Grade Change - Question About Splitting/1L Firm Jobs Forum

[armoss89]

Good morning everyone,

I was notified on Friday that the registrar had screwed up one of my 1L fall grades, and a correction brought it up from a B to an A, which means I'm somehow currently sitting on a 4.0 from my first semester at a low-end T14 (not counting LRW because it's a full-year class and there's no grade on my transcript, though I'm below an A at this point). I'm obviously thrilled about this and excited about my prospects going forward, but had a couple of questions for the wise posters at TLS about my next steps.

First of all, I accepted a position interning for a judge with the US Court of Federal Claims before my grades were initially released. I'm very excited about the position and think it should be a great experience, but I can't help but consider the allure of a high-paying job for part of the summer when I'm living on student loans and my family isn't in a position to help out with my finances (nor would I ask them to). I accepted the position a few weeks ago, is it really bad form for me to start applying to what Biglaw 1L positions I can find at this late stage in the game and ask the judge if I can split if I'm offered something? I just don't want to put the judge into a bind and make it seem like I pulled the rug out, especially since I don't know if this judge was planning to hire other interns for the summer.

Additionally, does anyone know how I can find out which firms are still hiring 1Ls at this point? I know anecdotally of some classmates that have already been offered by programs no longer hiring (I know Skadden's deadline was several weeks ago) and of some firms that have notified me their hiring process is closed for 1Ls (Wiley Rein emailed me the other day). I'm going to ask my school's career office if they have a database or something, but should I just be blasting out applications at this point and hoping for the best?

Sorry for the long explanation, but thanks in advance for the helpful advice!

[Anonymous User]

I would blast away but I'm very cynical about judicial internships. Getting paid is huge. Hit all the big NY firms plus big law in your school's market, but you're right that you are late in the game. Your grades mean that you should be able to get something paid though so I would also focus on smaller firms in your home market and firms that have hired 1Ls from your school in the past. Smaller firms generally hire much later and more sporadically. Hopefully CSO could give you a list. Also use NALP to determine which of those firms hire 1Ls. Congratulations on a great first semester!

[Ron Don Volante]

how did they screw up, if you dont mind me asking?

congrats

[3|ink]

Good morning everyone,

I was notified on Friday that the registrar had screwed up one of my 1L fall grades, and a correction brought it up from a B to an A, which means I'm somehow currently sitting on a 4.0 from my first semester at a low-end T14 (not counting LRW because it's a full-year class and there's no grade on my transcript, though I'm below an A at this point). I'm obviously thrilled about this and excited about my prospects going forward, but had a couple of questions for the wise posters at TLS about my next steps.

First of all, I accepted a position interning for a judge with the US Court of Federal Claims before my grades were initially released. I'm very excited about the position and think it should be a great experience, but I can't help but consider the allure of a high-paying job for part of the summer when I'm living on student loans and my family isn't in a position to help out with my finances (nor would I ask them to). I accepted the position a few weeks ago, is it really bad form for me to start applying to what Biglaw 1L positions I can find at this late stage in the game and ask the judge if I can split if I'm offered something? I just don't want to put the judge into a bind and make it seem like I pulled the rug out, especially since I don't know if this judge was planning to hire other interns for the summer.

Additionally, does anyone know how I can find out which firms are still hiring 1Ls at this point? I know anecdotally of some classmates that have already been offered by programs no longer hiring (I know Skadden's deadline was several weeks ago) and of some firms that have notified me their hiring process is closed for 1Ls (Wiley Rein emailed me the other day). I'm going to ask my school's career office if they have a database or something, but should I just be blasting out applications at this point and hoping for the best?

Sorry for the long explanation, but thanks in advance for the helpful advice!

Did the registrar find the mistake on their own? Or did you dispute the grade?

Was this GULC?

[Anonymous User]

I think it's going to be extremely tough to find a 1L SA this late in the game. I have similar grades from HLS, and haven't really gotten much. Definitely worth a shot, but so many firms have finished their 1L hiring already I think your chances are unfortunately very low.

[mvp99]

"you had one job"

[armoss89]

With regard to the grade, I emailed my professor not to dispute the grade but to express my disappointment and ask to meet with him. He replied by explaining the formal review process and asked me to wait until he had a chance to put up his "best exams" so I could look them over and learn what the "best" responses did differently from my own. Before that took place, I got an email from the registrar explaining that my grade had been misstated due to a "clerical error", and that my transcript had been updated to reflect the proper grade. I've found out through the grapevine that a few other people had the same experience.

Thanks for the feedback, it sounds like tough sledding but I guess I'll be blasting out apps in my school market and home market in the next week or so!

[jbagelboy]

This is awesome. Congratulations. Even if a 1L SA doesn't pan out, you'll destroy OCI.

(As a side note, for future reference, A,A,A,B or A,A,B are strong enough grades to apply for 1L firm positions anyway, so OPs mistake if they wanted work in the private sector was to not apply with the already strong gpa in the first place)

[armoss89]

Thanks for the tip jbagelboy, but I actually interviewed for and accepted the judicial internship before I got my grades (I didn't have the slightest inkling they'd be anywhere near here!) so I wasn't thinking I'd be a strong contender for 1L firm positions at that time, though I guess my mistake was not trying to find a split once I got the initial 3.7.