Biglaw..median grades..solid extracurricularsADVICE PLEASE! Forum

[Anonymous User]

GULC-3.26 GPA/law fellow/moot court...

I am super pissed about the GPA...the class I thought I did best in I did worst in and the class I thought I did worst in I did best in...grades range from A-B.

With law fellow and moot court and hopefully a journal (dont know yet) is big law a possibility?

If so please list biglaw firms that arent so focused on grades but more on personality/extracurriculars etc...

[MrAnon]

This is like applying to law schools hoping that your extracurriculars will get you in and that the schools will overlook GPA. They won't. No biglaw firm does this. Median from GULC is a low possibility of biglaw.

[Anonymous User]

This is like applying to law schools hoping that your extracurriculars will get you in and that the schools will overlook GPA. They won't. No biglaw firm does this. Median from GULC is a low possibility of biglaw.

This.

Biglaw associates are marketing pieces. Firms want prestigious schools, law review, federal clerkships, and greek honors. If you don't have at least two of these, your attorney bio isn't gonna look terribly impressive to clients.

It's a buyer's market. If you were a hiring partner, why wouldn't you hire someone with solid extras and great grades over someone with solid extras and poor grades?

[Anonymous User]

This is like applying to law schools hoping that your extracurriculars will get you in and that the schools will overlook GPA. They won't. No biglaw firm does this. Median from GULC is a low possibility of biglaw.

This.

Biglaw associates are marketing pieces. Firms want prestigious schools, law review, federal clerkships, and greek honors. If you don't have at least two of these, your attorney bio isn't gonna look terribly impressive to clients.

It's a buyer's market. If you were a hiring partner, why wouldn't you hire someone with solid extras and great grades over someone with solid extras and poor grades?

Can you clarify what you are saying? If I have prestigious school...am working for a federal judge this summer...law review...and moot court..you honestly think biglaw is out of the realm of possibility!??? Grrr I wish someone would have told me this BEFORE all those loans!

[Aston2412]

I think it depends on what school you're at. Law review is a big boost. Moot court too. If you're at T14 you're going to be fine. It won't be easy necessarily, but you'll have a job.

Off the top of my head, hogan lovells and Linklaters are both less focused on grades and more focused on the overall picture.

[Anonymous User]

I think it depends on what school you're at. Law review is a big boost. Moot court too. If you're at T14 you're going to be fine. It won't be easy necessarily, but you'll have a job.

OP here...I am at GULC

Interning for a federal judge right now...

Can you tell me some firms!?

[Cade McNown]

This is like applying to law schools hoping that your extracurriculars will get you in and that the schools will overlook GPA. They won't. No biglaw firm does this. Median from GULC is a low possibility of biglaw.

This.

Biglaw associates are marketing pieces. Firms want prestigious schools, law review, federal clerkships, and greek honors. If you don't have at least two of these, your attorney bio isn't gonna look terribly impressive to clients.

It's a buyer's market. If you were a hiring partner, why wouldn't you hire someone with solid extras and great grades over someone with solid extras and poor grades?

Why Greek Honors?

[timbs4339]

GULC-3.26 GPA/law fellow/moot court...

I am super pissed about the GPA...the class I thought I did best in I did worst in and the class I thought I did worst in I did best in...grades range from A-B.

With law fellow and moot court and hopefully a journal (dont know yet) is big law a possibility?

If so please list biglaw firms that arent so focused on grades but more on personality/extracurriculars etc...

Law review is a boost, although it depends on the firm. Moot court, secondary journal, etc will not get you callbacks at firms where your grades are below the cutoff.

[Anonymous User]

How does one find out cutoffs?

I get that i shouldnt bid on Cravath...but what about firms such as Jones Day...anyone know cutoffs?

[Aston2412]

Why Greek Honors?

Because Latin Honors are for pansies!

[PeanutHead]

How does one find out cutoffs?

Have you talked with OCS at all? They have a bunch of resources including the median hiring GPA for 75% of the firms coming to OCI.

You will have some but not many options. Also everyone with median/below median grades will be competing for those firms. If you weren't ANON, then I would send you the link.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks Peanuthead...I have the link to the GULC big law stats; however, these stats seem out of touch as they include pre economic downturn data...

When you say I will have some options...can you list some firms?!

[Cade McNown]

Why Greek Honors?

Because Latin Honors are for pansies!

lulz. I suppose Greek Honors did work for Elle Woods.

[Aston2412]

When you say I will have some options...can you list some firms?!

Have you done any research at all? You can find a lot of this information by reviewing various TLS threads and checking out Vault or Career Center by Lateral Link. And none of it is likely to be guaranteed. You're only going to be able to find a rough approximation of where firms cut off at. I'll re-mention Hogan and Linklaters bc I guess you just overlooked it earlier.

[Anonymous User]

Gosh so passive aggressive!

I did not overlook linklaters and Hogan and I thank you for opinion.

I have been through all the "normal" avenues IE Career services/vault/NALP etc

I just want some unbiased candor which I assume only someone who has been through the process can give me...hence my desire for specific firm names! (preferably from someone who can say.."Oh I was median at GULC or any other equivalent school and this is what I did..."

[PeanutHead]

these stats seem out of touch as they include pre economic downturn data...

When you say I will have some options...can you list some firms?!

They include data going back to 1998. So yes they are distorted, but will give an idea of which firms are less exclusive. After you get a list of those, I would bid especially on any in your home market or any market that you can act like you have ties to. After that I would focus solely on NYC. You will get way more screening interviews from NYC (around 15+) rather than DC (likely less than 10).

Do you have any particular specific interest? If not, I would come up with one so that you can aggressively target those firms.

This process should take many hours of work, which is likely why you are getting some pissy comments. You are in a tough spot for sure, but if you bust your ass with the prep work you at least have a chance. Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

these stats seem out of touch as they include pre economic downturn data...

When you say I will have some options...can you list some firms?!

They include data going back to 1998. So yes they are distorted, but will give an idea of which firms are less exclusive. After you get a list of those, I would bid especially on any in your home market or any market that you can act like you have ties to. After that I would focus solely on NYC. You will get way more screening interviews from NYC (around 15+) rather than DC (likely less than 10).

Do you have any particular specific interest? If not, I would come up with one so that you can aggressively target those firms.

This process should take many hours of work, which is likely why you are getting some pissy comments. You are in a tough spot for sure, but if you bust your ass with the prep work you at least have a chance. Good luck!

So I was going to focus solely on NYC but u think I should do home market as well to increase chances? Good idea.

My specific interest is litigation..which makes my current federal internship make sense...is that what you mean please elaborate...re aggressively target "those" firms

[PeanutHead]

I would focus on your home market as well unless it is DC or LA.

Focus on firms that have massive litigation departments/ are lit focused. You will be able to tell which are lit focused by going through NALP.

[Anonymous User]

Gotcha thx peanuthead!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have an idea what the 1L median was this past year @ GULC? If I'm between a 3.35 and 3.4 (thus under top 33% by less than 0.1) do I still have a shot at NYC-biglaw (thinking lower Vault ranks obvs)? Right now I'm thinking Lady Luck will have to be my +1 throughout OCI...

[wiseowl]

You probably know this already, but "interning right now with a federal judge" =/= clerking with a federal judge.

You need to bid heavily on NYC. Do not bother wasting bids on any DC firms unless you literally know a partner there on a first-name basis.