3.15 GPA from lower T-14. Biglaw chances? Forum

[Anonymous User]

3.15 GPA from one of the lower top 14s- MVNC. Any chance of landing BigLaw? Will obviously only be applying to NYC now, as the smaller markets seem to be out of reach.
Also, rarely use this site, so could someone provide any helpful links/articles to put myself in best position? I just recently discovered the site and there’s so much helpful information regarding OCI that I’m not even sure where/how to begin. Thank you.

[Anonymous User]

Definitely possible. I'm at a non-t14 (but top 30) school and I got a biglaw job when my GPA was hovering around a 3.3 or slightly below. Assuming you just finished 1L, your summer OCI chances likely won't be the same as your 3.5+ GPA peers, but don't let that get to you. Just market yourself well, make a good sale of your personality, that you're "looking forward" to applying what you learned 1L to kill it your 2L year, etc. I got my job in biglaw in a major market during 3L, which is an even more impossible feat than getting a job with a 3.15 at a t14.

Don't get me wrong--don't slack. Apply everywhere. Don't discount some firms just because they're not on the Vault prestige scale you want. Get the best experience you can (whatever that means to you, be it a firm or something you actually enjoy and can get meaningful experience), and cross the job-after-graduation bridge later during 3L if it gets that far.

[Anonymous User]

Definitely possible. I'm at a non-t14 (but top 30) school and I got a biglaw job when my GPA was hovering around a 3.3 or slightly below. Assuming you just finished 1L, your summer OCI chances likely won't be the same as your 3.5+ GPA peers, but don't let that get to you. Just market yourself well, make a good sale of your personality, that you're "looking forward" to applying what you learned 1L to kill it your 2L year, etc. I got my job in biglaw in a major market during 3L, which is an even more impossible feat than getting a job with a 3.15 at a t14.

Don't get me wrong--don't slack. Apply everywhere. Don't discount some firms just because they're not on the Vault prestige scale you want. Get the best experience you can (whatever that means to you, be it a firm or something you actually enjoy and can get meaningful experience), and cross the job-after-graduation bridge later during 3L if it gets that far.

Not OP, but a 3L in similar position as you once were (except T14, above median grades, and good internships). What was your strategy? Did u network, apply through symplicity, massmail? Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Definitely have a shot. You're right that New York firms have the large class sizes and may at times be less grade sensitive. Would also encourage you to mass mail any home markets that you have ties to. Some firms may jump at the opportunity to hire a t-14 student. The DE firms like Potter Anderson are worth an application as well. Good luck!

[Bigly]

Definitely possible. I'm at a non-t14 (but top 30) school and I got a biglaw job when my GPA was hovering around a 3.3 or slightly below. Assuming you just finished 1L, your summer OCI chances likely won't be the same as your 3.5+ GPA peers, but don't let that get to you. Just market yourself well, make a good sale of your personality, that you're "looking forward" to applying what you learned 1L to kill it your 2L year, etc. I got my job in biglaw in a major market during 3L, which is an even more impossible feat than getting a job with a 3.15 at a t14.

Don't get me wrong--don't slack. Apply everywhere. Don't discount some firms just because they're not on the Vault prestige scale you want. Get the best experience you can (whatever that means to you, be it a firm or something you actually enjoy and can get meaningful experience), and cross the job-after-graduation bridge later during 3L if it gets that far.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but what are the typical GPA cutoffs for firms in the V50-V75 range?

[Anonymous User]

You’ll be fine.

[Vexed]

I am surprised at some of these responses. The most likely biglaw outcome with that GPA/school combo is still a strike out. If you're not mass mailing right now, you should be (this actually does not need to be exclusively NYC - OCI bid sheet should though). Take advantage of any opportunities to get interview experience/feedback and try to be the best you can possibly be at that.

And while this thread is directed towards biglaw, you should probably be trying to mass mail whatever firms/companies are the next step below biglaw (whatever that is for you) around now as well. Best to get ahead of the post-OCI scramble for those jobs.

[Anonymous User]

I am surprised at some of these responses. The most likely biglaw outcome with that GPA/school combo is still a strike out. If you're not mass mailing right now, you should be (this actually does not need to be exclusively NYC - OCI bid sheet should though). Take advantage of any opportunities to get interview experience/feedback and try to be the best you can possibly be at that.

And while this thread is directed towards biglaw, you should probably be trying to mass mail whatever firms/companies are the next step below biglaw (whatever that is for you) around now as well. Best to get ahead of the post-OCI scramble for those jobs.

Mm okay valid point. Backtracking a bit, I shouldn't have said "definitely possible." More like, "in the realm of possibilities with hard work and networking."

Not OP, but a 3L in similar position as you once were (except T14, above median grades, and good internships). What was your strategy? Did u network, apply through symplicity, massmail? Thanks.

In terms of strategy, what I did do was (1) get super involved in school (led student groups, led a journal) (2) networked a LOT (went to every firm networking thing available, reached out to mentors regularly, and (3) kept track of openings not only on Symplicity but had a running Word doc with links to firms' "openings" pages. To be fair, the way I got my job wasn't so much through symplicity or mass mailing, but my school advisors gave my name to firm hiring staff and the staff/partners when they reached out to the school asking for names. The hiring staff/partners had also incidentally met me once and liked me at a networking thing, and they made sure I got an interview/hired.

