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So I didn't do too great my first year, obviously. I'm still not sure what I want to do long-term, but would like to try out a firm job for 2L summer and could see myself doing a latin american practice, as I speak both Portuguese and Spanish (lived in Brazil for 2 years, have family there, etc.).

Where (rankings-wise) do you suggest I should bid for OCI/EIP this summer in terms of getting a firm job? And how far would the language/culture boost help me in terms of making up for the paltry grades for firms that have a latin american practice?

I could really use the advice, since I'm none too happy with these grades and just may start to panic.

Thanks guys.

Maybe include where you are in relation to median, I think it will give the other posters a better idea on how to approximate your chances.

booboo wrote:Maybe include where you are in relation to median, I think it will give the other posters a better idea on how to approximate your chances.

Assuming OP is at CLS or NYU (since Chicago doesn't have normal GPAs), 3.08 is below median. Median is in the 3.25-3.3 range at CLS, and slightly higher at NYU. Probably bottom third, but probably not at the very bottom of the class.

OP, your best bet is large, less-selective NYC offices (schulte, akin gump, cadwalader, dechert, paul hastings, proskauer, stroock, vinson and elkins, etc.).

All three schools have weird grading schemes. Columbia doesn't release GPA but distinguishes if students are in top 33%. Chicago has a nominal score (median = 177). NYU has a grade curve of ~3.3 with pretty much almost everyone getting B's if they do not recieve a B+ or higher.

My [purely speculative] guess is the poster is between 60-75% in the class. That's almost no shot at biglaw unless you have an amazing personality and great networking skills.

imchuckbass58 wrote:

booboo wrote:Maybe include where you are in relation to median, I think it will give the other posters a better idea on how to approximate your chances.

Assuming OP is at CLS or NYU (since Chicago doesn't have normal GPAs), 3.08 is below median. Median is in the 3.25-3.3 range at CLS, and slightly higher at NYU. Probably bottom third, but probably not at the very bottom of the class.

OP, your best bet is large, less-selective NYC offices (schulte, akin gump, cadwalader, dechert, paul hastings, proskauer, stroock, vinson and elkins, etc.).

You beat me to it!

That's almost no shot at biglaw unless you have an amazing personality and great networking skills.

The personality is going to be key. I know people with even lower grades who were piling on the offers because they had amazing interviewing skills. Time to start the hustle.

While Akin and V&E have decently sized NYC offices, their summer classes are teeny.

seriouslyinformative wrote:While Akin and V&E have decently sized NYC offices, their summer classes are teeny.

Yeah those probably aren't the best examples. I was going off of CLS EIP statistics from last year - they gave lots of offers.

kapital98 wrote:My [purely speculative] guess is the poster is between 60-75% in the class. That's almost no shot at biglaw unless you have an amazing personality and great networking skills.

I wouldn't say "almost not shot." My year (c/o 2012) close to 80% of people who did EIP got a job (and, a not insignificant number of people near the top of the class don't do EIP because they're PI/academia oriented). So I wouldn't say almost no shot, but it is far from assured.