What Happens After the Callback?

The Waiting Period

After your callback, there's a gap. It can be 48 hours. It can be three weeks. The variance is genuinely maddening.

Some firms pride themselves on quick turnarounds — you might get a call within a day or two. Others have a committee-based process that takes weeks. Neither speed nor slowness tells you much about the outcome.

Typical Timelines

Fast-moving firms (2-5 days). Some firms, especially those competing aggressively for top candidates, will extend offers within a few days of the callback. If you hear back this quickly, it's almost always good news.

Standard timeline (1-3 weeks). Most firms fall in this range. They're batching callbacks and making decisions as a group. This is normal.

Slow movers (3-6 weeks). A few firms take longer due to hiring committee schedules or volume. If you haven't heard back after 3 weeks, it's reasonable to send a polite check-in email to the recruiting coordinator.

What to Do While Waiting

Send thank-you emails immediately. Within 24 hours of the callback. Individual, personalized emails to every attorney you met. This isn't optional — it's expected.

Keep interviewing. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Continue attending callbacks at other firms. The worst thing you can do is halt your process for a firm that might not come through.

Track your pipeline. Use Gold Stars on Big Law Bear to keep your target firms organized. When you're juggling 5-10 firms at various stages, having a system helps.

Don't overthink silence. Every law student in history has analyzed a three-day delay as a bad sign. It's not. Firms have their own timelines and they're not thinking about your anxiety.

When the Offer Comes

You'll typically get a phone call from the recruiting coordinator or the hiring partner. They'll congratulate you and explain the offer terms — which at most BigLaw firms means market-rate compensation, a start date, and an office assignment.

Under NALP guidelines, firms generally give you a few weeks to decide. Some give more time, some less. Make sure you understand your specific deadline.

When It's a No

Rejections after callbacks usually come by email. They're generic, they don't give useful feedback, and they sting. It's okay to be disappointed.

If you're getting callbacks but not offers, read our callback interview guide and consider whether something in your callback performance needs adjusting. Common issues: inconsistency across interviews, seeming lukewarm about the firm, or awkward meal interactions.

Deciding on Offers

If you're lucky enough to have multiple offers, check out whether you should accept your first offer. And use Big Law Bear's firm directory to compare your options side by side.