No Journal=Kiss of Death? Rising 2L Seeks Strategic Advice Forum

[Anonymous User]

Rising 2L at a T25, 3.70 GPA (Just missed 10%), no journals, not even secondary. I already bid OCI, is this going to kill me as far as getting interviews, offers? I'm getting ready to resume bomb this weekend, any suggestion on what firms to avoid, how to spin it? Moot Court registration isn't until after OCI, so I can't even say I'm enrolled in that.

[Anonymous User]

Here is my almost identical thread from yesterday:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=161025

Good luck to you. I hope we do well! I'd rather be top 10% without journal than top 25% with it...

[Anonymous User]

I'm in a similar boat as of now (T 5-10% at a T10; no acceptances, 2 waitlists).

Maybe tell them you missed out in law review (and maybe onther secondary you wanted to do) and none of the other secondaries were appealing to you (might say you didn't like the topic, or you wanted more practical experience of moot court/clinics). Since you're top 10% they'll likely assume you could have done a secondary if you wanted to.

[Anonymous User]

I was leaning towards practical experience, I currently have a Fall RA lined up (not super practical), a spring semester clinic, I plan on doing moot court, and I want to try for a judicial externship in the spring as well. I'm just wondering how it will affect landing interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Anecdotal but: I didn't do a journal and only 2 of my 40 something interviews asked me about it, one of whom was from the eventual firm that I am working for now.

[Anonymous User]

My GF took on another activity. She said she had a choice between the journal and that, and she took it for 2L to put her journal experience as a 3L. I am going to do the same thing come OCI. She got a job. It is a legit answer, so I wouldn't worry if you can say you are doing something else instead.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

I have all that besides good 1L grades (middle-third here). A little more hustle for me, but similar boat.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

Yeah, if I get a job through OCI I will probably take much schadenfreude at people slaving away on journals. And if I don't, I'll be pretty sure that since my grades and school were good enough that it was my personality, rather than lack of journal, that messed things up

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

Yeah, if I get a job through OCI I will probably take much schadenfreude at people slaving away on journals. And if I don't, I'll be pretty sure that since my grades and school were good enough that it was my personality, rather than lack of journal, that messed things up

Agreed. I was pissed about it at first, but if I get a baller job it's gonna be the lulziest thing ever to me. Having cake + eating it.

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

I have all that besides good 1L grades (middle-third here). A little more hustle for me, but similar boat.

Work that personality. You already know the bad news; good news is that the top of the class is more than likely to be aspie-heavy. Top 1/3 should be in play anyway, NLJ numbers don't take boutiques, good govt/PI, or clerkships into account. AAAAW YEAH INTERVIEWS

[Anonymous User]

I'm in a similar boat as of now (T 5-10% at a T10; no acceptances, 2 waitlists).

Maybe tell them you missed out in law review (and maybe onther secondary you wanted to do) and none of the other secondaries were appealing to you (might say you didn't like the topic, or you wanted more practical experience of moot court/clinics). Since you're top 10% they'll likely assume you could have done a secondary if you wanted to.

Well so much for that. I got off the WL at one of the secondaries today. It was the secondary I wanted the most (by far), but I was just getting used to the idea of not having to bluebook and work on a note for the next two years.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

Yeah, if I get a job through OCI I will probably take much schadenfreude at people slaving away on journals. And if I don't, I'll be pretty sure that since my grades and school were good enough that it was my personality, rather than lack of journal, that messed things up

Agreed. I was pissed about it at first, but if I get a baller job it's gonna be the lulziest thing ever to me. Having cake + eating it.

Yeah, all of 2L year I was extremely happy that I didn't do the writing competition. Not being on a journal is awesome. However, I probably would've felt differently if I hadn't gotten an offer at my first-choice firm.

Also, I only got asked about not being on a journal in one interview. It was a screening interview and I got a callback. I didn't do moot court either.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

Yeah, if I get a job through OCI I will probably take much schadenfreude at people slaving away on journals. And if I don't, I'll be pretty sure that since my grades and school were good enough that it was my personality, rather than lack of journal, that messed things up

Agreed. I was pissed about it at first, but if I get a baller job it's gonna be the lulziest thing ever to me. Having cake + eating it.

Yeah, all of 2L year I was extremely happy that I didn't do the writing competition. Not being on a journal is awesome. However, I probably would've felt differently if I hadn't gotten an offer at my first-choice firm.

Also, I only got asked about not being on a journal in one interview. It was a screening interview and I got a callback. I didn't do moot court either.

You're pretty much my hero then. I've been pleading with the heavens for top 11% + striking out on secondaries since day 1. Didn't quite reach the first goal, but I think I'm close enough anyway. God I love being uninvolved.

[Anonymous User]

So we can still get jobs? Killer. We've all got a shot at the best case scenario: no note due, no editing, good grades because everyone else has divided attention, and a summer job because of good 1L grades. Lez make it happen.

Yeah, if I get a job through OCI I will probably take much schadenfreude at people slaving away on journals. And if I don't, I'll be pretty sure that since my grades and school were good enough that it was my personality, rather than lack of journal, that messed things up

Agreed. I was pissed about it at first, but if I get a baller job it's gonna be the lulziest thing ever to me. Having cake + eating it.

Yeah, all of 2L year I was extremely happy that I didn't do the writing competition. Not being on a journal is awesome. However, I probably would've felt differently if I hadn't gotten an offer at my first-choice firm.

Also, I only got asked about not being on a journal in one interview. It was a screening interview and I got a callback. I didn't do moot court either.

Awesome. How'd you handle the question? And did they ask why no moot court, either?