Grade Drop & Biglaw Offer Forum

[Anonymous User]

2L (rising 3L) with an SA at a v100 firm. Dropped from top 20% to top 33% at a T30. I didn't slack off: it was just the combination of too many doctrinal exams + extracurriculars. Am I going to get no-offered or cold-offered over this?

[Anonymous User]

2L (rising 3L) with an SA at a v100 firm. Dropped from top 20% to top 33% at a T30. I didn't slack off: it was just the combination of too many doctrinal exams + extracurriculars. Am I going to get no-offered or cold-offered over this?

It's really unlikely. Just try to do a good job this summer.

[Definitely Not North]

No

[Anonymous User]

It's over, man. I wouldn't even show up, just to spare yourself the humiliation.

Seriously though, you could be bottom at your class and people wouldn't care.

[Anonymous User]

Don't worry about it. No one will worry about the slip. As others have noted, your attitude and work-product during the summer is more important. That being said, almost everyone gets an offer (few exceptions but those involve serious issues).

[Anonymous User]

Don't worry about it. No one will worry about the slip. As others have noted, your attitude and work-product during the summer is more important. That being said, almost everyone gets an offer (few exceptions but those involve serious issues).

What are the exceptions?

[Anonymous User]

Don't worry about it. No one will worry about the slip. As others have noted, your attitude and work-product during the summer is more important. That being said, almost everyone gets an offer (few exceptions but those involve serious issues).

What are the exceptions?

Getting so drunk at a firm event, you wander into a private bedroom at a partner's house and vomit in their bed. Things like that.

[Anonymous User]

Don't worry about it. No one will worry about the slip. As others have noted, your attitude and work-product during the summer is more important. That being said, almost everyone gets an offer (few exceptions but those involve serious issues).

What are the exceptions?

Never turning work in on time without any heads up to anyone, getting drunk at events and hitting on (or just plain hitting) people, that kind of thing. Like *serious* issues. (Scooped.)

[nealric]

Generally, only egregious grade drops are use as reasons to drop an offer. If you were top 5% and suddenly became a sub-median student, they might be concerned.

The extent to which firms might focus on grades may depend on the economy. If you have a situation like the summer associate class of 2007 (which was massive), followed by an absolutely epic downturn, firms are going to be looking for excuses left and right to cull incoming associates without having to resort to across the board culling. But if you have an environment like 2021 where firms were desperate for warm bodies, they would probably be willing to overlook just about anything short of outright flunking out.

Either way, people's impressions of your work this summer will be FAR more important than any minor grade fluctuation. The people you work with this summer will have no idea what your grades are, and the reviews of your work that they write will be a lot more important than anything else in deciding who gets an offer.

[Anonymous User]

Generally, only egregious grade drops are use as reasons to drop an offer. If you were top 5% and suddenly became a sub-median student, they might be concerned.

The extent to which firms might focus on grades may depend on the economy. If you have a situation like the summer associate class of 2007 (which was massive), followed by an absolutely epic downturn, firms are going to be looking for excuses left and right to cull incoming associates without having to resort to across the board culling. But if you have an environment like 2021 where firms were desperate for warm bodies, they would probably be willing to overlook just about anything short of outright flunking out.

Either way, people's impressions of your work this summer will be FAR more important than any minor grade fluctuation. The people you work with this summer will have no idea what your grades are, and the reviews of your work that they write will be a lot more important than anything else in deciding who gets an offer.

OP here. I’m spooked by the market and the apparent over-hiring for my class year. Should I be concerned with my extent of grade drop? I’m still solidly above median, and I wasn’t top 5% (or top 10%, or top 15%) when I was hired, but it’s still a drop.

Of course, I’m hoping that spring grades will turn out better than fall, but I’m not sure at this point.

[namefromplace]

Generally, only egregious grade drops are use as reasons to drop an offer. If you were top 5% and suddenly became a sub-median student, they might be concerned.

The extent to which firms might focus on grades may depend on the economy. If you have a situation like the summer associate class of 2007 (which was massive), followed by an absolutely epic downturn, firms are going to be looking for excuses left and right to cull incoming associates without having to resort to across the board culling. But if you have an environment like 2021 where firms were desperate for warm bodies, they would probably be willing to overlook just about anything short of outright flunking out.

Either way, people's impressions of your work this summer will be FAR more important than any minor grade fluctuation. The people you work with this summer will have no idea what your grades are, and the reviews of your work that they write will be a lot more important than anything else in deciding who gets an offer.

OP here. I’m spooked by the market and the apparent over-hiring for my class year. Should I be concerned with my extent of grade drop? I’m still solidly above median, and I wasn’t top 5% (or top 10%, or top 15%) when I was hired, but it’s still a drop.

Of course, I’m hoping that spring grades will turn out better than fall, but I’m not sure at this point.

No. Don't be concerned. Stop worrying about this. You're fine.

[nealric]

Generally, only egregious grade drops are use as reasons to drop an offer. If you were top 5% and suddenly became a sub-median student, they might be concerned.

The extent to which firms might focus on grades may depend on the economy. If you have a situation like the summer associate class of 2007 (which was massive), followed by an absolutely epic downturn, firms are going to be looking for excuses left and right to cull incoming associates without having to resort to across the board culling. But if you have an environment like 2021 where firms were desperate for warm bodies, they would probably be willing to overlook just about anything short of outright flunking out.

Either way, people's impressions of your work this summer will be FAR more important than any minor grade fluctuation. The people you work with this summer will have no idea what your grades are, and the reviews of your work that they write will be a lot more important than anything else in deciding who gets an offer.

OP here. I’m spooked by the market and the apparent over-hiring for my class year. Should I be concerned with my extent of grade drop? I’m still solidly above median, and I wasn’t top 5% (or top 10%, or top 15%) when I was hired, but it’s still a drop.

Of course, I’m hoping that spring grades will turn out better than fall, but I’m not sure at this point.

Even in 2009, I didn't see people getting no-offered over that sort of grade drop. Your summer performance is what matters unless you totally tank 3L year or something (like straight Cs).