Clambering out of 2L joblessness - grades and journal? Forum

[Anonymous User]

1) If one arrogantly assumed journal didn't matter that much and didn't try to write on to a journal 1L year and regrets it now, is it worth writing on to journal as a 2L? This would mean I would be a 3L in the same cite check hell as 2Ls, doing mass mailing and doing my school's measly 3L OCI, but hopefully being able to add Law Review or a secondary journal on my resume. How would employers look at this? Curious of its weight for both Law Review and secondary.

2) How much of a difference does a positive grade trend 2L year make? I was in the top 1/3 at a T30 after 1L year and am already up half a tenth of a GPA point so far (a twentieth of a GPA point? I don't do math.). Hope to do more. If I'm trying to find a 3L job and am something more like top 20-25%, how much does this help? My school curves to a B+, top 1/3 is around 3.5 and I'm at like a 3.56 now; what if I got up to a 3.6 or even close to a 3.7/A- average?

3) I will begin preparing materials to blast out for the 3L job hunt this summer. Is starting to mail out in late July/Aug 1 after journal results are in acceptable or should I start in early July and then update?

Any specific anecdotes/experience with these things appreciated.

Thank you,
2L with a fire finally under his/her ass

[ggocat]

1) How would employers look at this? Curious of its weight for both Law Review and secondary.

2) How much of a difference does a positive grade trend 2L year make?

3) I will begin preparing materials to blast out for the 3L job hunt this summer. Is starting to mail out in late July/Aug 1 after journal results are in acceptable or should I start in early July and then update?

Any specific anecdotes/experience with these things appreciated.

1. Law review is law review whether you do it for two years or one. In fact, I think it's perfectly fine to list law review / journal membership on your resume without including dates -- I've seen a number of resumes that just list it as a bullet point under law school honors. The value of law review is always diminished if you're not in the running for biglaw or clerkships (because that's a big reason for doing law review), but anything helps at this point. Small and mid-sized firms will still appreciate law review. (I have no basis for commenting on how firms view secondary journals).

2. Probably not a huge difference, but as stated before, anything helps.

3. I would wait until journal membership. I don't think many law firms who have SAs will hire 3Ls before they know whether the 2Ls they have are returning next year, so there is no significant advantage to applying in July before those decisions are made. Even if you apply in late summer, I would follow up during November/December/January after decisions have been made about hiring and students have accepted clerkships. (Full disclosure: I've never been involved in biglaw recruiting, so this suggestion comes merely from observing classmates and reading online).

When I was a 3L, most small and mid-sized firms did not hire students until the spring semester; even then, many waited until those students graduated/passed the bar. So if you resume-bomb these firms early, be sure to follow-up after graduating/passing the bar (if necessary; hopefully not).

Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

Thanks so much - anyone else have any other thoughts?