Below median: can I get a job? Forum

[Adr070]

Rising 2L at CCN. They won't provide exact class rank, but based on my GPA, I'm probably around the bottom 30%.

Most of my grades are right around median, but two were really bad (I doubt they care, or that I will have the chance to discuss it, but I was really sick for part of finals week). Anyway, with relatively few grades, those two have a significant impact on my GPA.

I'm aiming for the LA market. Obviously on't go to school in that area, but I have significant ties there (all of my family lives there), and I lived there my entire life before and after college. I really don't want to have to bid anywhere else, but I will consider it if its my only option.

My resume is more impressive than most of my classmates. I have about 8 years of increasingly high-level work experience in business development with a major company before starting law school. I've already confirmed that my previous employer's legal department won't hire me straight from law school, so that's not an option. I got a pretty prestigious internship this summer, before grades came out, but its also something which won't lead to actual employment fresh out of school.

Does anyone know people below median at a T6 who has gotten offers from OCI? Does this actually happen? If I don't get an offer during OCI, is it worth continuing with law school?

[jbagelboy]

Plenty of below median folks get offers at OCI from T6. A few don't. Hopefully you bid conservatively and massmailed both all of CA and NY; it's a little too late now if you didn't

Unless you are bottom quartile, there are still a lot of firms that will happily take you with extensive work experience. Get yourself into as many interview rooms as you can. Network your contacts. Bottom half isn't a death sentence by any means - only bottom half with shitty bidding and zero legwork.

[Anonymous User]

I have no idea about the LA legal market, but as a fellow CCN 2L around the bottom third, you're not in bad shape OP. I'm sure your work experience will be really helpful, esp if you can play it up well in interviews. Haven't done OCI obviously, but I have 2 V100 offers right now from mass mailing, and I'm pretty sure the main reason I got callbacks was because of my work experience.

IMO TLS makes way too big a deal about grades for people in our situation. Yes, grades will prevent you from getting a shot at many firms, but there are plenty you can be competitive at if you bid smart and sell yourself well.

Definitely don't drop out until your sure you've struck out, but assuming you can interview decently and you've bid smartly I think you'll be fine. GL

[Neal Patrick Harris]

this completely depends on whether or not you're at chicago



HYSChi

[Strahilevitz]

this completely depends on whether or not you're at chicago



HYSChi

lies

- chicago 3L

[baal hadad]

Not w that attitude

Bid NYC

Mass mail yesterday

[txdude45]

You need to hustle. You should have been hustling the second grades came out, but better late than never. Write a cover letter, use not another mail merge to blast it out and then get ready for OCI.

[Anonymous User]

I'm right there with you OP. Except only two years of not good WE.

I've been mass mailing since mid July but no bites.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

this completely depends on whether or not you're at chicago



HYSChi

lies

- chicago 3L

lol shhhhh

[BullShitWithBravado]

With your numbers, NYC is your best bet. It will be an uphill battle, but if you hustle for interviews you have a shot.

[Wearthewildthingsr]

Jeez I've been mass mailing like crazy and nothing. It seems crazy though on tls how people seem to be getting offers left and right already through mm. Is what I am experiencing normal or am I fucked via the mm way? I'm slightly above median at a T-14.

[jbagelboy]

Jeez I've been mass mailing like crazy and nothing. It seems crazy though on tls how people seem to be getting offers left and right already through mm. Is what I am experiencing normal or am I fucked via the mm way? I'm slightly above median at a T-14.

the people getting CBs via mm at/below median on TLS are doing so through connections they had or made. the others just have very high grades at top schools

[Adr070]

OP here - Thanks for the insights.

I am interviewing with a few NY firms (Cadwalader, Proskauer, Fried Frank), that I included on my original bid lost just to be safe, but it looks like it might be easy to pick up others last-minute. Anyone have suggestions for which others I should focus on? Ideally, I would like some that have CA offices that I might be able to transfer to after 4-5 years (obviously won't bring this up), but the most important thing is one that might hire me...

Also, I know I shouldn't count on this, but does anyone have any insight on, assuming I did my 2L summer at a small local firm in CA or an easier-to-get big law firm in NY, and that I manage to improve my GPA 2L year, whether it would be possible to get a job at a firm in CA straight out of school, without having summered there?