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(I am a 2l) So I am a transfer to a lower t14 from a t4. I got a bad lrw grade in 1l year. I got the highest grade award in 4 of my 1l classes. Despite the bad lrw grade, I was top 8 percent. I made it onto a secondary law journal.

I struck out at OCI. My question is: if I manage to get a 4.0 (or decently close) at my new school my 2l year would I have much of a shot for 3l biglaw? Is my best bet to just try and get the high gpa and gun hard for a clerkship and then biglaw? Or has the biglaw boat pretty much sailed?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my question.

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I am gathering that 3L OCI at T-14s is not as much of a joke as it is usually made on this forum. Nevertheless, it is nothing to be counted upon. I was positively surprised by the results of a number of 3L classmates who did not have 2L SAs. It is harder than 2L hiring, but definitely not impossible.

3L here with same transfer situation as yourself. I struck out at big law but did get a small firm SA offer. I then got top grades 2L year, completed my SA gig, declined my small firm associate offer, mass mailed as a 3L, and got big law in a practice group that I wanted. Get a 4.0 and you'll be well positioned.

OP here. Thanks for the responses so far. Good to hear that it seems like I would have some kind of chance. Would I be lucky to just get any biglaw job or would I be competitive for some of the more selective firms?

Would my odds of getting the more prestigious firms be higher if I did a federal clerkship first? even if a random district court in a flyover if that isn't where I want to work?

The reason I'm asking is because I would like to know if I succeed in my goals if that will even help me get where I would like to be in the long run.

Do not get picky, it is still an uphill battle and you are like the camel passing through the eye of the needle. So yes, feel happy to get ANY biglaw job next year.
Having said all of that, the firms most likely to need 3Ls tend to be firms with large summer classes... and those firms also happen to be highly ranked on vault.