Leaving a Good Job Forum

[crossem]

"as long as you get the grades" LOL

Well duh, they are giving you almost no leg-up whatsoever. You are doing the exact same thing as all law students do, only going because they think they will "get the grades" to make it pay off. I would venture to say over 75% of your class has had lunch with a biglaw partner who told them, "you are a good kid, make the grades and we will talk." While not quite the same thing, the barrier is the same.

I would not take the leap based upon or in any way relying on your in at the firm. Go because you will work for $45,000 and be happier. But hey, what do I know, I'm just a median owned 2L at a similarly ranked school.

[Renzo]

So if mediocre is not okay at Northwestern, and you'd need to break the upper echelon of the class at such a school, what's the point in going there over ND? Top 1/3 is going to give you a shot at big law from either school. Also NU placed 55% big law at 2009 OCI, so wouldn't you think that quite a few were mediocre?

Sorry the No was directed to your second question.

Oh, lol!

I would agree with the "no." Mediocre grades at any of those schools will not knock you out of the running for biglaw the way it would at ND or a similar school. And, anecdotally, I have found that among people with middling grades, those with real substantive work experience do just fine.

[Law Sauce]

The two most important questions:
1) Could you return to your job if you decided that law school was not for you / you got poor grades your first year?
A. If so, maybe go for it. But still see 2
2) Could you wait a year and retake for a much better school that will give you better options if coming back does not work out?
A. Yes, this answer is always yes, especially for you since you have a stable situation. What's the rush besides just wanting to get started. This is a long journey that takes patience. Unless there is a objective reason (being too old is probably not one yet), wait one more year, study for months for the LSAT, and retake. The LSAT is the most important test in your life, far more important than any single law school test. Heck even take it two more times, you got to do whatever it takes. Then, ED to NU or UVA or Penn or any T14. With a 170, you will get at least one T14 and it will be a much better choice than risking it. And the year will make you hungrier to do well at school and will allow you to start really saving up money. At a t14, you probably could come back just by being in the middle 1/3.