notes, send them right away. Be sure to check the spelling of names before you send the letter or email. Have someone — anyone — proof them. A grammatical error, misspelling a name or other typo can crush all of the goodwill built up through the OGI and callback stage and may result in no offer.

 

Upcoming Events

BLSA invites all interested students to attend the Callback/Dress for Success Workshop

Attorneys from Mintz Levin, Skadden Arps, and Kramer Levin will be present to address your questions about the call back process.  The event will be hosted by the Black Law Students Association to help prepare all interested students to make the most of their call back interviews. Some topics to be covered include: How certain do you have to be about the practice areas you’re interested in? Should students stay for lunch or dinner? What should students expect during the lunch/dinner interview? Are certain suits more appropriate than others? How do you handle completely unexpected questions? What kinds of questions should you ask at a callback? What kinds of questions should you not ask at a callback? What should you expect to be asked about? 

Please join us TODAY at 5pm in SL262 to hear exactly what employers are looking for during the callback phase.

**********************

Ralph Baxter '74, Chair and CEO of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe will be here on Monday, September 17 at noon in Caplin Pavilion to speak to students about How to Distinguish Between Law Firms. 

What are the questions you should be asking in the on-Grounds interview and the callback? What should you be looking for on your callbacks? How can you find the information you need to make the best decision? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of our most distinguished alumni. Under Mr. Baxter’s leadership, Orrick has expanded, diversified, and extended its geographic reach, transforming from a domestic firm with California origins to one of the world’s largest and most prominent law firms, with almost 980 lawyers in 18 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Open to all students.  Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

More Callback Q&A

What kinds of questions should you ask at a callback? 

As you did in the OGI, you should ask about the work you will be doing as a summer associate and as an associate.  Questions about billable hours requirements, lifestyle, etc. are off limits. You might also want to wait to ask about splitting until you receive an offer.

What should you expect to be asked about? 

Anything on your resume is fair game.  Firms are usually okay with your transcript by this stage, but questions about classes or grades are still fair game.  You should also have a few questions that you can ask when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions.

What expenses will the firm pay for? 

Reasonable expenses related to your travel and accommodations. This is not the time to order pay-per-view and raid the mini-bar. If you have specific questions about what is covered, ask the recruiting contact in advance. It is usually okay to fly out of Charlottesville, unless the firm specifies otherwise or if you’re going to DC.

What about Phase 2 and September OGIs?

If you have requested OGIs in September and have scheduled a callback, be sure to cancel your interview request on CASE before the deadline. If you need to have your interview scheduled in the morning or in the afternoon to accommodate your already scheduled travel arrangements, please let Career Services know as soon as possible but no later than the cancellation/confirmation deadline if possible.

It is better to go ahead with the callback and contact the OGI firm directly if you’re in this situation. Let the firm know you’ve cancelled your interview request because you had already scheduled a callback, but that you’re very interested in interviewing with that firm. Often, you can bypass the initial interview and get a callback by doing this.

Common Callback Questions

When will firms extend callback offers? 

Callback invitations may be extended any time after the on-Grounds interviewing process begins in late August, and a number of callbacks take place in September, but most callback invitations for UVA students aren’t extended until September or even later. This is an extremely important fact for UVA students to bear in mind. If you get an “early” callback, or a callback received within a week to 10 days after the on-Grounds interview, you are likely someone the firm is very impressed with. Most firms have an early callback list of superior candidates and a “hold” list made up of other candidates they also like, and if you’ve interviewed with a firm but not heard back from them you are probably in the “hold” group. Employers are rarely able to fill their needs from their early callback list, and they routinely make later offers for callbacks to those on “hold.” This contributes to a “second wave” of callbacks in September and October.

What if I haven't heard from some on Grounds interviews?

If you have interviewed with a firm and two weeks have passed without hearing anything from the firm, there is a good chance you will end up getting a callback. You should contact firms you have interviewed with but not heard from to let them know you are still interested. A good way to do this is to email your interviewer and copy the recruiting contact on CASE. This can expedite the process of a firm giving you a callback invitation if you are in the “hold” group.

Also, let the firm know if you are going to be in the city on other callbacks.

How soon do you need to respond to a callback invitation?  Can you turn down a callback? 

You should at least call within 24 hours of receiving the callback invitation to acknowledge your interest in visiting, and you should try to schedule the callback as soon as possible. If you are not sure about going on a callback, you should acknowledge that you received the invitation and will be getting back to them within a certain time frame to schedule the callback.

You can absolutely turn down a callback. You can also cancel a callback that has been scheduled, but you should do so well in advance. Once you've decided you should cancel a callback, call either the attorney who extended the callback invitation or the firm's recruiting coordinator and tell him or her politely that you've unfortunately decided to accept another offer and that you don't feel it's in your or the firm's best interests if you come. You can follow up with an email, but you should call the attorney or the recruiting administrator. Just as you should not send an email to decline a callback, you should not call at 2:00 a.m. when you know [or think] the person will not be there. As awkward as declining a callback may seem, it happens all the time. Firms expect some students to decline callbacks. Make sure you do it as soon as possible, since you don’t want the firm to waste time and resources on you, which could happen if you cancel at the last minute.

Once you get an offer or two or feel that you have enough callbacks, you may, and indeed should, cancel those callbacks you don't really need or want. Your canceling a callback may result in one of your classmate's getting one.  Don't go on a callback just for the sake of it; if you have no interest in the firm and know that you wouldn't accept an offer to work there this summer, don't go.

When should you schedule the callbacks? Is October too late?

Getting there early gives you the best chance of getting an offer and gets the process moving so that the firm can extend callback invitations to others on “hold.” October is not too late, and indeed many students will use Fall Break to interview.  For the firms coming on Grounds in September, October callbacks make sense.