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African American at UVA. My grades so far are 2 B+ and a B. What legal doors just closed to me? Any words of encouragement?

Anonymous User wrote:African American at UVA. My grades so far are 2 B+ and a B. What legal doors just closed to me? Any words of encouragement?

How many times are you going to post about this? Just relax--you're a URM at UVA, you'll be fine. If this is causing you that much stress that you have to repeatedly post about this then maybe law isn't the right career path...

AA UVA alum. If you keep those type of grades you will get a firm job with good interview skills. The only doors that have closed are jobs that you think you want but in reality suck.

Thanks. I'm kind of in shock. I thought I worked so hard.

.

lol

3.2 at UVA is bottom 25% (I think). Below median students still get jobs at T14 though. You're in the hunt and you've got a lot more grades before the end of 1L.

I'm a privileged white male at a t-25 with below median grades and I landed a big firm job. kool it.

Anonymous User wrote:African American at UVA. My grades so far are 2 B+ and a B. What legal doors just closed to me? Any words of encouragement?

Cry me a fucking river...I got big law at a lower ranked program and worst grades. 2 B+s? Oooooh. Boooo hoo.

Thanks for the kick in the pants guys. I need to get myself together and give it my all this spring (I thought I did last fall tho )

Anonymous User wrote:Thanks for the kick in the pants guys. I need to get myself together and give it my all this spring (I thought I did last fall tho )

You'll be fine as an AA at UVA. Don't worry about the job hunt too much.

You say you studied hard, and I believe you. But remember, studying hard doesn't necessary mean studying smart. Get your Fall exams and go over them with your professors. Talk to other students about what worked for them. Review your own study plan - what do you think you can change to improve? This next couple months before Spring final studying hits high gear, reflect on changes you can make to your study habits, writing style, etc. Read (or re-read) Getting to Maybe over spring break. Lots of people improve tons between semesters. Now you know what a law exam looks like. You know how better to apply law to facts (going over exams again will help you with this). There is no reason you can't improve without breaking your back too hard. And most importantly - don't lose hope! You're at a good school. You'll be okay. Keep a positive attitude and don't worry too much. These tips all worked for me and I substantially improved by grades second semester of 1L.

Good luck (and try to relax a bit)!!!

sparty99 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:African American at UVA. My grades so far are 2 B+ and a B. What legal doors just closed to me? Any words of encouragement?

Cry me a fucking river...I got big law at a lower ranked program and worst grades. 2 B+s? Oooooh. Boooo hoo.

You can't really compare grades across schools like that. Lots of TTs curve in the low 2.5-3.0 range, whereas B+ at UVa is below median I believe. I also doubt your story is anywhere close to typical so please stop spouting it as something that can be reliably repeated.


OP: You'll probably end up okay, but don't expect anything to come easy. True you're unlikely to clerk for a feeder judge or work at any of the more grade selective firms, but you should still be able to find a decent job if you apply broadly (mass-mail, OCI, diversity fairs, etc.) and aren't a total aspie during interviews. Also, don't assume that your grades are a reflection of your work habits. Plenty of people who work very hard in law school do not do well, while some people who don't work quite as hard do. That's just how it is, and try not to assume that your grades are a reflection of your work ethic. Also, you're still in a better situation than a significant majority of 1Ls across the country right now.

I am a UVA alumnus and my 1L fall semester grades were 2 B- and 2 B. Although my overall 1L grades were terrible (3.01), I still got a big law job in D.C. Have confidence in yourself and be strong. As long as you can pass the OGI screening interviews, you should be fine.

When I was a 1L, I had a 3.15 after my first semester. Ended up with an offer from a V10 for 2L summer. Just talk to your profs, learn from your mistakes, make adjustments, and kill the second semester. Minority at median if you can get there will likely have offers.

keep your chin up friend and stay focused on the next few steps. grind out classes and make a good connection with a prof or two; get your interview prep in when the time comes; and try to make some local connections between now and june in a smaller market or even a big one if you have/can manufacture "ties" to it.

this is the stuff that everyone would be wise to do regardless of their grades after first semester. even at a different spot on the curve, it's what i wish i had done more effectively looking back on it. don't let the grades distract you too much from moving on to the second semester/first summer grind.

btw, b+ isn't below median for 1L in hooville. the grade inflation kicks in slightly with the electives 1L spring, but predominantly impacts 2L and beyond.

OP here. Thanks for the kind words guys.