BigLaw from Fordham Forum

[Anonymous User]

What GPA / class rank is generally competitive for BigLaw at Fordham?

[Anonymous User]

Go play the lotto

[Anonymous User]

Go play the lotto

Unhelpful.

[Anonymous User]

What GPA / class rank is generally competitive for BigLaw at Fordham?

Have you ever worked in Biglaw before? I did for year, it blows. So maybe try to summer there or something before making yourself miserable....
Unless you're paying sticker at Fordham, with loans.

[Anonymous User]

My best estimate is that top quarter has a shot, top third is close to the absolute floor on what biglaw will consider, and top 10-15 percent is competitive.

[Anonymous User]

My best estimate is that top quarter has a shot, top third is close to the absolute floor on what biglaw will consider, and top 10-15 percent is competitive.

Fordham only ranks top 10, 1/4, 1/3 and 1/2, so how do you know if you're top 15% Just guesstimating?

[Anonymous User]

pretty easy using formulas and the curve to figure out where you fall in the class...

[rad lulz]

You sound like an 0L. Wrong forum.

[dingbat]

What GPA / class rank is generally competitive for BigLaw at Fordham?

WARNING: 1L

Based on the past few years, it seems the top 25% is competitive, below median is not. Top 1/3 has a shot, but an uphill climb

[vanwinkle]

You sound like an 0L. Wrong forum.

Remarkably, not a 0L.

[Anonymous User]

if you bid right and within your range, probably top 20-25% i think... its hard to tell how people did as a whole since it seems people mostly rely on anecdotes from here or their friends ... i was top 15% and have SA next summer and it seems like people with similar grades also do but can't really speak to much else

[nygrrrl]

Go play the lotto

Unhelpful.

Unhelpful... and an inappropriate use of the Anon feature.

[gibby]

Fordham alum in biglaw here. I'd say that the numbers in this thread are correct. If you're top 10% you are a shoe-in for something barring any personality/interviewing issues. Top 25% is very competitive, top 33% less competitive, but not unheard of. That said, I know people in my year in the top 10-25% that didn't get jobs for one reason or another, and know people in the top 33% that did.

Some of it is a crapshoot, but those numbers are more or less right.

[Anonymous User]

To me it seems like the most important factor is law review. If you get on LR (which, means that you will necessarily be at least top 1/3), you will most likely get an offer. But the numbers everyone has been listing above is correct.

[Anonymous User]

To me it seems like the most important factor is law review. If you get on LR (which, means that you will necessarily be at least top 1/3), you will most likely get an offer. But the numbers everyone has been listing above is correct.

good point. so maybe top 15-20% w/o law review and up to 1/3 with law review?

[dingbat]

To me it seems like the most important factor is law review. If you get on LR (which, means that you will necessarily be at least top 1/3), you will most likely get an offer. But the numbers everyone has been listing above is correct.

good point. so maybe top 15-20% w/o law review and up to 1/3 with law review?

Generally, law review is fine. Top 1/3 without law review can also get biglaw, but it's not so easy (be ready for a lot of disappointment)

[MayomiSanchez]

In my experience the top 10% generally has lots of options, 25% has a good shot and 33% has an outside shot. Beyond that personal connections or a future grade boost can get you in a little later.

[Huluba]

Maybe just echoing a lot of what has been said. It seems like law review people generally have a choice of some offers. Top 10-15% has a good shot at something. After 15% its tough and you may have to wait a while before you get your 1 offer. I would say below 25% does not have a good shot at all barring some circumstances like good work experience or amazing interviewing.

[dingbat]

Maybe just echoing a lot of what has been said. It seems like law review people generally have a choice of some offers. Top 10-15% has a good shot at something. After 15% its tough and you may have to wait a while before you get your 1 offer. I would say below 25% does not have a good shot at all barring some circumstances like good work experience or amazing interviewing.

employment statistics don't quite bear this out. ITE Fordham places between 20% and 25% in biglaw and/or Fed Clerkship. Considering that some people are just SOL and some self-select out, I'd say you're off by a bit.

More like top 15%-20% have a good shot, after 25% it's tough and below 30%-35% you need amazing connections.

Something to keep in mind: firms generally have cut-offs for interviewing. A firm might say top 10% or top 25% with law review, and anyone who's below that is SOL. Another firm might have a top 35% cutoff.
[I think that there are plenty of biglaw firms with a top 35% cutoff, but very few below that]

Once you are selected for an interview, it no longer matters if you're top of the class or barely scraped in; at that point it becomes about interview skills (although the interviewer might be less forgiving for someone near their cutoff) - and the fact that a firm may only have so many slots for a CB

[Anonymous User]

2l here. To be honest I think after top 20% you're in the danger zone, unless you have law review or some other really amazing credential. Even then I know some LR kids with close to top 1/3rd grades that really struggled (i'm not sure if a few landed anything or not).

Anecdotally: I think Fordham kids are generally well connected, and can say that I know a few people with below 1/3 grades (some below median) land a biglaw job. Not to say my experience is representative of the entire class, but it's scary when you realize that the 20% actually getting biglaw aren't simply the top 20% of the class.

[Anonymous User]

Another 2L here. I got a biglaw SA for next summer sitting around the 26-30% mark and know several in the same range that did as well. For me, a year of prior work in the industry that the firm focuses on as well as geographic connection to their home market helped a ton.

That said, the numbers that everyone else have laid down seem pretty accurate to me. 10% and/or LR and you're golden, 25% will get a good number of callbacks and likely an offer or two if you're at least a decent interviewer. From there, it's on you. Something that isn't repeated often enough, in my opinion, is the importance of strategic bidding if you're not in the 10%/LR group. CPC can help with this a little, but you must be honest with yourself and put a ton of thought into your bids. Stay in the ranges they give out and find a niche you think you can fit well into and push hard for that.

I do know one person at the median who just got a SA, but the firm is closer to midlaw than biglaw and the person has a ton of connections.

[Anonymous User]

Around top 15% with no connections and got nothing. Just got 1 cb. People I know around the top 25% without connections also seemed to really struggle. Most at Fordham are very connected it seems, and that was probably the biggest factor. So I'd be weary of any anecdotal stats you see thrown around TLS re fordham employment numbers. Probably more like top 10% + LR without connections is OK.

[Anonymous User]

Another 2L here, between top 25 - 30%. Have Big Law SA for next summer, zero connections. Pretty much echoing 2 posters up (and others), regarding numbers: top 10% is pretty safe, LR is huge. Top 25% seems a good bet, especially with journals, moot court, etc. Top third is a struggle, but can be done if you bid carefully, know yourself, find your niche. Below top third... Seems like there are one or two connected outliers in each class. Like poster above, I bid very strategically, targeted firms that had strong practice areas in a field my WE would compliment and sold myself hard for that niche.

[Anonymous User]

Does a tech background and patent bar make a difference?

[Anonymous User]

Does a tech background and patent bar make a difference?

This past OCI there were many more opportunities for people with that kind of background. I wasn't in that group so I don't know how it played out for them but it seemed many firms had separate interviews/gpa floors for patent folks.