Standards for the Timing of Offers and Decisions
Summer Employment Offers
We encourage employers to give students at least 14 days from the date of the offer letter or, for participating employers, the first day of the Early Interview Program (July 22, 2024), whichever is later, to decide on that offer. Employers are asked to include the expiration date of their offer in the offer letter. Employers who plan to hold offers open for less than 14 days are asked to contact the OCPD so that the office is aware, and advisors can support students in their strategy and decision making.
“Exploding” offers, which rob students of meaningful choice and are unlikely to produce good matches for the employer or the candidate, are expressly prohibited. Students may request an offer extension if necessary to make an informed decision; employers are encouraged to grant extensions if the request is reasonable and granting the extension is not unduly burdensome.
The OCPD strongly discourages “open until filled” offers, in which employers extend more offers than they have positions available. In these cases, the employer must advise the student in writing that the position is open until filled, regardless of whether a timeframe has otherwise been given for the student to decide on the offer.
When registering for the Early Interview Program (EIP), we ask that employers provide office-specific information as to whether they will accept early applications, and, if so, details about their process. Employers who engage in pre-EIP recruiting should offer interview times and formats to minimize students’ travel time and expense as well as potential disruption to their first-year studies or summer employment. Employers should also provide students interviewed prior to EIP with regular updates of their status, including as of five business days prior to the start of EIP, so they can make fully informed EIP decisions.
These policies apply to offers to current summer associates to return for a second summer the next year as well as offers made to 2Ls not previously employed by the firm.
Post-Graduate Employment Offers
Students Previously Employed by Employer
Employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to candidates previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days following the date of the offer letter or October 1 of the student’s final year of law school, whichever is later.
Students Not Previously Employed by Employer
Employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to students not previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days following the date of the offer letter.
