I want to hear from people who graduated in the bottom... Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone, I am curious to hear from people who graduated in the bottom half of their class. Right now, I am a 2LOL at a Top 30 school in the top 33-40% of my class (somewhere in there, not sure exactly where), but as finals draw near and I sense my own unpreparedness for them, I'm nervous I might fall a bit in the rankings. To me it seems there is barely a significant difference from my grades and someone in the bottom half. I do have a summer associate position with a small firm (25 lawyers) in Indiana for 2017, but they focus mainly on areas outside my interest. So I already don't see myself ending up at a firm like that permanently.

Of course, I'm hoping to somehow climb up a little or just stay where I'm at--but there's always a chance I'll slip. With that said, what jobs do those of you who graduated in the bottom of your class (or even somewhere in the middle) do now? What was your path like getting there? I have 0 interest in BL (probably good since I wouldn't have a shot anyways lol) and am more interested in doing real estate, wills and trusts, and/or estate planning at a smaller firm in the future.

As someone else on here posted, you hear a lot on TLS about people's experiences with locking down BL jobs but there's less on what you might say the majority of law school grads do.

Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous User]

Im near the bottom of my class as a 2l but I have a SA with a big firm lined up in DC. Turns out it really does pay to go to a strong t14 law school otherwise I would never have gotten that job.

[Anonymous User]

If you can cope with not working in Biglaw it's not outcome determinative. But you have to understand that you'll be working in smaller law firms. Which aren't that bad, I work at one and make more than any of my peers that I'm aware of other than the top 5% or so. The truth is, and this board is a bubble, that most of us will be working in small law firms.

What I've seen a lot of people do is work at a small firm, then in their 3rd year move to a larger firm with a more diverse practice area and stay there. I know one guy who worked at a 2 guy corporate group and went on to work at the largest firm in my state in their M&A practice group. I know two others that worked at a 4 man Estate Planning shop and they moved to another city and work together at an IP/Tech/Start Up firm with around 30 lawyers.

[Anonymous User]

bottom of class at T1 here -- I got a job at a small firm (15 lawyers) doing corporate work (they never looked @ my transcript), and have been working here for 3 years - I want to lateral to biglaw, as I have the experience, but everywhere I apply I get dinged despite great WE - I'm assuming its grades...

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

There is a significant difference between the very bottom of the class and the top 40%.

[Anonymous User]

There is a significant difference between the very bottom of the class and the top 40%.

OP here. I guess you're right, but I'm not sure I would ever actually find out where in the bottom I would be because my school doesn't rank if you're below top 50%. I think it's safe to say something would have to go pretty wrong for me to end up in the very bottom (wherever that is)

Ultimately, I'm very curious what jobs people get when they don't have the advantage of top-notch grades.

[Anonymous User]

3L at the bottom of my class at a non-traditional grading school (H/Y/S/Chi/B). I have a decent corporate biglaw gig lined up but I don't know if my lackluster grades will affect exit options. I hope not. Does anyone have experience with this? I'm hoping future employers (especially if it's in-house) won't be able to understand our grading process.

[Anonymous User]

3L at the bottom of my class at a non-traditional grading school (H/Y/S/Chi/B). I have a decent corporate biglaw gig lined up but I don't know if my lackluster grades will affect exit options. I hope not. Does anyone have experience with this? I'm hoping future employers (especially if it's in-house) won't be able to understand our grading process.

Very, very bottom like ranked last or just bottom 50%?

[Anonymous User]

Bottom ranked at a T2 school, graduated 2009. I've practiced for two federal agencies (was hired into an Honors Program before they implemented a GPA/rank requirement), now a GS-14. Was hired primarily because of my pre-law career which was related to my legal specialty.

[Anonymous User]

3L at the bottom of my class at a non-traditional grading school (H/Y/S/Chi/B). I have a decent corporate biglaw gig lined up but I don't know if my lackluster grades will affect exit options. I hope not. Does anyone have experience with this? I'm hoping future employers (especially if it's in-house) won't be able to understand our grading process.

Very, very bottom like ranked last or just bottom 50%?

Around bottom 20%

[Anonymous User]

I'm bottom third 3L at CCN (3.2). Big law lined up when my grades were even lower at the beginning of 2L.

Been chilling all of 3L since there's no way I can get my grades up to median anyway, so why bother. Straight Bs, 180 gs.

[Anonymous User]

Lower T14, bottom third, regional biglaw. I know several people who struck out completely.

[Anonymous User]

Probably bottom 40% at t25 school - I had a 3.2xx and I think average was 3.3xx. Went finance/law at a fortune 10 company 1L summer, then v20 major market for 2L SA. Got an offer and just started a little over a month ago and passed the bar. Doing m&a and have a ibanking/finance background.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

I was probably bottom 25% of CLS. Even most of the people with shitty grades were fine as long as their interviewing was at least so-so.

If I could change anything, I would've chilled during 1L instead of having a panic attack every day, and I would've done even less work 2L/3L than I already did.

[1styearlateral]

I was at 50% at a T2 and got a job in NYC midlaw. But I had LR, moot court, and good WE in law school. Also helps to know people.