You sent the application. Three days passed. Nothing.
And now you’re stuck in the worst kind of limbo, too anxious to move on, too scared to follow up in case it makes you look desperate.
Here’s the truth that’ll free you: a polite follow-up is not desperate. It’s normal, it’s expected, and it’s often the exact thing that gets you the internship. Lawyers are busy; your email may simply be buried. Let me show you how to nudge without ever crossing into annoying.
Quick answer: the follow-up rule
Wait about a week after your original email, then send one short, polite follow-up on the same email thread. If you still hear nothing after that, one more gentle nudge a week or so later is acceptable, then let it go gracefully. Silence is almost always an unread inbox, not a rejection.
Why following up works
Think about who you emailed. A busy advocate or a recruitment executive gets a flood of messages. Yours may have arrived on a hearing day, or slipped below the fold, or been mentally filed under “later”. A follow-up gently pushes it back to the top, and, quietly, it signals that you’re genuinely interested and organised. Many students never follow up at all, so the ones who do (politely) stand out.
When to follow up
- About one week after your original application, if there’s been no reply.
- One more time, a week or so after that, if it still makes sense, then stop.
- Sooner only if you have a genuine, time-sensitive reason (for example, you have another offer and need to decide) and say so honestly.
How to follow up (scripts)
After an application with no reply:
Dear [Mr./Ms. Surname],
Just following up on my email below about an internship for [dates]. I remain very interested and happy to work around your team’s convenience. Thank you again for considering it.
When you have another offer and need to decide:
Dear [Mr./Ms. Surname],
I wanted to follow up on my application for [dates]. I’ve since received another internship offer I need to respond to, but interning with your team remains my first preference, so I wanted to check whether a decision might be possible in the next few days. Thank you very much.
After an interview, with no update:
Dear [Mr./Ms. Surname],
Thank you again for speaking with me on [day]. I enjoyed learning about the team’s work and remain very keen on the opportunity. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me.
YLCC ACTION STEP: Keep a simple tracker: firm, date applied, and date to follow up. Set the follow-up date to roughly a week later. It removes all the “Should I? Shouldn’t I?” agonising, because the tracker just tells you when.
PLEASE DON’T DO THIS: Please don’t follow up the next morning, and please don’t send four follow-ups in a week. And don’t switch to a wounded or passive-aggressive tone; “I suppose you’re not interested” helps no one. Stay warm and brief every time.
When to stop
After one or two polite follow-ups with no response, let it go. A non-reply usually reflects their workload or hiring process, not your potential. Instead of waiting, put your energy into the next application on your list. You can always apply to the same organisation again next year with a stronger CV, and leaving on a quiet, professional note keeps that door open.
FAQs
- How long should I wait before following up? About a week after your original email.
- How many times can I follow up? Once, or at most twice, with a gap. After that, move on gracefully.
- Does following up make me look desperate? No, a single polite nudge looks organised and keen. Frequency and tone are what tip into desperate, not the follow-up itself.
- Should I follow up after an interview too? Yes, a short thank-you and continued-interest note is good practice, and a gentle check-in later if you hear nothing.
- What if I never get a reply at all? Treat it as a non-answer, not a verdict. Focus on other applications and consider reapplying next cycle.
Thank you for reading!
If you found this article helpful, explore more resources from YLCC and continue your legal learning journey.
