Top Law Schools

Alright, so after 1L I feel like the chips are starting to really stack against me.

I am top of the bottom 1/3 at a T20. At this point it looks like I haven't made a secondary journal, so I'll be on the intra school moot court. Biglaw was never my focus, so it's alright that that's out of reach.

My goal is to get in with a small or midsize firm. I've thought about doing a clerkship with a state trial court, but I'm afraid without a journal and my grades that's a pipe dream.

At this point my strategy is to load up on practical experience. I'm interning with a judge this summer and talking with an attorney about doing some work for him going forward. I'm signed up for the civil clinic for 2L, which is the most sought after and supposed to be the best experience that the law school offers.

Thoughts? Other things I can do? How screwed am I?

OP here: I should also note my debt will be in the neighborhood of 60-70k, depending on a few factors. So it's a decent chunk of change but not obscene.

One thing I've thought about is going into education consulting, which is what my dad does.

I'd say you're not screwed at all. You have reasonable debt, you're at a respectable school, and you're being realistic. Obviously your grades aren't great, but given that you're not targeting biglaw, I don't think there's a ton of difference between being median and being where you are. Outside of top quarter or top third, I've seen very little correlation between grades and jobs (admittedly a limited sample size).

I think you should really try to work at a firm during the school year as a 2L/3L. Clinics are nice and whatever and maybe you'll make some connections and provide a small boost to your resume, but the best way to land yourself a job at a small/midsize firm is to work there. Almost everyone I know who has landed a non-biglaw firm job has done so through an internship program or after working there part-time during the school year. Make a list of some of the more reputable small and midsized firms (criminal defense, family law, boutiques, etc.) and blast your resume out for a part-time gig. Assuming they like you, they'll probably want to hire you, and if they can't for whatever reason, they'll probably want to help you. Things like journal and moot court and clinics and all that are fine, but if the goal is to land a job, then you should get out there into the trenches of the local legal community.

Not OP, but in similar situation and curious about responses.

I go to a T-20 school with roughly the same grades as OP, roughly the same debt. Not tied to biglaw either-just any job that will pay my loans/provide a living without having to scrape by on ramen. I'd also appreciate any information others have to offer, and wish OP the best.

Agree w Romo

Probs wouldn't drop

BUMP. Not OP but similar predicament--bottom third, no journal, similar debt, and similarly ranked school. Glad I've got company in this sad, but not totally hopeless predicament.

Had zero interest in BigLaw coming in. Straight up PI gunner here (esp. prosecution and legal aid), but also open to working for small/mid-sized firms doing family and/or immigration law.

Doing a clinic and PT internship at a family and probate court 2L year.

We gonna be all right, bros.

Anonymous User wrote:We gonna be all right, bros.

I'm not gonna blow smoke up your ass and tell you this is true

Because there is a not insignificant chance it may not

But I wouldn't drop

^ I know, I know. Just tryna have a positive attitude.