Bottom Third of CLS Forum

[jbagelboy]

I'd drop out if I were bottom third, even at CLS. Market just hasn't rebounded enough, and you'll probably strike out. Alternatively, you could stick it out and see what happens. You never know.

The market is plenty healthy to absorb bottom third T6 grads at OCI. No one listen to this.

I know people with straight B's during 1L that received multiple V50 offers. I recognize there are people that strike out, but it's due to poor interviewing, not grades.

Conversely, Re: the other poster that said someone with straight B's could interview at Paul Weiss or Simpson Thatcher, that's pretty ridiculous. Those firms will pull from median for decent interviewers but not students with grades that bad. That's just a waste of everyone's time.

[smaug]

Simpson has hired that low I think. PW seems way less likely

[TheoO]

Simpson has hired that low I think. PW seems way less likely

Diversity?

[smaug]

Simpson has hired that low I think. PW seems way less likely

Diversity?

I don't think so.

I think a lot of it is who needs bodies in a given year/at different points in time, so this is probably just me being old.

Either way, still probably wouldn't waste a bid there

[Burlington4174]

I'd drop out if I were bottom third, even at CLS. Market just hasn't rebounded enough, and you'll probably strike out. Alternatively, you could stick it out and see what happens. You never know.

This is bad, unnuanced advice. It is actually more likely that OP will not strike out, assuming that she/he puts the effort into prepping. About 80% of Columbia students graduate with a BigLaw position or clerkship, and around 5-10% of the class will legitimately choose to pursue alternative opportunities in PI and government. A few individuals will also continue their education, go in-house, or go into consulting or other finance fields by choice. In turn, probably less than 10% of the class ends up without a BigLaw position that actually wants one, and a fairly large percentage of these individuals would have been able to get a job if they had put enough time into selecting and prepping for their interviews.

Before suggesting someone in the bottom third should just drop out, you also might want to ask them about their scholarship award, financial situation, career goals, prior work experience, etc.

Also, I would note that the OP probably is not even in the bottom third. 40% of each 1L class at Columbia gets a B, and she has a B+ and not a single B-.

[Anonymous User]

Hi OP - jumping in a little late here. I worse grades than you at CLS about 2 years ago and I did EIP. I got 6 callbacks and 3 offers. I'm now litigating at a V30 in NYC. I didn't have anything totally special on my resume. No special interests or language skills. Not a URM. I have been told I interview well. There's still hope for you!

Edit - inserted a few more details, hoping to help.