Am I crazy for trying to punch above my weight in DC?
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2022 11:20 pm
Given my fairly specific profile I feel there's a non-negligible chance I could be outing myself but I've been losing sleep over this so here goes nothing:
I'm a median student at a T14 and a current 1L biglaw summer associate in DC. Prior to law school I had non-technical regulatory experience at a fairly niche government agency, but in an area with a relatively sizeable biglaw practice in DC. Through past relationships and through just sheer networking I've been connecting with firms in DC that take generally only take students who are far above me in class rankings, and I think my past work experience has been a real door-opener for me. However - therein lies the rub - I didn't share my grades with anyone that I connected with, and I have the nagging feeling that they probably made incorrect assumptions about my grades based on my 1L biglaw summer role. I've been dragging my feet on pre-OCI applications as a result. Also, I quite like my current firm, so there isn't a powerful impetus to "trade-up", though my firm isn't really that strong in the niche practice area that I have experience in.
Am I just crazy for dragging my feet on pre-OCI? Most of the partners and senior associates I met said they like me and have encouraged me to apply to their firms early, but I just feel too embarrassed about my grades to act. Yet, I also know that the worst thing they could say is no... Or is it?
I'm a median student at a T14 and a current 1L biglaw summer associate in DC. Prior to law school I had non-technical regulatory experience at a fairly niche government agency, but in an area with a relatively sizeable biglaw practice in DC. Through past relationships and through just sheer networking I've been connecting with firms in DC that take generally only take students who are far above me in class rankings, and I think my past work experience has been a real door-opener for me. However - therein lies the rub - I didn't share my grades with anyone that I connected with, and I have the nagging feeling that they probably made incorrect assumptions about my grades based on my 1L biglaw summer role. I've been dragging my feet on pre-OCI applications as a result. Also, I quite like my current firm, so there isn't a powerful impetus to "trade-up", though my firm isn't really that strong in the niche practice area that I have experience in.
Am I just crazy for dragging my feet on pre-OCI? Most of the partners and senior associates I met said they like me and have encouraged me to apply to their firms early, but I just feel too embarrassed about my grades to act. Yet, I also know that the worst thing they could say is no... Or is it?