Resume/Transcript Advice For Transfer Grad Forum

[Anonymous User]

I’m a recent grad & now a junior in biglaw but thinking of eventually trying to lateral to a firm with better options for the type of litigation I’m interested in. I’m wondering what the standard is for listing my law school on my resume if I transferred during 2L? I transferred from a T2 to HYS and kept my T2 on my resume throughout law school. Would it be misleading to take it off now that I graduated? And when firms ask for transcripts, would I send them only my HYS transcript or also my first year grades, which aren’t listed on the HYS transcript?

[nixy]

I have regularly seen advice that you can take the transfer school off after you've graduated. If a job actually asks for transcripts I'd include 1L, but I don't think a lot of firms will ask? (Those may be all the ones you're interested in I suppose!) It's sort of unclear with transcripts whether they want actually to look at your grades or just want proof of graduation, I guess, but I'd still err on the side of sending everything.

[CanadianWolf]

Since OP is a recent grad & a junior associate, target law firms may ask for all law school transcripts--or does this vary by practice area ?

If law school transcripts are requested, then it would be logical to include the 1L pre-transfer school on one's resume.

P.S. I am certain that for posted openings many biglaw firms ask applicants to fill out a data sheet which includes a line for law school & law school GPA as well as a second line for "other law school" and for that law school GPA.

Since OP will probably just contact target firms without waiting for a posted opening, then OP controls the initial communication with the goal of securing an interview, therefore OP can include as much or as little information that OP deems necessary in order to get an interview.

[avenuem]

I’m a recent grad & now a junior in biglaw but thinking of eventually trying to lateral to a firm with better options for the type of litigation I’m interested in. I’m wondering what the standard is for listing my law school on my resume if I transferred during 2L? I transferred from a T2 to HYS and kept my T2 on my resume throughout law school. Would it be misleading to take it off now that I graduated? And when firms ask for transcripts, would I send them only my HYS transcript or also my first year grades, which aren’t listed on the HYS transcript?

I barfed.

You should have taken it off years ago. Although tbh if I was in hiring (biglaw or client side) and someone didn't tell me they went to a T2 I would feel misled. So on second thought you should disclose that.

[Anonymous User]

Just out of curiosity, would having a lower ranked law school name before your top school in 2L-3L year really impact your job prospect? I feel like I would not mind - you transferred successfully, meaning academically you have met the requirement of the school you transferred to.

[Anonymous User]

Just out of curiosity, would having a lower ranked law school name before your top school in 2L-3L year really impact your job prospect? I feel like I would not mind - you transferred successfully, meaning academically you have met the requirement of the school you transferred to.

I think it definitely can still be important in legal hiring, but depending on the person. The judge I interned for made offhand comments which suggested he/she was unimpressed by clerks in other chambers/clerkship applicants who transferred from regional schools into the T14.

[nixy]

I’m a recent grad & now a junior in biglaw but thinking of eventually trying to lateral to a firm with better options for the type of litigation I’m interested in. I’m wondering what the standard is for listing my law school on my resume if I transferred during 2L? I transferred from a T2 to HYS and kept my T2 on my resume throughout law school. Would it be misleading to take it off now that I graduated? And when firms ask for transcripts, would I send them only my HYS transcript or also my first year grades, which aren’t listed on the HYS transcript?

I barfed.

You should have taken it off years ago. Although tbh if I was in hiring (biglaw or client side) and someone didn't tell me they went to a T2 I would feel misled. So on second thought you should disclose that.

So there is a lot of advice already out there about this, since it’s a relatively common phenomenon. Consistently that advice says that you leave the original school on for OCI/other jobs your apply for while in school, and can take it off after graduation. Since OP is a recent grad it sounds like they handled it appropriately and they shouldn’t have taken it off years ago.

