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I saw a thread asking LSAT skills:Law school grades.

Naturally there was a heated discussion about this but I'm really more curious about success at Biglaw. And considering that Biglaw interviewers take an interest in applicants with high GPA's is it safe to say that those with high GPA's are much more likely to do well and succeed at Biglaw?

No, except good grades are generally required to get Biglaw. Turns out law school doesn't really teach practical skills for actual practice.

DCDuck wrote:No, except good grades are generally required to get Biglaw. Turns out law school doesn't really teach practical skills for actual practice.

Or the political skills required to survive, regardless of actual ability

assuming good grades indicate skill at legal research and case interpretation generally, they probably help in some of the cerebral practice areas, especially appellate litigation. probably not a factor in the more interpersonal-skills practices or those more business-focused like M&A.

Is everyone who posted up to this point actually working at Biglaw?

Then what kind of skills are required to be successful at Biglaw?
Okay, well, maybe not successful in a general sense but at least bring up good work product to your boss. (say, if you're doing corporate law)

What kind of skills are needed to do good work?

Some people think so.

I have no idea about the validity of the study, though.

JusticeHarlan wrote:Some people think so.

I have no idea about the validity of the study, though.

I love that this is written by a professor at a T2

dingbat wrote:

JusticeHarlan wrote:Some people think so.

I have no idea about the validity of the study, though.

I love that this is written by a professor at a T2

Yale J.D. and actually faculty at UCLA, visiting at Brooklyn.

handsonthewheel wrote:

dingbat wrote:

JusticeHarlan wrote:Some people think so.

I have no idea about the validity of the study, though.

I love that this is written by a professor at a T2

Yale J.D. and actually faculty at UCLA, visiting at Brooklyn.

opps.... just giving you a hard time dingbat

roranoa wrote:Is everyone who posted up to this point actually working at Biglaw?

Then what kind of skills are required to be successful at Biglaw?
Okay, well, maybe not successful in a general sense but at least bring up good work product to your boss. (say, if you're doing corporate law)

What kind of skills are needed to do good work?

I worked in biglaw for more than 6 years as a paralegal and watched lots of attorneys do well and lots crash and burn. The number one factor I saw determining success: being capable of socializing normally with the attorneys and staff you work with and acting professionally in professional settings like courts, depositions, and client meetings. The second most important criteria was being able to work long hours without getting worse at your job and handling the stress that comes with those hours. Being good at legal research and legal writing was a big deal, too, but at that level, everyone should already bee pretty competent at research and writing. The biggest difference between the people I saw get moved to partnership positions and the people I saw get pushed out the door was social skills. Oh, and nepotism. The guy who is the kid of the $5bil client has a job forever.

paratactical wrote:

roranoa wrote:Is everyone who posted up to this point actually working at Biglaw?

Then what kind of skills are required to be successful at Biglaw?
Okay, well, maybe not successful in a general sense but at least bring up good work product to your boss. (say, if you're doing corporate law)

What kind of skills are needed to do good work?

I worked in biglaw for more than 6 years as a paralegal and watched lots of attorneys do well and lots crash and burn. The number one factor I saw determining success: being capable of socializing normally with the attorneys and staff you work with and acting professionally in professional settings like courts, depositions, and client meetings. The second most important criteria was being able to work long hours without getting worse at your job and handling the stress that comes with those hours. Being good at legal research and legal writing was a big deal, too, but at that level, everyone should already bee pretty competent at research and writing. The biggest difference between the people I saw get moved to partnership positions and the people I saw get pushed out the door was social skills. Oh, and nepotism. The guy who is the kid of the $5bil client has a job forever.

I hate nepotism!

Btw, thanks for the response.

“Imagine an average student (GPA 3.25-3.5) at 47th ranked University of Florida,” the report states. “If she had attended 20th ranked George Washington University, her grades likely would have slipped to the 2.75-3.0 range, and her salary would drop considerably (by 22 percent.) If she had attended 80th ranked Rutgers, she probably could have improved her grades to land in the 3.5-3.75 range, and earned a 13 percent higher salary. Access to a top 10 school simply would not have been an option — even the weakest students at the top 10 law schools have higher entering credentials than the median student at a school in the middle of the rankings, so our comparisons are most meaningful within a range of 20-30 places in the rankings in either direction.”

The study is limited to schools in the Top 20 - 80 range which might hold some truth.

roranoa wrote:

paratactical wrote:

roranoa wrote:Is everyone who posted up to this point actually working at Biglaw?

Then what kind of skills are required to be successful at Biglaw?
Okay, well, maybe not successful in a general sense but at least bring up good work product to your boss. (say, if you're doing corporate law)

What kind of skills are needed to do good work?

I worked in biglaw for more than 6 years as a paralegal and watched lots of attorneys do well and lots crash and burn. The number one factor I saw determining success: being capable of socializing normally with the attorneys and staff you work with and acting professionally in professional settings like courts, depositions, and client meetings. The second most important criteria was being able to work long hours without getting worse at your job and handling the stress that comes with those hours. Being good at legal research and legal writing was a big deal, too, but at that level, everyone should already bee pretty competent at research and writing. The biggest difference between the people I saw get moved to partnership positions and the people I saw get pushed out the door was social skills. Oh, and nepotism. The guy who is the kid of the $5bil client has a job forever.

I hate nepotism!

Btw, thanks for the response.

I don't call that nepotism, I call that business.

Nepotism is when you give your own kid a job. And I'm fine with nepotism in the private sector.

Debatable, but you definitely need them to have a chance at being hired in BigLaw...