my GPA is around 3.0.. so just average I guess. obviously law rides on prestige so which school you went to and what your gpa was really matters to employers. i suspect the 3.0 gpa is low enough in their minds as a number that they will toss your application to the side as a way to filter down applications. compared with a candidate next to me who has a higher gpa, she or he will be considered first automatically.
am i better off quitting law and saving myself the pain of being rejected? i feel completely unmarketable since i sacrificed so much in law school but now this number is defining my life. is there any future for me in law?
Have an average GPA. Should I quit law? Forum
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Anonymous User
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clerk1251
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
This post just seems crazy to me. Have you graduated? Have you passed the bar?
There are tons of terrible attorneys out there with amazing grades from good schools, and tons of great attorneys out there with poor grades from low ranked schools. Don't let that define you. From the sounds of it, you've gradated and are already working somewhere? You just need to set reasonable expectations. No, you will not get a job in biglaw. That's pretty standard. At least, not for awhile. Build up a book of business or develop a niche and you can always lateral in down the line if that's your goal and it makes sense.
Network, work for a small law firm or a solo practitioner where you've found a good mentor. Learn the skills and tricks of the trade. Consider going out on your own if you want to be your own boss. There are an infinite number of options for you. Don't stress too much about a 3.0 GPA. You're fine, just keep your expectations in check and figure out what your priorities are for your career.
There are tons of terrible attorneys out there with amazing grades from good schools, and tons of great attorneys out there with poor grades from low ranked schools. Don't let that define you. From the sounds of it, you've gradated and are already working somewhere? You just need to set reasonable expectations. No, you will not get a job in biglaw. That's pretty standard. At least, not for awhile. Build up a book of business or develop a niche and you can always lateral in down the line if that's your goal and it makes sense.
Network, work for a small law firm or a solo practitioner where you've found a good mentor. Learn the skills and tricks of the trade. Consider going out on your own if you want to be your own boss. There are an infinite number of options for you. Don't stress too much about a 3.0 GPA. You're fine, just keep your expectations in check and figure out what your priorities are for your career.
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kellyfrost
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
You shouldn't quit the law. There are a lot of factors here that are unknown to us, but might make a difference in giving you more specific advice.
Do you want to be a lawyer? What area of the law do you hope to work in? What area of the country do you want to live and work in? Where do you go to school?
Are you going to be a 2L or 3L ?
Do you want to be a lawyer? What area of the law do you hope to work in? What area of the country do you want to live and work in? Where do you go to school?
Are you going to be a 2L or 3L ?
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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bruinfan10
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
are you in your second semester of 1L, or first semester of 2L, at a non-T14, and does your school's curve indicate that a 3.0 is like, bottom third? Did you get a summer job that could lead to employment? Your post doesn't provide any relevant info. If you're at a TTT with a bottom third GPA in your second year, with no job prospects, yeah, maybe cut your losses. But you haven't provided enough info.
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jbagelboy
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
This means nothing without knowing (a) what school you go to and (b) how much debt you will have at graduation
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Anonymous User
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
so i have graduated from a non-t14 school and i plan to work in the northeast. the debt is up there. during law school, i did a couple of internships to build experience but mainly i focused on working in an unrelated non-legal field. i needed to pay bills and support family and the non-legal position paid better (compared to a law clerk position). its currently what i'm working in now after graduation.
now i did not pass the bar the first time so all my effort is on passing the bar the second time. at the minimum, i want to have the license in my pocket to call myself an attorney. but its what comes afterwards that scares me. almost a year has passed since my graduation and while the non-legal work is paying bills, it isn't helping me build more legal experience. add in an average GPA and it makes me concerned whether it's possible to secure a decent attorney position. i set out to become an attorney and i don't want the law degree to go to waste.
what should i be doing now? do i leave my non-legal position for a legal role even if it pays less for the purpose of building experience? is it true that securing a law clerk position will be difficult since one is about to become licensed?
or am i on a sinking ship and it's better to jump ships? can i still save this ship? sorry for all the questions. there's a lot on my mind and i need to work through on what i should be doing next and keep expectations in check. any help/guidance would be deeply appreciated
now i did not pass the bar the first time so all my effort is on passing the bar the second time. at the minimum, i want to have the license in my pocket to call myself an attorney. but its what comes afterwards that scares me. almost a year has passed since my graduation and while the non-legal work is paying bills, it isn't helping me build more legal experience. add in an average GPA and it makes me concerned whether it's possible to secure a decent attorney position. i set out to become an attorney and i don't want the law degree to go to waste.
what should i be doing now? do i leave my non-legal position for a legal role even if it pays less for the purpose of building experience? is it true that securing a law clerk position will be difficult since one is about to become licensed?
or am i on a sinking ship and it's better to jump ships? can i still save this ship? sorry for all the questions. there's a lot on my mind and i need to work through on what i should be doing next and keep expectations in check. any help/guidance would be deeply appreciated
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84651846190
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Re: Have an average GPA. Should I quit law?
Just focus on passing the bar for now. IMO, it's worth it to at least pass the bar and try for jobs before giving up.
Good luck!
Good luck!
