Not Doing Any Journal Forum

[ajaxconstructions]

How bad does this look for job prospects? Lower T14, no work experience or IP etc.

[blurbz]

Not in the t14, but it didn't hurt me. I did moot, though.

Still got biglaw.

[BarbellDreams]

You're fine. Lower t14 at slightly above median should have a good shot during OCI.

[ajaxconstructions]

Clarification -- no moot court/clinic here.

Also I hear about 70% of people on my school gets journal. So maybe it would make me look exceptionally bad if I don't get into one?

[BarbellDreams]

Clarification -- no moot court/clinic here.

Also I hear about 70% of people on my school gets journal. So maybe it would make me look exceptionally bad if I don't get into one?

70% are on a journal? How is that even possible?

[ajaxconstructions]

Clarification -- no moot court/clinic here.

Also I hear about 70% of people on my school gets journal. So maybe it would make me look exceptionally bad if I don't get into one?

70% are on a journal? How is that even possible?

3 journals and they take around 40 each and class size is around 200.

[BarbellDreams]

Thats 60% but still, thats huge. Never heard of all secondaries taking 40 people. I still think as long as grades aren't below median you're fine.

[CanadianWolf]

My best guess is that you're at Cornell Law School based on your class size & three journals. What is your class rank ? I doubt that being on a journal is necessary for biglaw placement from Cornell, but Cornell's career services office should be your best resource for this question.

P.S. If you're well below median, then it might be better to concentrate on your grades while others battle journal deadlines.

[IAFG]

Thats 60% but still, thats huge. Never heard of all secondaries taking 40 people. I still think as long as grades aren't below median you're fine.

NU has something like 3 journals and anyone who wants on one can get it, and CW here is that not doing journal is a career-limiting choice. I don't know if that's true, but it sounds like you know even less about it.

[CanadianWolf]

@IAFG: My understanding is that Northwestern has 6 journals (law review, criminal law, international law, technology & IP, international human rights, & social policy).

Georgetown has a dozen journals & Duke, if I recall correctly, has eight.

Low class rank is more career limiting than non-participation on a journal.

[IAFG]

My best guess is that you're at Cornell Law School based on your class size & three journals. What is your class rank ? I doubt that being on a journal is necessary for biglaw placement from Cornell, but Cornell's career services office should be your best resource for this question.

P.S. If you're well below median, then it might be better to concentrate on your grades while others battle journal deadlines.

If journal deadlines took place during 1L, I would agree with you, but that's not the case. Being on a journal is either helpful or neutral during OCI. Journal work is harmful or neutral during 2L, when it's too late for your grades to matter in most cases.

Yes, grades are more important than journal participation, but the question is really, with the same GPA, how much does doing a journal harm or hurt? No one knows for sure. We all have anecdotes, I'm sure, of the journal-less getting good firms, and a LR kid striking out.

[CanadianWolf]

Clinics & journals are certainly positives especially if related to one's career interests. Many biglaw firms are reported to have GPA cut-offs that render extracurriculars meaningless if one's grades are below the cut-off GPA. (And I do understand that journal participation/membership comes after 1L grades/class rank for Fall 2L OCI.)

[lawyerwannabe]

You think 60% is a lot? If all of Duke's journals fill all the slots they say are available, 85% of the class can be on a journal. About 60% can be on an exclusive journal (however, it seems like most people didn't bid all eight journals; everyone I have talked to has only bid 4-5 so I bet no all the journals will fill all their slots).

In the end, it seems like DLJ = awesome. Then, just have a journal on your resume so you don't look lazy and meet the pre-interview preferences of pretty much every OCI firm (a.k.a. journal preferred).

[BarbellDreams]

You think 60% is a lot? If all of Duke's journals fill all the slots they say are available, 85% of the class can be on a journal. About 60% can be on an exclusive journal (however, it seems like most people didn't bid all eight journals; everyone I have talked to has only bid 4-5 so I bet no all the journals will fill all their slots).

In the end, it seems like DLJ = awesome. Then, just have a journal on your resume so you don't look lazy and meet the pre-interview preferences of pretty much every OCI firm (a.k.a. journal preferred).

This.

[ajaxconstructions]

Grades should be above median after this semester barring a complete disaster.

[yngblkgifted]

Clarification -- no moot court/clinic here.

Also I hear about 70% of people on my school gets journal. So maybe it would make me look exceptionally bad if I don't get into one?

70% are on a journal? How is that even possible?

Though I don't know exactly how many people are actually on a journal here at UVA, I know for a fact over 90 percent of people here tried out and I don't know a single person who didn't get on a journal that wanted to be on one. I'm pretty confident that we have over 70 percent journal participation.

[CanadianWolf]

Does Virginia have nine (9) journals ?

[yngblkgifted]

Does Virginia have nine (9) journals ?

Yeah something like that. I don't really know or care. I only did a journal out of peer pressure because everyone else was doing it.

[goodolgil]

Does Virginia have nine (9) journals ?

Yeah something like that. I don't really know or care. I only did a journal out of peer pressure because everyone else was doing it.

+1

Did not allow the same pressure to make me run for journal e-board though. Thank god.

[faizdasl]

.

[ajaxconstructions]

So I decided not to write on. Hopefully won't be employed.

[blurbz]

So I decided not to write on. Hopefully won't be employed.

*unemployed.

[JusticeHarlan]

So I decided not to write on. Hopefully won't be employed.

[r6_philly]

Clarification -- no moot court/clinic here.

Also I hear about 70% of people on my school gets journal. So maybe it would make me look exceptionally bad if I don't get into one?

70% are on a journal? How is that even possible?

Though I don't know exactly how many people are actually on a journal here at UVA, I know for a fact over 90 percent of people here tried out and I don't know a single person who didn't get on a journal that wanted to be on one. I'm pretty confident that we have over 70 percent journal participation.

We have more positions than students I think. Maybe not everyone participates, but it has to be higher than 70%.

[lawyerwannabe]

Grades should be above median after this semester barring a complete disaster.

You mean your grades and half of your class? The only problem is that you won't have a journal like pretty much the other 50% of your class who is also above median. Good luck but I cannot understand how people decide to not to the writing competition when it is only a week of your life and you already put in so much hard work in during 1L.