What would you do? 2L with no BigLaw SA Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:34 pm

So, I am a 2L at a T14. I am bottom half of my class, but after this semester my grades will put me in the top 1/3.

I don't have a BigLaw SA for Summer, didn't even OCI. Instead, I have a job with the Attorney General's Office (litigation)

I want to make my way into Mid-Law, particularly in litigation. I don't have any pipe dreams about Big Law or any of that stuff. I ain't a sucka.

My goal is to hit that 6 figure salary mark right out of school. What would you do if you were me?

Cogburn87 · Post by **Cogburn87** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:38 pm

Anonymous User wrote: My goal is to hit that 6 figure salary mark right out of school. What would you do if you were me?

Invent a time machine and go back and do OCI, because that was probably your best shot at making $100,000+ directly out of law school with sub-median grades from a lower T14.

silenttimer · Post by **silenttimer** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:38 pm

Do a good job at the summer gig to line up good references, start networking, and apply broadly. There is no magic formula. You need to hustle and work for what your want.

tyroneslothrop1 · Post by **tyroneslothrop1** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:43 pm

I was T14 2L who missed out on big law and took a job with a 50 lawyer firm in Sacramento/San Diego/outside LA making 85K. If you're willing to live places besides NY/SF/DC those jobs are very attainable. It did help that I was from the city I ended up in. I like my job, apart from the money. Most of my cases are me and a partner and I do all the writing, i.e. motions and shit. I will take depos and make appearances in my first year. People from my firm often leave for larger firms, including biglaw shops with offices in town. I will likely explore making a similar move in the next year or two.

Advice? Reach out to connections. I emailed the hiring partner here and put "[Law School Name] Student Seeking Associate Position" and they replied...for whatever that is worth. Mass mail.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:47 pm

Anonymous User wrote:So, I am a 2L at a T14. I am bottom half of my class, but after this semester my grades will put me in the top 1/3.

I don't have a BigLaw SA for Summer, didn't even OCI. Instead, I have a job with the Attorney General's Office (litigation)

I want to make my way into Mid-Law, particularly in litigation. I don't have any pipe dreams about Big Law or any of that stuff. I ain't a sucka.

My goal is to hit that 6 figure salary mark right out of school. What would you do if you were me?

You have to hustle. There are midlaw firms looking to hire. It's less straight forward than big law, because resources are more limited. A midlaw firm isn't going to shell out $10k to rent a room from your school and fly people out there unless they're sure that acceptable candidates will choose them. I don't know how to get these jobs because I never looked, but have several friends who did.

One anecdote is that the people I know who improved their grades 2L and relied on the school to find them something all got nothing. Based on what I was told, CSO won't really care if you graduate jobless or with a midlaw job. They would prefer you got a job like how someone who prefers Coke to Pepsi would prefer to have a Coke, but won't fret too much if they get Pepsi. From their perspective, you won't help their big law or clerkship #'s, and are 100% going to take a school funded JD-required position even if you graduate with nothing so there's no incentive for them to try.

The 4-5 people I know who stayed the same or improved, wanted midlaw and hustled for it got it.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:53 pm

Anonymous User wrote:So, I am a 2L at a T14. I am bottom half of my class, but after this semester my grades will put me in the top 1/3.

I don't have a BigLaw SA for Summer, didn't even OCI. Instead, I have a job with the Attorney General's Office (litigation)

I want to make my way into Mid-Law, particularly in litigation. I don't have any pipe dreams about Big Law or any of that stuff. I ain't a sucka.

My goal is to hit that 6 figure salary mark right out of school. What would you do if you were me?

Why didn't you participate in OCI? Many below median students get Biglaw. Which school range are you in?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:17 pm

That's great to hear, thank you all for the responses.

No doubt, a grade improvement will make me more attractive on paper, but from what I gather here and elsewhere, it's all about that hustle. I know that networking is a great way to get information, so I'll start working on that.

My ideal market is NYC, but I understand that other markets have better options and more availability.

stannis · Post by **stannis** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:35 pm

If it were me, I would try to extern with a judge that meets each of these requirements:
-in a jurisdiction I'd practice in
-hires former externs
-former clerks work at firms I would want to work at.

So probably state supreme or court appeals.

lawschoolftw · Post by **lawschoolftw** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:29 am

Good advice in this thread. I'd also pursue clerkship opportunities. I missed the boat on big law at 2L OCI, but I clerked for a year and had offers at various big law firms after my clerkship (and ultimately chose a mid-law firm). A clerkship is a good way to re-open the firm doors that generally shut after OCI.

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