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At what point do "Biglaw" firms stop caring about your grades? Seems absurd that they care about that stuff for mid-level atty recruiting to the point where they wont even look at you if you don't have the grades. I don't get it. Is there a way around this? Anyway to compensate? Mostly importantly, can I get a listing of "biglaw" or good firms who don't care about grades for laterals?

There's no right answer because it completely depends on who's making the hiring decision. Firms don't hire laterals; practice groups do. The head of the practice group might care, or he might not. It also matters what practice group you're in. An IP attorney with median grades will probably have a much easier time lateraling than a commercial litigation attorney with similar grades.

It's obvious what you should do to compensate: network and get more experience. If a firm needs a litigation lateral, for example, they're less likely to ding you over grades if you've taken a dozen depositions than if most of your experience is doc review.

The recurring theme by recruiters…. “we already know you are smart.” I never had the feeling that the recruiters (or anyone at the callback) obsessed about grades. I keep reading that some firms supposedly have a top of the mountain grade mentality, but I never saw it. Just ace the interview, ditto your SA.

I'm assuming you're not in BigLaw now? For what it's worth, I haven't seen too many (re: any) laterals jump from midlaw / smalllaw to biglaw. Mid-levels are hired because they mostly know what they're doing, and to fill a void left by someone useful leaving. Unless you're coming from a firm with a very similar practice / client base, grades won't even matter.

J. D. wrote:The recurring theme by recruiters…. “we already know you are smart.” I never had the feeling that the recruiters (or anyone at the callback) obsessed about grades. I keep reading that some firms supposedly have a top of the mountain grade mentality, but I never saw it. Just ace the interview, ditto your SA.

He's asking about lateraling you smug moron.

Yukos wrote:

J. D. wrote:The recurring theme by recruiters…. “we already know you are smart.” I never had the feeling that the recruiters (or anyone at the callback) obsessed about grades. I keep reading that some firms supposedly have a top of the mountain grade mentality, but I never saw it. Just ace the interview, ditto your SA.

He's asking about lateraling you smug moron.

Whoa. Harsh