Top Law Schools

below 3.0 grades and well below median. rising 2L. Decent school though that rocks its home city market.

I am planning to mass mail now because it looks like I wont get much from OCI. I'm trying to tap into my connections, so we'll see how that goes.

1. Is it too late to try and mass mail?

2. If I have bad grades, should I still include a transcript? I was thinking of including a resume, writing sample, and cover letter for sure.

3. Are cover letters really that necessary though? Don't they just wanna see my grades and transcript? I'm kinda lazy and tailoring each cover letter to firms I have about a 2-5 percent shot at seems overkill. I wanna try and mass mail at least 50-60 firms. I want midlaw dont laugh

Ok I'll bite.

Obviously you need to do everything that you possibly can. Although you have a very low chance at getting anything from mass mailing, that is where I would start. Yes you need to tailor each letter to each firm. You can have some boilerplate kind of language but then figure out what each firm's strongest practice is and make up some reason why that is what you want to do. In your position I would really consider leaving the GPA off your resume and hope that the strength of the rest of your resume and your cover letter may help you to squeeze in the door. To give you an idea of what to expect: if you mass mail 50-60 firms you will be doing very well to score 5 interviews. Likely it will be in the 0-3 range.

If your law school is really strong in its market then start looking now for school year employment/internships. Even if you have to work for free find some way to get in the door. Get involved in pro bono projects that firms in your town are doing. Call in any connection that you think you may have.

Maybe your comment about being lazy about tailoring cover letters was meant as a joke. But I would prepare yourself to double your efforts from last year to pull up your GPA while busting your ass to not end up unemployed at graduation. Good luck!

Don't mention your GPA to anyone.

PeanutHead wrote:Ok I'll bite.

Obviously you need to do everything that you possibly can. Although you have a very low chance at getting anything from mass mailing, that is where I would start. Yes you need to tailor each letter to each firm. You can have some boilerplate kind of language but then figure out what each firm's strongest practice is and make up some reason why that is what you want to do. In your position I would really consider leaving the GPA off your resume and hope that the strength of the rest of your resume and your cover letter may help you to squeeze in the door. To give you an idea of what to expect: if you mass mail 50-60 firms you will be doing very well to score 5 interviews. Likely it will be in the 0-3 range.

If your law school is really strong in its market then start looking now for school year employment/internships. Even if you have to work for free find some way to get in the door. Get involved in pro bono projects that firms in your town are doing. Call in any connection that you think you may have.

Maybe your comment about being lazy about tailoring cover letters was meant as a joke. But I would prepare yourself to double your efforts from last year to pull up your GPA while busting your ass to not end up unemployed at graduation. Good luck!

This is the credited response. Getting a job takes a significant amount of time and effort, even from the top of the class. If you want one, you'll have to work for it.

OP here...ok so I shouldnt include an unofficial transcript? I should just attach a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to my emails? My gpa and rank is NOT on my resume by the way...

I'm planning to mass mail small, medium, and large sized firms.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here...ok so I shouldnt include an unofficial transcript? I should just attach a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to my emails? My gpa and rank is NOT on my resume by the way...

I'm planning to mass mail small, medium, and large sized firms.

Yes, and make your writing sample the most brilliant thing ever written. That is your one true hope.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here...ok so I shouldnt include an unofficial transcript? I should just attach a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to my emails? My gpa and rank is NOT on my resume by the way...

I'm planning to mass mail small, medium, and large sized firms.

honestly, i wouldn't bother mass mailing large firms. it's hard enough for people with median grades to find success through mass mailing large firms. As far as including your transcript..don't include it unless the firm specifically asks that it be included with your other application materials. If they ask for it and you don't send it you'll either look sloppy (which isn't good) or it will draw attention to the fact that your grades are less than stellar and that you're trying to cover it up.

I would definitely take the advice from above and try to find some form of externship or clinic opportunities to do throughout the school year to allow you to network. you also need to buckle down and raise that GPA. if it was laziness that got you your poor 1L grades, just work harder. if you put in a lot of effort and still didn't do as well as you'd hoped you should ask your professors from last semester what you did wrong and how you can improve, if you haven't already.

Hello,
In Louisiana, we have hurricanes. And spam.