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rising 2l-top 25% at a lower tier 1 (think 40-50); any shot at biglaw? if so, which firms should I target?

Also, didn't land any summer employment (had interviews, but struck out).

How do you not have anything lined up for the summer?

That's a huge issue that you shouldn't have.

I would say your chances aren't great.

Aberzombie1892 wrote:How do you not have anything lined up for the summer?

That's a huge issue that you shouldn't have.

not to give too much away, but i'm in DC--competition is super fierce here. Not sure why I struck out for summer employment, but I did (interviewed with some federal judges, a couple of ALJs, fed agencies (SEC), a couple of small firms)--dinged at all of them.

edit--went to law school directly from undergrad, have zero real world work experience (unless waiting tables counts as work experience), liberal arts major; basically just have decent grades, nothing else

You really should've found some summer work, dude. Go talk to the other parents at your little sister's soccer games and see if anyone can give you some "work" that you can make sound like legal experience.

So you're at George Mason or American (I dunno where they're ranked; I think I'm right)? If you have a sci/eng background I think you've got a good fighting chance. Otherwise I don't think your odds are hot.

softspoken wrote:

Aberzombie1892 wrote:How do you not have anything lined up for the summer?

That's a huge issue that you shouldn't have.

not to give too much away, but i'm in DC--competition is super fierce here. Not sure why I struck out for summer employment, but I did (interviewed with some federal judges, a couple of ALJs, fed agencies (SEC), a couple of small firms)--dinged at all of them.

edit--went to law school directly from undergrad, have zero real world work experience (unless waiting tables counts as work experience), liberal arts major; basically just have decent grades, nothing else

You've got almost no chance of landing biglaw (in DC). DC's probably the toughest legal market to get a job in. First, you're competing against people that went to better schools than you (strike 1). Second, you're competing against people with better grades than you (strike 2). Last, you have an unmarketable undergraduate degree that will not help to compensate for the prior two strikes against you (strike 3-you're out for biglaw).

Biglaw is out of the question a perpetual unemployment seems possible given how half-assed your 1L job search seems to have been. You need to be applying to hundreds of jobs. Having something for the summer is crucial.

rayiner wrote:Biglaw is out of the question and perpetual unemployment seems possible given how half-assed your 1L job search seems to have been. You need to be applying to hundreds of jobs. Having something for the summer is crucial.

Yeah. I didn't want to be the first person to say this for fear of seeming like a jackass, but you've got to step your game up if you want to have any job.

If you don't have a 1L summer job, your chances of landing big law will be very low regardless of your school and your grades.

Cavalier wrote:If you don't have a 1L summer job, your chances of landing big law will be very low regardless of your school and your grades.

Yes, and if you had add,

Cavalier wrote:If you go to a school in the 40-50's and are at the 75%ile, your chances of landing big law will be very low regardless of your summer job

It starts to show why the OP is in such a bad spot.

i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Law review only comes into play if you've made the grade cutoff.

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Dude, get off the site and start calling PI organizations (legal aids, etc.) and try to get something. Email professors, see if they know someone who could use an RA. Call your CSO, tell them you need something and you'll take anything.

beach_terror wrote:

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Dude, get off the site and start calling PI organizations (legal aids, etc.) and try to get something. Email professors, see if they know someone who could use an RA. Call your CSO, tell them you need something and you'll take anything.

And keep hustling like that for the rest of your time in law school.

beach_terror wrote:

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Dude, get off the site and start calling PI organizations (legal aids, etc.) and try to get something. Email professors, see if they know someone who could use an RA. Call your CSO, tell them you need something and you'll take anything.

Honestly dude, at this point see if they'll "hire" you for free as an RA. Or as a part-time RA. Or as a free or part-time receptionist at your local firm/DA's office.

Anything >> Nothing

flcath wrote:

beach_terror wrote:

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Dude, get off the site and start calling PI organizations (legal aids, etc.) and try to get something. Email professors, see if they know someone who could use an RA. Call your CSO, tell them you need something and you'll take anything.

Honestly dude, at this point see if they'll "hire" you for free as an RA. Or as a part-time RA. Or as a free or part-time receptionist at your local firm/DA's office.

Anything >> Nothing

I don't think it matters-his grades are too low for biglaw.

billbrasky wrote:

flcath wrote:

beach_terror wrote:

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Dude, get off the site and start calling PI organizations (legal aids, etc.) and try to get something. Email professors, see if they know someone who could use an RA. Call your CSO, tell them you need something and you'll take anything.

Honestly dude, at this point see if they'll "hire" you for free as an RA. Or as a part-time RA. Or as a free or part-time receptionist at your local firm/DA's office.

Anything >> Nothing

I don't think it matters-his grades are too low for biglaw.

This is probably correct, but regardless, dude still needs something legal on his resume.

my ideas ranked in terms of best for your

1. find a legal internship/volunteer, anywhere. seriously, apply to a legal aid clinics in rural america. and by apply I mean make a list between now and Tuesday and on Tuesday morning you pick up your phone and keep dialing until you find something. worried about logisitics or being in some boring bumfuck place? get over it. long term unemployment awaits you have nothing on your resume.

2. travel abroad. go volunteer in costa rica or something. at least you will have a response to why you didn't work. saying you sat on your ass the whole summer will lead to auto rejections.

3. independent research. at least then you could say you were doing research on some topic the whole summer.

Black-Blue wrote:

softspoken wrote: i did the write-on-if i make law review, that wont make a difference?

Law review only comes into play if you've made the grade cutoff.

False. At least according to partners I've spoken with, Law Review makes up for a pretty significant GPA shortfall.

based on last year's results, I'd say your chances are pretty bad.

Focus on getting a job for THIS summer, then worry about LR/Biglaw.

If you make LR you may have a shot at BIglaw, and send out mass-mailings at the end of July to maximize your chances.

No job this summer will look bad, and combine that with no previous work experience and you have a problem. Law review can help, but there are plenty of people in the top 5% of their class who are also on Law Review (and who have work experience). If you have ties to a firm, that seems to be your best shot. Also, definitely look outside of DC, preferably in markets where you have ties. If you have always lived in DC and went to undergrad there, then look in Maryland and Virginia.

Top 25% at your school can give you a shot at biglaw, but you then need to stand out impressively in another way to actually have a shot.

Also, as other posters mentioned, you need to be trying to get a job for this summer before you start worrying about next summer.

These other posters are too nice. I am going to be blunt. Speaking as someone who just went through a 3L full time job search at a similarly ranked school, if you do nothing legally related this summer - you are dead in the water. Every single interview you have they'll ask about the gap and no excuse will be good enough. Is your future as an attorney worth being lazy?? You struck out at agencies that had no intention of hiring TTT 25%ers ITE. This should have been obvious to you. (see JDU - even shitlaw jobs get lower T14 below median applicants these days)

Do what the other posters said and start begging professors to be a research assistant or for a summer clinical immediately.

Didn't even try for legal services or local government?


At a T6 that strategy wouldn't work for most 1Ls. At a lower-ranked school it's an even more terrible idea.

This is the 2nd thread I've read today, and the 2nd one where a poster just didn't take seriously the need to get a 1L summer job. Is this a concerted JDU effort?

very slim chance at biglaw. The problem is that it is likely there are 35 students ranked ahead of you at your school ( after transfers leave). At my school most firms only interview 10-12 candidates and it seems that it is the same high gpa kids that get every interview.
Have you thought about transferring to ND/uiuc/emory/GW/BC/BU?
You might be far enough out where transferring to those schools might make sense. Are you getting a big scholly?