Obviously, these aren't all necessary, but they were, together, sufficient to get me in partners' zones of awareness and for hiring staff to differentiate me from every other desperate 3L trying to recruit.

[jacketyellow]

As a person who had a 3.0 at a T-20 who is employed at a biglaw firm, I think you'll be fine. Just interview well.

[smokeylarue]

T-14 with a B average automatically gives you a chance OP. That said, you can easily strike out with those grades (especially if this is Georgetown we're talking about). You are correct in bidding only NYC. Look at the data your law school gives you in order to bid firms correctly. Don't waste bids on the top 20 or so firms. Also look into mass mailing your home market (if different than NYC). There are lots of midlaw/regional biglaw firms in the AmLaw 100 to 200ish range that no one talks about here but many of them start off at $180k or close and they can get you in the door to Biglaw down the road if that's your ultimate goal.

[Anonymous User]

T-14 with a B average automatically gives you a chance OP. That said, you can easily strike out with those grades (especially if this is Georgetown we're talking about). You are correct in bidding only NYC. Look at the data your law school gives you in order to bid firms correctly. Don't waste bids on the top 20 or so firms. Also look into mass mailing your home market (if different than NYC). There are lots of midlaw/regional biglaw firms in the AmLaw 100 to 200ish range that no one talks about here but many of them start off at $180k or close and they can get you in the door to Biglaw down the road if that's your ultimate goal.

OP here, thanks for this. Not at Georgetown, at one of the following (don't want to give away identity): Michigan, Virginia, Northwestern, Cornell.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, thanks for this. Not at Georgetown, at one of the following (don't want to give away identity): Michigan, Virginia, Northwestern, Cornell.

Since no one groups those schools like that, I'm gonna say you're at Northwestern or Cornell. I'm not trying to out you, but it matters in that since 3.15 is about bottom 25% or maybe even bottom 20%, which is way out of range for what those schools are capable of providing in terms of biglaw placement whereas you might still be with range at UVA. I would say that you should be expecting to strike out. Doing the following things will probably improve your chances:

1) Cold emailing alumni
2) Attending receptions
3) Information interviewing with alumni from 1)
4) Dropping hints about wanting people to forward recruiting information
5) Ask your classmates with 1L SAs to forward recruiting information
6) Practice interviewing with career services, friends, and family, and anyone willing to help you (obviously apply career services advice)
7) Constructing a solid bidlist for OCI that is exclusively NYC firms with a large summer class
8 ) Mass-mailing NYC firms, your hometown firms, and any firm in any state where you have even moderate ties, and maybe Delaware
9) Start looking at midlaw/non Cravath/Milbank scale biglaw/insurance defense firms. More often than not when I read a strike out story that turned out okay (not great) but okay, the person is at a insurance defense firm.
10) Ask your career services to start hooking you up with as many screeners and callbacks as possible. They know people.
11) Focus on general corporate practice. Don't be picky.
12) Never address your grades unless someone brings it up first, at which point you should focus on how much you learned and are looking forward to applying next year to improve them, not making excuses about why they were bad this year.
13) If you have relatives who have influence in firms or friends with relatives who have influence in firms, now would be the time to pull those strings.

All of this is classic bottom of T14 advice that you'll get from reading most of the articles anyway. I know that sounds a shit ton of things to do on top of your summer work, and most of them will seem like they'll never pan out and they will actually never pan out, but the next 4 months will be determine what direction your life takes in a massive way so put in the effort. Beyond that, all you can do is stay positive and trust the process. Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

OP here again, thanks everyone for the replies. Advice has been super helpful, will do everything I can over the summer.
Last question: Would it make sense to drop out if I strike out OCI? I anticipate being around 100k in debt after law school is over, if I drop out before next semester, it’ll only be around 30k.

[Anonymous User]

OP here again, thanks everyone for the replies. Advice has been super helpful, will do everything I can over the summer.
Last question: Would it make sense to drop out if I strike out OCI? I anticipate being around 100k in debt after law school is over, if I drop out before next semester, it’ll only be around 30k.

I’m assuming you’re NU because grades just dropped. If you are drop a hint so I can figure out who you are and we’ll chat. You can get biglaw at a 3.1 and it doesn’t have to be New York but it’s a hell of a hustle and a lot of work. Completely possible though.

You might strike out. But you can get biglaw outside of OCI. What would your next step be if you dropped out? Do you want to be a lawyer?

When you’re below median you gotta persevere. You lose when you give up. And for that low of a GPA, it could be November before you get a big law offer. But it happens.

Again. Drop me a hint and I’ll find you. Since PMs are broken.

[Lacepiece23]

OP here again, thanks everyone for the replies. Advice has been super helpful, will do everything I can over the summer.
Last question: Would it make sense to drop out if I strike out OCI? I anticipate being around 100k in debt after law school is over, if I drop out before next semester, it’ll only be around 30k.

I would not drop out if you don't get biglaw with only a 100k debt. What do you want to do? If you're interested in litigation, you have sooo many opportunities. You can go DA/PD, agency, small law, midlaw, public interest, etc. With your degree, you likely can get biglaw or something paying six figures within a couple of years if you strike out. If that's what you really want. And you will avoid the megafirm bullshit. If you want corporate, then maybe you should rethink things because that doesn't really exist outside the biglaw setting, from what I understand.