Top Law Schools

Hello,

Sorry if this is a noobish question, I am just kind of running low on resources, and thought I may as well check here and see if anyone could give me some advice. I jsut finished my 1L year at a Top 20 school (just inside top 20) and am still waiting for my final grade for the spring semester. I was top 15% after fall semester, and pending a disaster on my final grade, it looks like I'll be around the same spot after spring. Waiting on journal results as well. I know that will affect where I should place my bids for fall recruiting, but I was hoping y'all might be able to give me some guidance as far as whether V20 firms are "out of my league", or what kind of firms might be a good "match" for someone with my profile? I am spending my 1L summer doing nonprofit, environmental work. Basically, I was hoping you could tell me what firms will be a "reach", which a "match", and what firms I have a good shot at getting interviews with. Thanks! Any other info you would like to know just ask!

Is your school lottery or pre-select?

Go to your career services office and get data on the grade range firms have hired from in the past.

V20 is a meaningless distinction unless you want to practice corporate law in NYC. Even if you do, it's a very poor proxy for selectivity. All that being said, top 20% at a T20 is probably not good enough to bank on a V20 job anywhere, but it's hard to say for certain. Legal hiring is chaotic.

I might be an idiot, but I'm not 100% sure on what preselect and lottery mean. I am thinking we're preselect. We get to pick a certain number of firms to submit resumes and cover letters to and then they decide whether to interview.

The CDO at my school has been really unhelpful in my limited experience with them, but maybe if I
Go in earnestly with a genuine question about what firms typically hire in what range, they will be more helpful.

Yea, I probably shouldn't have even said V20. I am really just trying to gauge shat kind of firms I SHOULD be looking at, and wherever I would have a good shot with ANY firms. Thanks for the reply!

Preselect means that firms review resumes submitted to them and choose who to interview. Lottery means that the school runs a metric on students who bid and firms are forced to interview. Schools usually use between a 50/50 to 80/20 split. The rationale is sort of "hey firms, if you want our good students you have to consider these kids too."

In a similar boat. I too would like to know what kind of firms to target in the top 15-25% of a school outside of the top 14. Thanks!

If you're at GW it's 100% pre-select. This means firms get your credentials and then choose whether or not to interview you.

That's the only T20 school I can vouch for.