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Gunned hard 1L year, and very fortunate to have a big law job.

The issue is I can't get the motivation to study hard for 2L fall. I still haven't read for one class. I feel like I can cram the week of the final, and pass but be below median. I was towards the top of the class last year. I wasn't 1% good, but had great grades.

I have minimal interest in clerking, and am not keen on the material. I was told by friends at my firm that nobody cares about my grades anymore, and really just cares about my personality and work product. They did say that grades are key to lateral, and 3L OCI if I do not like it there.

So many people are gunning, and I feel like there is something wrong with me for not studying. This is that classic splitter thing; it's not that matured late, but that I work hard when I think I need to.

You don't have a biglaw job. You have a summer-long interview for a biglaw job. These are two entirely different things. Don't let everything slide because you have an SA.

If you are depressed, try to do something about it.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a&start=50

^ This.

Grades don't matter anymore. The ultra neurotic hive-mind at TLS isn't going to reassure you on that though.

thesealocust wrote:Grades don't matter anymore. The ultra neurotic hive-mind at TLS isn't going to reassure you on that though.

Grades will matter if he doesn't land a permanent job at this firm or if he hates the firm. May matter for getting his next job, depends on what that is. I probably am ultra- neurotic. Seeing the plight of no offered people scares me, probably more than reasonable given the number of 100% offer rate firms.

To me, OP acting as if he already has the job is premature and may not be the best attitude to go into the summer.


I'm wondering if OP is depressed or has something else going on that impacts his motivation. That seems to be common.


If he feels he has won at law school and therefore doesn't care, good for him.

Grades matter if you want to clerk, work in academia, work in prestigious BIGFED jobs, or work at ultra-elite lit boutiques. If you plan on working at your biglaw firm until you have at least 2-3 years of experience, it his highly unlikely that your grades will prohibit you from getting a biglaw lateral position or small firm position of some kind if and when you decide to make a move.

What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

My point wasn't that I'm guaranteed a job. My firm doesn't even give offers to 100% of the class. My point is that getting a job is based solely on the work product, and not the grades. It's hard to have the same type of drive for a 5% chance that I'll need them again, and then the additional chance other firms would even care about drops if I'm still above the threshold. I'm not depressed; I lack the do or die feeling I had last year, because I don't feel my future hangs in the balance until I start the summer.

Anonymous User wrote:What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

I could probably cram 2 days before, get median and still be top third or whatever cumulatively. It's not depression. I can't do 60 hours a week anymore, because I don't care enough. My impression is at this juncture redeveloping the social skills I had before law school, a sense of humor and normal life will be more important for success than an A vs a B+.

Anonymous User wrote:What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

Starting at a V5 requires stellar grades, at least during 1L. Most people with those kind of grades don't let their GPAs completely collapse, so it's not surprising that a lot of them finish with some kind of honors. Also, yes, I think there's a lot of overlap between the types of people who gun for partner and the types of people who gun for high 2L and 3L grades. But correlation does not equal causation. I have never heard of a firm dinging someone for partnership because of grades.

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

Starting at a V5 requires stellar grades, at least during 1L. Most people with those kind of grades don't let their GPAs completely collapse, so it's not surprising that a lot of them finish with some kind of honors. Also, yes, I think there's a lot of overlap between the types of people who gun for partner and the types of people who gun for high 2L and 3L grades.

Gunning for partner has more of a tangible reward (i.e. $$$$$$$) so I don't see it.

Also, gunning for partner from the SA start date seems like a good way to get canned quickly for being weird or douchey. I would love to be a partner, sure. However, I plan on gunning on each assignment, and not thinking far ahead.

Join the club
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... start=1475

Nova wrote:Join the club
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... start=1475

Ya'll are talking about black letter laws. It makes me feel like garbage. I can try for half my classes somewhat, because they imply people I know (like oh, doing xxxxx would be smart for them). The ones about finance and stuff are so boring.

