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I got a C in torts. Drop out, or killself? (A-s and B+s in the other classes, and a P for LRW. I go to a T20-25).

Talk to your professor to understand why you scored so low.

Accept it as an aberration and be happy you didn't get all Bs would be my advice. You probably misread a question and wasted alot of time on the fact pattern for torts.

Do not drop out. It's gonna make your life tough, but stay with it. Shit happens. Get a summer internship/get a good writing sample out of it, make connections, join a law journal, do moot court. You'll be fine. Do not expect big law, though.

So where are you in your class?

talk to the prof. depending on cum gpa and overall standing you might be in a position to explain the grade if you do well 2nd semester.

Grizz wrote:So where are you in your class?

Bottom third, probably.

YourCaptain wrote:talk to the prof. depending on cum gpa and overall standing you might be in a position to explain the grade if you do well 2nd semester.

Like, how?

By the way, what jobs are all of you talking about? Where can I get a job with such grades?

magicman554 wrote:

Grizz wrote:So where are you in your class?

Bottom third, probably.

rrrrrrrough. talk to the prof asap. how much debt now, how much going into the future?

YourCaptain wrote:

magicman554 wrote:

Grizz wrote:So where are you in your class?

Bottom third, probably.

rrrrrrrough. talk to the prof asap. how much debt now, how much going into the future?

About 15K debt, about 30K to go.

Talk to the prof about what?

magicman554 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:

magicman554 wrote:

Grizz wrote:So where are you in your class?

Bottom third, probably.

rrrrrrrough. talk to the prof asap. how much debt now, how much going into the future?

About 15K debt, about 30K to go.

Talk to the prof about what?

figure out wat you did on the exam. as in, osht you didnt answer an entire question or you missed a big issue or your analysis was simply bad throughout. figure out wat you did wrong.

So, just to be clear, I'm pretty much unemployable now, right?

magicman554 wrote:So, just to be clear, I'm pretty much unemployable now, right?

dude this is what im trying to impart. you said you got A-s and B+s - if you got A- A- B+ C P instead of A- B+ B+ C P, talk to the C prof, figure out what you did wrong. if you think you can improve next semester (do more prac tests, whatever) and you actually believe that, then take the gamble for a 2nd semester and hoap you kill it. otherwise, yes only looking at first semester youre not employable, at least at a t25.

YourCaptain wrote:

magicman554 wrote:So, just to be clear, I'm pretty much unemployable now, right?

dude this is what im trying to impart. you said you got A-s and B+s - if you got A- A- B+ C P instead of A- B+ B+ C P, talk to the C prof, figure out what you did wrong. if you think you can improve next semester (do more prac tests, whatever) and you actually believe that, then take the gamble for a 2nd semester and hoap you kill it. otherwise, yes only looking at first semester youre not employable, at least at a t25.

WTH?? No OP you are not "unemployable" at a t25 with your grades. Biglaw is probably out but you have a shot at other jobs. Particularly public interest if your resume is good and you make sure to network/hustle.

BruceWayne wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:

magicman554 wrote:So, just to be clear, I'm pretty much unemployable now, right?

dude this is what im trying to impart. you said you got A-s and B+s - if you got A- A- B+ C P instead of A- B+ B+ C P, talk to the C prof, figure out what you did wrong. if you think you can improve next semester (do more prac tests, whatever) and you actually believe that, then take the gamble for a 2nd semester and hoap you kill it. otherwise, yes only looking at first semester youre not employable, at least at a t25.

WTH?? No OP you are not "unemployable" at a t25 with your grades. Biglaw is probably out but you have a shot at other jobs. Particularly public interest if your resume is good and you make sure to network/hustle.

o ok buddy "just do" PI and gov't right? because there's so much hiring there right?

Two things: How are you in the bottom third if you got A's and B+'s and one C? I can't see that putting someone in the bottom third. All B's and one C maybe. But those A's and C should average out to a B, depending on how many you got of each.

