Your Legal Job Offer: Don’t Accept Until You Do This!

Summary: You did it! You got the job offer! Now what? Every step in your legal career could have an impact on your future opportunities. Before you accept that legal job offer, make sure you ask the right questions and know if it’s really the right job for you.

There’s nothing better than getting offered the legal job you want. But no matter how psyched you are to have a legal offer, you should always give yourself some time to think it over—preferably at least a day. Spend this time figuring out if the offer truly is right for you. The following guidelines are precautionary, but they’ll prevent problems from happening down the line.

Get the Offer in Writing
The written offer should spell out the important terms of the job and your obligations to the law firm. Even if you’ve already had some time to think over an offer and you have assured the company that you’ll accept it, you should still ask to see the offer in writing. Make sure the job title, salary, and benefits match or improve upon what you had in mind when you said you’d accept it. If it doesn’t measure up, promptly send it back and let the law firm know what’s amiss.

Know What You’re Getting Into
Be sure that you have a clear understanding of your job responsibilities. Again, you may be thinking “duh,” but many people don’t really know what is expected of them before they start working. We always think of the right questions to ask after the interview, so by all means ask them—before you make a serious commitment. Ask for a job description that spells out your responsibilities. This will help you understand the position and the expectations—and later on down the road, if you’ve exceeded the requirements for the position, it will give you some leverage with which to negotiate.

You should also try to get a sense of how the firm you’ll be working for fits into the industry as a whole. Will you work with people from other offices? Is there room for advancement? What if you start in litigation but become interested in doing something transactional-related? Does there seem to be much flexibility?

If you’re being offered a job to replace someone, you may want to ask what happened with the previous person. If the legal hiring manager doesn’t answer your question or seems uneasy, there may be something the law firm isn’t telling you. For instance, there may be interpersonal tension in the office that you should know about. Maybe the job description is misleading and led to the previous person’s resignation. Are you walking into the same trap?

Know What You’re After
Make sure you know what you’re looking for in a legal job. After all, a job isn’t like a date—you shouldn’t just accept the offer and see what happens. Whether you see it as a way to pay the rent or consider it a fundamental step in a preordained career path, taking a legal job that you’re unsure of is asking for trouble.

Know your skills, what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing, and what you would rather never do again. Don’t start believing the slick phrases you used to spice up your cover letter, unless you really mean them. Be honest with yourself: Are you really multitasking oriented? Just how keen is your eye for detail? Is this job something you can truly handle?

Make sure the description of the legal job appeals to you and serves your objectives—not just those of the law firm. It may be better to hold out for something better than end up in a situation you eventually regret.

Like the People
How was your rapport with your interviewers? Although every law firm is made up of individuals, each recruiter also serves as a representative. If any of your interviewers acted less than professional or left you feeling unnerved, you should think twice before accepting an offer—ask to meet with more associates at the firm before making your final decision.

You should also try to meet the attorneys you’ll be working with day to day. You may get along swell with your senior partner, but what if the other associates are intensely competitive, boring, or unfriendly? Would you be able to succeed at your ideal job in a less-than-ideal firm?

Get a sense not only of the attorneys at the firm but the office culture as a whole. Was there a buzz of energy when you walked in, or were you met with dead silence? Is it the type of environment you would be able to concentrate in? Was there personality to the office? If not, can you bear looking at white walls all day long?

Find Out the Hours
Many people accept a legal job without knowing what kind of time commitment it will involve. Ask the associates you meet—the partners—how many billable hours are required. Also, what is the bonus structure? How many billable hours are required to be eligible for a bonus?

As for vacation, sometimes two weeks means ten days, sometimes it means fourteen. Be sure to clarify. More often than not, law firms have set-in-stone policies about vacation and sick days. Find out what the firm’s policy is for taking time off. Let the recruiting manager know if you have already planned a vacation before you accept the offer to make sure the new firm can accommodate your request. If you have a wedding to go to the following month, be sure to negotiate before you accept the offer. Again, get the law firm’s policy in writing.

The same goes for sick days. Sometimes places allot ten days. In other companies it’s more casual: You simply don’t go to the office if you’re absolutely too sick to work. Find out if you have personal days, too, or “floating holidays”—whether religious holidays count as personal days.

Find Out the Benefits and Consider the Perks
Find out when benefits begin, whether the firm will reimburse you for doctor’s visits before the insurance kicks in, and what the policy calls for. (Many plans don’t cover dental or vision benefits.) Other benefits to find out about include 401k plans, life insurance, health club benefits, relocation expenses, and bar membership reimbursement. If you have questions about benefits in general, consult with the firm’s HR manager.

Can You See Yourself in This Picture?
Imagine what your new life will look like at this new law firm—the commute in the morning, the neighborhood you’ll be working in, the clothes you’ll have to wear. Are you excited about the job or are you simply resigning yourself to it for the time being? (Depending on your options and goals, the latter may be good enough.) In any case, you deserve to be excited about the package deal. Remember, you’ve already got the offer. The ball is in your court. Be gracious and polite while sizing up the opportunity, but don’t walk on eggshells lest you get stuck in a rotten situation.

In evaluating job offers, take the time to make sure you’re making the decision for reasons you’re comfortable with—and taking the job that you want. Keep in mind that by being up front with yourself and your potential employer, you’re saving both of you time and money down the road. The more clarity you have about the situation you’re getting into, the more likely you’ll love what you’re doing and stick to the position you’ve taken.

About Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and a successful legal recruiter. Harrison is extremely committed to and passionate about the profession of legal placement. His firm BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys. BCG Attorney Search works with attorneys to dramatically improve their careers by leaving no stone unturned in job searches and bringing out the very best in them. Harrison has placed the leaders of the nation’s top law firms, and countless associates who have gone on to lead the nation’s top law firms. There are very few firms Harrison has not made placements with. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placements attract millions of reads each year. He coaches and consults with law firms about how to dramatically improve their recruiting and retention efforts. His company, LawCrossing, has been ranked on the Inc. 500 twice. For more information, please visit Harrison Barnes’ bio.

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