1L at one of CCNMVP. I did great first semester (A's and A-'s only, ending up around 3.7). Had a really rough second semester (personal stuff) and ended up with straight B-'s. Absolutely stunned and heartbroken. Am I SOL for finding a job now?

Update: my background is EE and I was hoping to do patent prosecution.

Prepare for the wtf happened question at oci (and I assume the patent fair).

Is your median B+?

A 3.15 wont sink you at most prosecution shops. But they are going to wonder if you are a slacker.

Is it a respectable personal reason like your mom died, or something shameful like getting cucked.

titcq

Yes, median is B+. It's not a very good reason - my dog got sick, and it was really difficult to take care of him without a car. It really threw off the beginning of my semester and I was never really able to bring things back.

I also have 4 years of work experience (in EE) at a pretty big company, if that helps. With stellar recs from work, but I doubt firms care enough to check those.

Well never tell anyone that excuse because its the worst i've ever heard. Seriously, that's a terrible excuse.

How were your EE UG grades. Patent shops value those more than law moony times.

I've heard worst excuses, and while I'm sympathetic, it really doesn't justify a drop from As to B-s.

So, yeah, I wouldn't mention that. I mean, if your dog getting sick affects your work performance that badly, what about when your kid gets sick? Or your parents die? Or you get diagnosed with diabetes?

Do not tell firms this ridiculous reason.

I know, I'm really not planning to tell anyone that excuse. I also don't really know what to say at all. At the moment I'm just terrified of being jobless.

doesn't everyone above median or near median in ccnmvp get something? just be confident in yourself. do a tremendous amount of research on the firms that you love. this will really separate you from the other people who just trudge in to talk to the firm. also, if you have a specific firm in mind, why not go out and ask some of the alums out for a cup of coffee. there are so many stories of how kids get biglaw jobs by networking even if they don't have the grades to show for it. if the alums like you enough, they'll make sure you bypass oci and go straight to a callback. once you get the callback, they'll likely focus on whether or not you're a good fit. trust in yourself and be confident. i'm sure you'll do just fine.

Be as vague as possible when talking to firms. When they ask you what happened, just say something like 'family matters/complications...it's over now and I'm fully focused on school again..' If it really was your dog that threw you off:

a) You are a big pussy, but
b) Your 2L grades will return to normal

Don't worry OP, I'm with you! I <3 my dog so much that if she got really sick I'd tend to her first. I wish you the best of luck, but with your background/grades/school, you are probably still just fine!

It's not clear what people at M or V get, since their C/O 2011 placement was so atrocious. And even at CCN, not everyone around median gets something. Everyone around median can get something, but strike-outs are pretty well-distributed throughout the grade range.

Mass mail early and don't overbid.

So, OT rant: there is no such thing as CCNMVP. Leaving out Boalt and including Michigan is non-sensical in any conceivable grouping. There is also no such thing as PVB: leaving out Michigan and including Virginia is also non-sensical in any possible grouping. Finally, a 3.18 average at say Columbia versus Virginia are two completely different things. At the former, you're a little below median at a school that placed nearly all the median-ish kids in 2011. At the latter, you're a lot below median at a school that placed less than half the class into big law and clerkships in 2011: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=181415.

Pass the patent bar this summer. Profit.

You will be fine for prosecution. EE's are the aristocracy.

Cant be Berkeley and Chicago have completely screwy grading systems I do not think OP is talking about those.

Vernors ginger ale through my nose onto my keyboard and now my track-pad isn't working. Thanks a lot.

Let's translate this to interviewese:

I also suggest:

"He was really sick. He couldn't even speak. Or stand up on two feet."