If someone hiring cares about keeping transfers they can ask for transcripts which should make the status clear. (I still don’t think you have to put the 1L school on your resume if you have to provide transcripts - a resume isn’t comprehensive and it’s not like firms won’t figure out what 1L transcripts from another school mean. Usually when you’re still in school you have an entry on your resume showing something like “JD candidate, transfer law school, 2019 - present” and it makes sense to include the 1L year separately. Once you graduate your education line is more like “JD, transfer law school, 2021.”
Nothing about the latter is misleading - you did in fact get the degree from the transfer school in 2021.”)

Some people are weird about transfers and may be snobby about it (like avenuem), even though there’s no reason to think someone who excelled at their original school and transferred is materially different/worse/whatever than someone who got into the transfer school originally. But there’s nothing the OP can do about that, and the benefits of having transferred doubtless still outweigh the risk of problems with snobs.

[avenuem]

So there is a lot of advice already out there about this, since it’s a relatively common phenomenon. Consistently that advice says that you leave the original school on for OCI/other jobs your apply for while in school, and can take it off after graduation. Since OP is a recent grad it sounds like they handled it appropriately and they shouldn’t have taken it off years ago.

If someone hiring cares about keeping transfers they can ask for transcripts which should make the status clear. (I still don’t think you have to put the 1L school on your resume if you have to provide transcripts - a resume isn’t comprehensive and it’s not like firms won’t figure out what 1L transcripts from another school mean. Usually when you’re still in school you have an entry on your resume showing something like “JD candidate, transfer law school, 2019 - present” and it makes sense to include the 1L year separately. Once you graduate your education line is more like “JD, transfer law school, 2021.”
Nothing about the latter is misleading - you did in fact get the degree from the transfer school in 2021.”)

Some people are weird about transfers and may be snobby about it (like avenuem), even though there’s no reason to think someone who excelled at their original school and transferred is materially different/worse/whatever than someone who got into the transfer school originally. But there’s nothing the OP can do about that, and the benefits of having transferred doubtless still outweigh the risk of problems with snobs.

Because I like you enough to give you a response, I'm going to give it to you straight. You're radiating TTT energy.

Even if it's true that someone who transferred might have excelled, you have to ask why they started out at a low school to begin with? Hint, starts with a "L" and I'll give you the rest of the hint next Sat.

I think is misleading not to put it.

[Anonymous User]

Even if it's true that someone who transferred might have excelled, you have to ask why they started out at a low school to begin with? Hint, starts with a "L" and I'll give you the rest of the hint next Sat.

This is why V10 firms really ought to re-administer the LSAT to all prospective OCI applicants. It'd be a damn shame if any of the T14 kids they hired had lost their touch with logic games in the intervening 2-3 years. I mean, can you even trust sub-170ers to do competent redlines?!

[nixy]

Even if it's true that someone who transferred might have excelled, you have to ask why they started out at a low school to begin with? Hint, starts with a "L" and I'll give you the rest of the hint next Sat.

I think is misleading not to put it.

I mean, you're clearly invested in the fact that you excelled on the LSAT, which is great, I'm really proud of your success on a learnable standardized test that you took 4? 5? years ago, and I'm sure that LSAT score is really going to carry you through your inevitable fast track to partner.

Feel free to think it's misleading. I'm simply repeating the advice that is universally given on this subject.

[avenuem]

I mean, can you even trust sub-170ers to do competent redlines?!

Yes, but would you?

Even if it's true that someone who transferred might have excelled, you have to ask why they started out at a low school to begin with? Hint, starts with a "L" and I'll give you the rest of the hint next Sat.

I think is misleading not to put it.

I mean, you're clearly invested in the fact that you excelled on the LSAT, which is great, I'm really proud of your success on a learnable standardized test that you took 4? 5? years ago, and I'm sure that LSAT score is really going to carry you through your inevitable fast track to partner.

Feel free to think it's misleading. I'm simply repeating the advice that is universally given on this subject.

Reasonable minds can disagree.