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Didn't do so hot 1L year...don't want to go into details, but with personal tragedies getting in the way, my transcript is a veritable roller-coaster, with grades ranging from the A to C range. Attend a strong regional T30 in the northeast and desire to target my home market. Not at all entertaining dropping out--despite the hurdles, I have enjoyed the study and practice of law and find my summer internship incredibly fascinating and fulfilling. Also, my debt will be pretty manageable, with a merit scholly from my school, an outside scholarship, and folks helping out with living expenses.

Zero interest in BigLaw. I have 2 years of PI WE and tons of pro bono/volunteering stuff on my resume, so I definitely can show solid commitment to public service, though I'm not sure how much that would compensate for a spotty transcript--at least for employers that ask for transcripts. I hear that many PI employers are not so obsessed with grades as firms? Interested in EJW (and other post-grad Legal Aid fellowships), PMF, prosecution, local gov't, etc.

What options are available for this below-median, journal-less T30 kid? How to overcome my mediocre 1L performance? I will be doing a clinic next year, which I'm told should help.

Have you tried contacting alumni from your school?

^Yeah, actually got my current gig thru an alumna. I've been in contact with the leadership of my school's alumni chapter in my home city and have cold-emailed grads practicing in agencies that interest me. In other words, everyday I'm hustlin'.

Bump. Any other perspectives?

There aren't a lot of PI jobs to be had, with any set of grades, from any school. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've heard of anyone having more than one PI job to choose from for about 3 years. If I were in your shoes, I would be working whatever connections I had from before law school. Hard.

IAFG wrote:There aren't a lot of PI jobs to be had, with any set of grades, from any school. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've heard of anyone having more than one PI job to choose from for about 3 years. If I were in your shoes, I would be working whatever connections I had from before law school. Hard.

I was a DV advocate before law school and the agency has a legal dep't so I have good connections there. Have a couple of attorneys in my extended family, though they don't practice in areas that particularly fascinate me.