Ann Israel is the legal profession's Dear Abby. A New York legal recruiter since 1979, Ann is a past president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants. Advice for the Lawlorn is updated every Tuesday.

Q:I was extended an offer from my top choice firm in Delaware in October 2006. After receiving the offer in writing and accepting it, I was told that they would be in touch with me after the new year. It's now Feb. 21, and I haven't heard anything from them. I'm getting worried that they might not have wanted to give me the offer and are blowing me off. What should I do?

Eve

Dear Eve: I can understand why you might be getting worried, but I don't think you need to be stressed out just yet.

First of all, I wouldn't take things quite so literally, because getting in touch with you after the new year could mean at the end of the first quarter, for all we know.

I do think that by telling you that they will get back to you after the new year they did you a disservice by not being more specific. However, the firm probably has other things to work on right now, and since you have accepted their written offer of employment and you won't be starting until sometime around September, they may not feel a sense of urgency to get in touch with you right away.

If you think about it from their point of view, more than likely they don't even realize that there was anything wrong with saying that they would get in touch with you after the new year. They had no idea that you would be expecting to hear from them early in January since they did send you an offer letter and you accepted the offer. As far as they are concerned, it's a done deal.

But now is when you must take charge and not stand on ceremony. This is where life lessons are going to come into play and will be valuable for your future, especially if you want to avoid adding extra stress into your life.

Pick up the phone now and call the recruiting coordinator (or the partner-in-charge of the summer program) and make contact with that person. Call with a light tone in your voice -- nothing dramatic or defensive. All you are doing is checking in and asking this person if there is anything else you should be doing in preparation for starting your new job in the fall (or late summer or whenever). You might also want to express your enthusiasm for joining this firm.

I think that once you have made this call you will feel so much better. The person on the other end of the line will let you know how delighted the firm is that you have accepted their offer and that they will be getting back to you shortly with information regarding your start date. Don't take them literally -- they'll get back to you soon enough!

Congratulations on your new job with your No. 1 choice! Enjoy your last semester of law school!

Best wishes!

Sincerely,
Ann Israel
President, Ann Israel & Associates