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Hey guys,

I am at a t-20 and got around median for 1L.

1)In what way can i prepare for the future and 2L summer?

2) should i not expect having to do many interviews?

3) i have some ties with smaller local firms, should i put my focus there? I also have some ties with big law attorneys but obviously i need to pull the weight, they cantjust work miracles (can they?)

4) is there even a point in taking classes like corporations, etc- i have quite found my niche yet and i dunno if its necessary for me to take classes oriented towards big lawtransactional work

Yes i realize its an uphill battle and its gonna be rough

ADVICE and opinions would be appreciated

How does your 1L summer look? Are you working? If you are, then work your ass off for a decent writing sample and a couple of good references from that position. Take a close look at your 1L exams. Meet with the professors and discuss your mistakes. A more cynical person than I would suggest that you move forward by taking classes where people have historically done well in large numbers (my school published grade distributions for each course offered every semester). Don't be afraid to call on your connections, but consider a wide array of options for future employment.

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Your coursework in LS won't matter much. Learn as much as you can about the local legal environment you're in and try to muscle your way in.

Good 1L grades -> lots of interviews -> job as an associate at a large firm is probably out of the cards. It's not an easy path, but it's by far the simplest - once you've missed it, results become highly individualized and it's hard to give generic advice. As I said though, don't fall into the trap of thinking law school matters. That ship's sailed.