Top Law Schools

Does anyone know of any data or any anecdotal information about where people who graduate last or almost last in their graduating class end up? Assuming they pass the bar exam, they can practice law, but finding a job may be too difficult.

Every school, every year graduates someone who is ranked last in the class. Even at a T14, someone is ranked last. Where do these people end up?

I've never really heard too much about anyone having a good story, successful or otherwise, but this is likely because a lot of people don't share this information about themselves. I had one law professor who went to the University of Texas School of Law in the 1970s and he had classmate who, not by lack of intelligence but rather through a lack of effort, went all the way through law school barely keeping his GPA above academic probation levels and graduated and went on to become a highly successful litigator that donated a decent amount of money to the law school.

Just curious if anyone has anything to share on the topic.

I go to UT, what's the litigator's name? Just curious if I've heard it before.

Anonymous User wrote:Every school, every year graduates someone who is ranked last in the class. . . . Where do these people end up?

BigZuck wrote:I go to UT, what's the litigator's name? Just curious if I've heard it before.

Sounds like Joe Jamail, but he graduated in the 50s.

Steve Susman?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL3MxAH-kDI

Hook 'Em

this story that you've heard is actually just "donate to us" propaganda.

I've actually heard that exact story about Joe Jamail.

Traynor Brah wrote:Steve Susman?

Dude actually had the highest GPA in the history of UT law.

arklaw13 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:Steve Susman?

Dude actually had the highest GPA in the history of UT law.

Highest GPA in the history of UT? Has no one ever graduated with a 4.0 before?

I think you'd be surprised in regards to those people because situations vary so much.

I don't know exactly who ended last, but I know people in the bottom quarter. Some were going to work with a small firm where daddy or uncle was partner, so they had no reason to try. Some had put so much work into public interest that they got a fellowship. I'm sure some others are still unemployed I'm sure.

kellyfrost wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:Steve Susman?

Dude actually had the highest GPA in the history of UT law.

Highest GPA in the history of UT? Has no one ever graduated with a 4.0 before?

Dunno if the claim is still accurate. At least was at the time he graduated. I think UT has A+'s now so I really doubt it still stands.

kellyfrost wrote:

arklaw13 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:Steve Susman?

Dude actually had the highest GPA in the history of UT law.

Highest GPA in the history of UT? Has no one ever graduated with a 4.0 before?

That would require 3Ls to actually pay attention to their classes. . . like that is going to happen. . .

arklaw13 wrote:

Traynor Brah wrote:Steve Susman?

Dude actually had the highest GPA in the history of UT law.

(Joking)

But yeah there are now multiple people each class who graduate (well) above 4.0, no question.

I'm pretty close to bottom of the class at a T14 (and will probably get closer after my last two additional semesters of not caring) and will be going into market paying biglaw.

At a lot of schools outside the T14, once you're out of the running for biglaw, getting a job is much more about making connections and getting experience than about grades. Some employers don't even ask for grades (ex. the PD in my law school state). So while all else equal, good grades are better than bad grades, being at the bottom of the class isn't always worse than being median.

Besides, a lot of schools only rank some top percentage of the class, so I don't think very many students are stuck actually saying that they're the bottom of the class. (Don't most T14s not really rank?)

It sort of depends on the school. I knew someone who graduated from my school with a 2.9, which is very difficult to get and certainly at the very bottom of the class (since even with no honors you bottom out at 3.0), who was working in ny biglaw in a corporate group (not at a firm many people want to work at, but still a large firm). But many times they probably have to become solo practitioners or they don't pass the bar at all and work in another field. And even at very top schools the bottom students will inevitably struggle a lot.

jbagelboy wrote:It totally depends on the school. I knew someone who graduated from my school with a 2.9, which is very difficult to get and certainly at the very bottom of the class (since even with no honors you bottom out at 3.0), who was working in ny biglaw in a corporate group (not at a firm many people want to work at, but still a large firm). But many times they probably have to become solo practitioners or they don't pass the bar at all and work in another field.

Do any schools offer a break down of bar passage rate by GPA?

haus wrote:

jbagelboy wrote:It totally depends on the school. I knew someone who graduated from my school with a 2.9, which is very difficult to get and certainly at the very bottom of the class (since even with no honors you bottom out at 3.0), who was working in ny biglaw in a corporate group (not at a firm many people want to work at, but still a large firm). But many times they probably have to become solo practitioners or they don't pass the bar at all and work in another field.

Do any schools offer a break down of bar passage rate by GPA?

I don't know of it, but I think it's safe to say the lowest kids in the class at any school--and every single law school has students that fail - are more likely to fail at least once.

I'm sure the above is true, but I think failure correlates more with effort put into bar prep than grades. Almost everyone at my school who failed blew off studying. I suspect the correlation with grades gets stronger as you go down the law school food chain, just because the lower the school, the lower the entering GPA/LSAT, which suggests some difficulty with things like standardized tests. But above a certain threshold, I don't think grades correlate that strongly.

This is me at a T14. Well, I don't know exactly where I'm at but it's certainly bottom 10-20%. Nothing lined up for after graduation yet.

Anonymous User wrote:
Every school, every year graduates someone who is ranked last in the class. Even at a T14, someone is ranked last. Where do these people end up?

I suppose it's technically true that someone is last at a T14, but there's no way of knowing because the school doesn't release the info. They probably do OK because their grades won't even look THAT bad to employers used to resumes from third-tier schools (where Bs and Cs are the norm).

Statistically speaking outside the top schools, the bottom of the class in law school is likely never to pass the bar or practice law.

BrazilBandit wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL3MxAH-kDI

Hook 'Em

That dude went to Texas Tech, so not hook'em

Desert Fox wrote:Schulte Roth & Zabel

I loled