Secondly, I also think this "big law is out of the question" is not true as well. It's a two leg race. Figure out what you did wrong, correct it next semester, and who knows, you could come out with all A's or A-'s. That would at least give you a shot at big law coming from a T25.

Relax.

Is there anywhere on this forum to seek advice from actual lawyers instead of students with just as much limited real world experience as the person asking the question?

LAWYER2 wrote:Is there anywhere on this forum to seek advice from actual lawyers instead of students with just as much limited real world experience as the person asking the question?

As far as large firm hiring in major markets, people here know more than actual lawyers.

Grizz wrote:

LAWYER2 wrote:Is there anywhere on this forum to seek advice from actual lawyers instead of students with just as much limited real world experience as the person asking the question?

As far as large firm hiring in major markets, people here know more than actual lawyers.

+1. (A) Almost all relevant experience is acquired by the second month of 2L; (B) Most lawyers graduated before the bottom fell out of the legal market.

mrloblaw wrote:

Grizz wrote:

LAWYER2 wrote:Is there anywhere on this forum to seek advice from actual lawyers instead of students with just as much limited real world experience as the person asking the question?

As far as large firm hiring in major markets, people here know more than actual lawyers.

+1. (A) Almost all relevant experience is acquired by the second month of 2L; (B) Most lawyers graduated before the bottom fell out of the legal market.

LOL at asking practicing attorneys about what to do about a bad grade in 1L.

First of all, how sure are you that you're in the bottom third? Median or slightly below, maybe. I guess a C makes it possible to be bottom third, but that just seems like a low estimate.

Second, if you kill it next semester (All As and A-s), you might be able to get a job if you can sell that the grade was just some aberration. I wouldn't drop out yet, but if you have another bad semester and stay in the bottom half, I'd advise it since it sounds like you'll have debt (although I am really confused about your debt... how are you 15k in now after one semester, but only going to accrue 30k more in the next 5 semesters???)

Finally, how many words did you write on this exam? The problem probably wasn't the material since Torts is hands down the easiest law school class. If I were to take a total guess, I'd imagine you just didn't write enough and didn't organize your thoughts well. Or maybe you just totally missed something important. I'd imagine it probably came down to your exam-taking skills, so find out where you went wrong (talk to the prof) and go from there.

Lol, this crap about biglaw = out is nonsense. I got a B- (one step above your C) my first semester 1L, along with decent grades otherwise (As/A-). I still finished top 20%. The next semester, I did even better (top 10%) and got biglaw. Not a single interviewer asked about the bad grade

BunkMoreland wrote:Lol, this crap about biglaw = out is nonsense. I got a B- (one step above your C) my first semester 1L, along with decent grades otherwise (As/A-). I still finished top 20%. The next semester, I did even better (top 10%) and got biglaw. Not a single interviewer asked about the bad grade

Not to be a complete douche, but if this is a forum for eventual lawyers, and we want to be precise, isn't a B- actually steps above a C (C+ in between)?

jrthor10 wrote:

BunkMoreland wrote:Lol, this crap about biglaw = out is nonsense. I got a B- (one step above your C) my first semester 1L, along with decent grades otherwise (As/A-). I still finished top 20%. The next semester, I did even better (top 10%) and got biglaw. Not a single interviewer asked about the bad grade

Not to be a complete douche, but if this is a forum for eventual lawyers, and we want to be precise, isn't a B- actually steps above a C (C+ in between)?

theres more issues with bunk's advice - a. bunkmoreland finished top 20% 1st semester, top 10% total, OP is @ bottom 1/3, who knows for the year and b. i dont care what you think employers take issues w/ Cs; there's a psychological difference.

MrPapagiorgio wrote: LOL at asking practicing attorneys about what to do about a bad grade in 1L.

TLS wisdom is: Bad grade = limited practice prospects.

So one would think the advice of actual practicing attorneys would outweigh advice from law students.