Anonymous User wrote:

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

Starting at a V5 requires stellar grades, at least during 1L. Most people with those kind of grades don't let their GPAs completely collapse, so it's not surprising that a lot of them finish with some kind of honors. Also, yes, I think there's a lot of overlap between the types of people who gun for partner and the types of people who gun for high 2L and 3L grades.

Gunning for partner has more of a tangible reward (i.e. $$$$$$$) so I don't see it.

Also, gunning for partner from the SA start date seems like a good way to get canned quickly for being weird or douchey. I would love to be a partner, sure. However, I plan on gunning on each assignment, and not thinking far ahead.

Gunning for partner and gunning for high 2L/3L grades have one thing in common: both require a mentality of thinking a remote possibility of some future good is worth killing yourself over in the near future.

Anonymous User wrote:

Nova wrote:Join the club
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... start=1475

Ya'll are talking about black letter laws. It makes me feel like garbage.

I agree. They need to cut that shit out and get back to complaining.

Anonymous User wrote:My point wasn't that I'm guaranteed a job. My firm doesn't even give offers to 100% of the class.

Disagree with many of the above posts.

2L grades can matter if for example:

1) your firm does not routinely have a 100% offer rate
2) your firm is highly grade snobbish
3) you go to a school that your firm is snobbish about
4) your work product is poor or average

i hear firms like when your 1st semester 2L grades tank and you come back from it. Shows you can handle adversity.

I too lack motivation.. but I'm a transfer.. so grades matter always Well, until I get dat post-grad offer..

NYstate wrote:

thesealocust wrote:Grades don't matter anymore. The ultra neurotic hive-mind at TLS isn't going to reassure you on that though.

Grades will matter if he doesn't land a permanent job at this firm or if he hates the firm. May matter for getting his next job, depends on what that is. I probably am ultra- neurotic. Seeing the plight of no offered people scares me, probably more than reasonable given the number of 100% offer rate firms.

To me, OP acting as if he already has the job is premature and may not be the best attitude to go into the summer.


I'm wondering if OP is depressed or has something else going on that impacts his motivation. That seems to be common.


If he feels he has won at law school and therefore doesn't care, good for him.

Grades don't matter anymore. The ultra neurotic hive-mind at TLS isn't going to reassure you on that though.

Anonymous User wrote:What if you want to gun for V5 senior associate --> V100 partnership?

Almost all people who I have seen make this move that had cum laude, Stone, etc. fwiw. Sure a lot of that is self-selection I bet, but just putting that out there.

If you think grades might have an impact on your partnership prospects, you have absolutely no idea how this industry functions. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.

This son of a bitch has a two mil book of business! But sir, he got a b minus in admin law. Well fuck him then!

Obviously happens every single day in big law. Despite the fact most partners went to a TTT because they boomers.

i thought firms didn't want the best lawyers, they just wanted the most PREFTTTIGIOUS lawyers, thus having that magna cum laude pretty much ensures life time tenure.

Clients love him, opposing counsel fears him, judges respect him, jurors listen to him... but he slacked off 2L and 3L year.

Shame too. I wonder if he'll have to take unemployment or might be able to find work as a librarian or something once he's pushed out by his first firm and everyone finds out he got Bs 2L and 3L year?

thesealocust wrote:Clients love him, opposing counsel fears him, judges respect him, jurors listen to him... but he slacked off 2L and 3L year.

Shame too. I wonder if he'll have to take unemployment or might be able to find work as a librarian or something once he's pushed out by his first firm and everyone finds out he got Bs 2L and 3L year?

but is he prestigious?

thesealocust wrote:Clients love him, opposing counsel fears him, judges respect him, jurors listen to him... but he slacked off 2L and 3L year.

Shame too. I wonder if he'll have to take unemployment or might be able to find work as a librarian or something once he's pushed out by his first firm and everyone finds out he got Bs 2L and 3L year?

When my partners make a pitch, they include everyone's transcripts. My billing rate is discounted because I got a B in admiralty law and corporations during 2L.

I don't give a shit about grades any more, and I don't have a job either.