alternative path to biglaw (bad 1l grades)? Forum

[Anonymous User]

What can you do if you want biglaw but get bad 1l grades. I don't want to be stuck working for a small firm not making any money. What can I do as an alternative path into biglaw?

[patrickd139]

You can use the 'search' function at the top of the page.

[MC Southstar]

Fellatio.

[bloodonthetracks]

um, stop worrying so much about money

[nycparalegal]

Unfortunately, the only other path you have to biglaw would be if you got a prestigious job in the government and then came over and even that is rare.

If you don't get into biglaw, you're not getting into biglaw later.

[SteelReserve]

There is basically no way to break into biglaw without great 1L grades unless you have some extant connection, like a Dad in biglaw.

Really the only way I can think of, barring some great connection, is a federal clerkship. Of course, again, you won't get a federal clerkship without stellar grades.

[hi_im_josh]

There is basically no way to break into biglaw without great 1L grades unless you have some extant connection, like a Dad in biglaw.

Really the only way I can think of, barring some great connection, is a federal clerkship. Of course, again, you won't get a federal clerkship without stellar grades.

That's not necessarily true--I know someone bottom 1/3 at GULC that got a biglaw offer.

[UTaylor526]

There is basically no way to break into biglaw without great 1L grades unless you have some extant connection, like a Dad in biglaw.

Really the only way I can think of, barring some great connection, is a federal clerkship. Of course, again, you won't get a federal clerkship without stellar grades.

That's not necessarily true--I know someone bottom 1/3 at GULC that got a biglaw offer.

That brings up a good point. What part of the class are you? What school?

I understand you may not want to answer that on this board, but those are questions you have to ask yourself. If you are bottom third at GULC or higher, that may hold true. If you are bottom half at somewhere like Baylor... you aren't getting BigLaw.

[SteelReserve]

That's not necessarily true--I know someone bottom 1/3 at GULC that got a biglaw offer.

I made my post based on the assumption that he didn't go to a T14, so I probably should have said that.

[98234872348]

Why are all of these responses anonymous, again?

[ggocat]

There is basically no way to break into biglaw without great 1L grades unless you have some extant connection, like a Dad in biglaw.

+1, assuming that "great 1L grades" = "the grades necessary to get biglaw interviews at whatever school you attend"

You can get biglaw later on if you prove yourself as a fantastic lawyer. Of course, that is an uphill battle.

I forget what book this is from, but law firms have minders, finders, and grinders. (And I think those terms are commonly applied to business in other contexts, as well).
Grinders = associates who bill tons of hours
Minders = partners that know everything about a particular area of law and run the show when it comes to a deal or litigation (and they're good at what they do)
Finders = those partners who attract and retain clients

I think if you want to get hired not as a law student, you need to be a minder or a finder. It's difficult to be a finder unless you are already in biglaw, though, because if you are at a small firm your clients may not come with you and pay biglaw rates.

So I think the best goal is to be a minder. That is, be an awesome lawyer in whatever specialty you choose.

[Helmholtz]

Why are all of these responses anonymous, again?

They aren't anymore. The anonymous feature is a privilege for those who wish to post sensitive issue regarding employment and the like (and if you post anything that is even possibly personally sensitive to a reasonable degree, the mods will do all in their power to see your privacy respected), it was not put in place to allow people to post recommendations of fellatio or to describe how to use the search function with the luxury of an extra layer of anonymity that is already provided to them.

[nealric]

I did meet one associate at my summer firm who admittedly didn't have anywhere close to biglaw credentials at graduation. Said associate got an in-house job through a professor at a small company. Said small company just happened to grow very fast and hire the biglaw firm as outside counsel. Biglaw firm saw the associate's work on a daily basis, liked the associate, and offered the associate a job.

[Anonymous User]

yeah I heard similar stories too: working at a small law firm/ non-law firm with directors/ partners who happen to know a bunch of biglaw partners of a certain firm. yet, usually the person who 'networks' his or her way in does have good credentials (respectable law school with decent grades, or top law school)

edit: and those people usually end up getting better grades in their second/ third years. just did poorly in the first year.

[Cole S. Law]

My mentor (a partner at a V10 firm) took a nontraditional path to biglaw. He finished in the top 30% at a TTT. He went to work at the local prosecutor's office. His trial performance record garnered him an offer from DOJ. Five years at DOJ garnered him a partnership offer from said V10. It can be done, but you're going to have to seperate yourself from your peers in a series of less impressive gigs first.

[bilbobaggins]

My mentor (a partner at a V10 firm) took a nontraditional path to biglaw. He finished in the top 30% at a TTT. He went to work at the local prosecutor's office. His trial performance record garnered him an offer from DOJ. Five years at DOJ garnered him a partnership offer from said V10. It can be done, but you're going to have to seperate yourself from your peers in a series of less impressive gigs first.

This is actually how life works for just about everyone. I know it's a shock, but to get a good job you have to do well at one that's not as good.

[awesomepossum]

Fellatio.

+1

[Oblomov]

Fellatio.

+1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcaVSTsY ... L&index=19