Question for T2'ers with biglaw/midlaw SA offers Forum

[Anonymous User]

How hard should we still be gunning? Can we slip from Top 5% to Top 25% by 3L and not worry too much, so long as we work our asses off this upcoming summer?

TYIA.

[Anonymous User]

How hard should we still be gunning? Can we slip from Top 5% to Top 25% by 3L and not worry too much, so long as we work our asses off this upcoming summer?

TYIA.

in the same position...wondering that question too

[Anonymous User]

It's kinda late to be asking, given we're in Fall 2L finals already, but I need to know. After this semester, my class ranking is likely to go from Top 2-3% to Top 10-20%. The first half of the semester was me gunning to get a biglaw job, then scrambling to take a midterm, then taking some time to myself, and then BOOM finals are here. Damn.

[philosoraptor]

Notwithstanding the zillion times this question has already been addressed on these forums, what makes you think any of us would know how your nameless firm will treat a grade drop? If you're really concerned, do the best you can this semester and be more diligent next semester. The main thing is to do good work and try to fit in at your firm this summer.

[A. Nony Mouse]

The other thing to remember is that a lot of people in your classes will have been spending their time in the exact same ways that you have. Unless you have some kind of unusual setup where you're getting grades throughout the semester and know what they're going to be, I think it's a little hard to predict exactly what your grade drop (if any) will be, given grading on a curve.

[Skye]

I believe most of us are concerned about a drop in grades, however, every indication is that a reasonable drop has basically no meaningful consequence. As a previous 1L, working with 2Ls who suffered a notable drop in their grades, nothing ever came of it. They are all coming back. Just keep doing a good job for the firm. Grade wise, as weird as this sounds, getting an SA spot is a sprint, not a marathon (once you’re in, you’re in). If anyone knows otherwise, please explain (just so I will have something to worry about!).

[Anonymous User]

I believe most of us are concerned about a drop in grades, however, every indication is that a reasonable drop has basically no meaningful consequence. As a previous 1L, working with 2Ls who suffered a notable drop in their grades, nothing ever came of it. They are all coming back. Just keep doing a good job for the firm. Grade wise, as weird as this sounds, getting an SA spot is a sprint, not a marathon (once you’re in, you’re in). If anyone knows otherwise, please explain (just so I will have something to worry about!).

I just can't concentrate and work like I could 1L, without the fire breathing down my back.

[Skye]

I believe most of us are concerned about a drop in grades, however, every indication is that a reasonable drop has basically no meaningful consequence. As a previous 1L, working with 2Ls who suffered a notable drop in their grades, nothing ever came of it. They are all coming back. Just keep doing a good job for the firm. Grade wise, as weird as this sounds, getting an SA spot is a sprint, not a marathon (once you’re in, you’re in). If anyone knows otherwise, please explain (just so I will have something to worry about!).

I just can't concentrate and work like I could 1L, without the fire breathing down my back.

Fire, what fire? If you already have a SA spot (hard to sync track all the anonymousness’) I have to ask again, what fire?

As a fairly new person to this site, what am I missing...... since you are already anonymous, what is the point of doubling down?

[Anonymous User]

I believe most of us are concerned about a drop in grades, however, every indication is that a reasonable drop has basically no meaningful consequence. As a previous 1L, working with 2Ls who suffered a notable drop in their grades, nothing ever came of it. They are all coming back. Just keep doing a good job for the firm. Grade wise, as weird as this sounds, getting an SA spot is a sprint, not a marathon (once you’re in, you’re in). If anyone knows otherwise, please explain (just so I will have something to worry about!).

I just can't concentrate and work like I could 1L, without the fire breathing down my back.

Fire, what fire? If you already have a SA spot (hard to sync track all the anonymousness’) I have to ask again, what fire?

As a fairly new person to this site, what am I missing...... since you are already anonymous, what is the point of doubling down?

Yeah, I have the SA spot---hence there is no incentive to work hard. But then my inner gunner goes off and tells me this is going to fuck me over when/if I get no-offered.

[Skye]

Yeah, I have the SA spot---hence there is no incentive to work hard. But then my inner gunner goes off and tells me this is going to fuck me over when/if I get no-offered.

Unless your family owns a firm, everyone stresses over being no-offered. As a 2L returning to my 1L SA firm I know that better grades are easier as a 2L. After you are offered the position, even after the bar, even after your bonus, tranquility will not become your silent passenger (Dexterism).

[Uncle.Joe]

The other thing to remember is that a lot of people in your classes will have been spending their time in the exact same ways that you have. Unless you have some kind of unusual setup where you're getting grades throughout the semester and know what they're going to be, I think it's a little hard to predict exactly what your grade drop (if any) will be, given grading on a curve.

Just out of curiosity, is this true? Most of my friends at T2 and lower ranked T1s had significantly less going on post-OCI than friends at T14. Particularly those who struck out.

[A. Nony Mouse]

The other thing to remember is that a lot of people in your classes will have been spending their time in the exact same ways that you have. Unless you have some kind of unusual setup where you're getting grades throughout the semester and know what they're going to be, I think it's a little hard to predict exactly what your grade drop (if any) will be, given grading on a curve.

Just out of curiosity, is this true? Most of my friends at T2 and lower ranked T1s had significantly less going on post-OCI than friends at T14. Particularly those who struck out.

Well, I can't say it's true everywhere; it was true at my school. I misspoke in that it's not all necessarily OCI (true that at a T2 there's less OCI stuff than at T14), but there's all the other stuff you do as a 2L that you didn't do as a 1L (where I went - lower T1 - most people got really involved in clinics/internships/student groups/moot court/mock trial/journals.). Plus, the OP isn't being graded against T14 people but the other people at his/her school. So maybe people weren't doing the same kind of job search as the OP, but in my experience the amount time everyone puts into classes goes down 2L.

Plus, I think there's enough randomness in law school exam grades that you just can't say with certainty anything like, "I put in X amount of effort last semester and got an A, but this semester I've only been able to put in .5X amount of effort, so I will definitely not get an A." Sure, the OP's grades might drop, but any kind of precise prediction seems futile.

But this may vary quite a bit by school, depending on things like class size and curve and whatnot. This is just based on my own experience.