Top Law Schools

Looking for anecdotes from rising 3Ls or past law students: I'm below median at MVP. To just put it all out there - I ended up with a 2.969 gpa at the end of the year, which sucks. Regardless what people on this forum may say, I worked really hard, and just still ended up not doing well. I also didn't get on any journals. The only thing I have going for me is that I have a pretty good resume (solid legal work experience) and am on a moot court team.

But my main question is - did any of you have a sucky first year and manage to pull through, boost your gpa and find yourself with a decent legal job hen you graduated? In this economy, I'm pretty much in despair and hate how after ending 1L year I STILL don't know what works.

I really don't need any people telling me to drop out of law school, or telling me I'm stupid. I'm sad enough as it is.

Thanks.

well, i did well and am only a 1L, so this isn't exactly what you're looking for. but here are my thoughts, briefly. it's definitely doable to do better. you're pretty much barred from having a really good gpa considering two terms of 4.0 will only get you 3.6. but it's definitely worth trying and i think you could at least bring yourself up to median.

since you say you worked hard, i think the key is to realize that you still did something wrong. it wasn't the amount of effort (taking you at your word here), so at least you know one thing it wasn't. what was it? have you tried talking to friends who did substantially better? you might have to suck it up and admit your grades to people who did far better than you, but it'll be worth it. ask around, see what helps. try a new study group. just try new shit, because what you've got clearly isn't working. that is all.

I would say start with your professors. Go back over your exams, and see how your responses match up with what they are looking for. From there, go back over how you studied, and whether this helped you to get to what the professors were looking for. Then, go talk to other students to see if there is anything you can learn from them and their style that might help you to pin down what you did wrong.

Transfer Down and start over.

Just Kidding!

enygma wrote:well, i did well and am only a 1L, so this isn't exactly what you're looking for. but here are my thoughts, briefly. it's definitely doable to do better. you're pretty much barred from having a really good gpa considering two terms of 4.0 will only get you 3.6. but it's definitely worth trying and i think you could at least bring yourself up to median.

since you say you worked hard, i think the key is to realize that you still did something wrong. it wasn't the amount of effort (taking you at your word here), so at least you know one thing it wasn't. what was it? have you tried talking to friends who did substantially better? you might have to suck it up and admit your grades to people who did far better than you, but it'll be worth it. ask around, see what helps. try a new study group. just try new shit, because what you've got clearly isn't working. that is all.

TBF, 3.6 is top-5-10% at my school

SoftBoiledLife wrote:

enygma wrote:well, i did well and am only a 1L, so this isn't exactly what you're looking for. but here are my thoughts, briefly. it's definitely doable to do better. you're pretty much barred from having a really good gpa considering two terms of 4.0 will only get you 3.6. but it's definitely worth trying and i think you could at least bring yourself up to median.

since you say you worked hard, i think the key is to realize that you still did something wrong. it wasn't the amount of effort (taking you at your word here), so at least you know one thing it wasn't. what was it? have you tried talking to friends who did substantially better? you might have to suck it up and admit your grades to people who did far better than you, but it'll be worth it. ask around, see what helps. try a new study group. just try new shit, because what you've got clearly isn't working. that is all.

TBF, 3.6 is top-5-10% at my school

Same. Realistically, it is unlikely that OP will be dethroning those at the very top of the curve, but he could still potentially graduate in the top third/quarter and be in a good position for clerkships and such? I'm a bit out of my depth here but I was under the impression that there is some redemptive value to 2L/3L grades if you're looking beyond biglaw/OCI.

SoftBoiledLife wrote: TBF, 3.6 is top-5-10% at my school

yeah, i didn't mean to imply 3.6 was bad. mostly just illustrating the hole he's in. regardless, for things like clerkships or 3L OCI he's pretty much got one year to pull himself out.

Reality is setting in a bit for the OP? 90% of his class will fall outside the top 10%. For some reason I've never understood, this always comes as a shock to 1Ls.

No, he won't likely pull out of the slump. 1L grades are a pretty solid predictor of final clas standing. Should he drop out? Not necessarily. If he's paying sticker price at a private school, then "Yes!" Don't incur another $70,000 in loans only to end up with a degree that, while perhaps saleable, won't sell for anything like the salary he'll need to justify the expense. If it's not costing so much, then perhaps he should continue.

BeautifulSW wrote:Reality is setting in a bit for the OP? 90% of his class will fall outside the top 10%. For some reason I've never understood, this always comes as a shock to 1Ls.

Yeah, what's with those stupid 1Ls not realizing 90% of their classmates will have below median grades, which is what the OP is talking about.

Anyway, OP, also just a rising 2L, but I didn't do as well as I should have 1st semester at MVP and it was entirely fixable by talking with my professors. I aced 2nd semester (I made it my bitch) with the help of one of my professors exam-taking guidance. I highly recommend you find a prof you think genuinely has an interest in the wellbeing of students (not all do) and go over your exams with him or her. You CAN get a 3.6 at the end by kicking ass between now and then.

You can PM me if you want to talk about it more.