3.2GPA at a T4-Chances of Transferring and OCI Forum

[Lawschool2021]

Hello:

I just completed my 1L year with a 3.2 at a Tier 4 law school. I am planning to transfer as I’m highly interested in corporate transactional law. Therefore, I’ve applied to Brooklyn, Syracuse, Cardozo, Fordham, GULC, and Vandy. Do you think I have a chance at Vandy and GULC? Any other schools that I should consider that have high biglaw employment placements?

[cavalier1138]

I don't think you have a shot at GULC, Vandy, or Fordham, which are the only schools on your list that have halfway-decent biglaw placement.

I don't know if you'd be able to transfer to one of your other listed schools, but the reality is that you're not getting biglaw through OCI, so a transfer would be of minimal--if any--value. Are you currently paying full price for your T4? And what are your non-biglaw interests?

[Lawschool2021]

I don't think you have a shot at GULC, Vandy, or Fordham, which are the only schools on your list that have halfway-decent biglaw placement.

I don't know if you'd be able to transfer to one of your other listed schools, but the reality is that you're not getting biglaw through OCI, so a transfer would be of minimal--if any--value. Are you currently paying full price for your T4? And what are your non-biglaw interests?

Really? That’s a bummer.

At my current school, I got a $35,000 scholarship that is renewable each year. Also, I have no other interests outside of corporate law, however, I do find immigration law interesting.

[MSUN5]

What’s your class rank, OP?

[Lawschool2021]

What’s your class rank, OP?

I am currently in the top 30%, URM, 8 years worth of work experience in financial services, and I am strongly interested in representing financial institutions, banking and finance, and mergers and acquisitions at a biglaw firm. Also, do you have any idea of any firms that are not GPA focused, for example, firms that focus on personality, work experience, and excellent interviewing skills?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

[cavalier1138]

Also, do you have any idea of any firms that are not GPA focused, for example, firms that focus on personality, work experience, and excellent interviewing skills?

Unfortunately, the reality is that even biglaw firms that focus on those factors only do so if you're above a certain threshold in terms of school pedigree and GPA. And big firms in general don't recruit from T4 schools.

If you can bring your GPA up (and this would have to be a significant move), you might be able to apply to some places during 3L. But it's far more likely that you need to start being more realistic about your job prospects and focus on getting something after school. If you have a shot at biglaw, it's not going to be right after graduation.

In all honesty, if you had asked anyone for advice about going to law school with your career interests, no one would have recommended you go to a T4 school. But you're stuck with that decision now, and transferring to a school like Syracuse or Brooklyn (assuming it would be feasible) isn't going to increase your chances at biglaw. If you can handle the additional debt of going to one of those schools, a transfer might be worth it to just improve your chances of being hired anywhere at all, but again, you need to start being realistic about legal hiring.

[Lawschool2021]

Also, do you have any idea of any firms that are not GPA focused, for example, firms that focus on personality, work experience, and excellent interviewing skills?

Unfortunately, the reality is that even biglaw firms that focus on those factors only do so if you're above a certain threshold in terms of school pedigree and GPA. And big firms in general don't recruit from T4 schools.

If you can bring your GPA up (and this would have to be a significant move), you might be able to apply to some places during 3L. But it's far more likely that you need to start being more realistic about your job prospects and focus on getting something after school. If you have a shot at biglaw, it's not going to be right after graduation.

In all honesty, if you had asked anyone for advice about going to law school with your career interests, no one would have recommended you go to a T4 school. But you're stuck with that decision now, and transferring to a school like Syracuse or Brooklyn (assuming it would be feasible) isn't going to increase your chances at biglaw. If you can handle the additional debt of going to one of those schools, a transfer might be worth it to just improve your chances of being hired anywhere at all, but again, you need to start being realistic about legal hiring.

Thank you for your insight and advice.

How about achieving an in-house legal position at a bank or corporation? Do you think its possible? I was also invited to be on Law Review based on my write-on performance. Also, if I transfer, I will have the opportunity to rebuild my GPA as transfer GPA's are diminished, correct?

Further, I have a couple of friends from my current T4 school, and they have achieved mid-size summer associate jobs with just a 3.5 GPA. Therefore, if I transfer, build my GPA and start mass mailing, networking, and preparing for interviews, do you think it will be possible to land a mid-size firm position?

[angbad]

OP, your post history is unreal. You were accepted to T20 schools and went to a TTTT w/ 35k? You made a Cornell transfer thread last summer pretending to have a 4.0 from a TTT (that didn't work out). What are you doing, bud? I feel like this might be your first honest post.

You have an OK GPA from one of the worst schools in the country. You need to temper your expectations. You totally blew it by not listening to people in your thread a year ago telling you to retake the LSAT.

[cavalier1138]

Dammit. If this ends up being a troll, I'm going to be pissed that I wasted time treating you like a human being.

[albanach]

How about achieving an in-house legal position at a bank or corporation? Do you think its possible? I was also invited to be on Law Review based on my write-on performance. Also, if I transfer, I will have the opportunity to rebuild my GPA as transfer GPA's are diminished, correct?

In-house positions straight out of law school are very much the exception. Some people do land them (I'm one) but it tends to involve a great amount of good fortune. You are coming from a low-ranked school, so the only way that's likely to happen is by focusing on a niche area of law, networking in that area, and timing your graduation to coincide with a vacancy at a corporation that has a large enough law department to train new lawyers. It's a long shot. Finding employment with a law firm will be several orders of magnitude more likely, and even that's not certain.

Further, I have a couple of friends from my current T4 school, and they have achieved mid-size summer associate jobs with just a 3.5 GPA. Therefore, if I transfer, build my GPA and start mass mailing, networking, and preparing for interviews, do you think it will be possible to land a mid-size firm position?

Presumably they had a 3.5 at the end of 1L. Your 3.2 puts you in the top 30%, so their 3.5 puts them near the top of the class. If you have OCI, that's going to happen before you get any more grades, therefore you cannot expect a similar outcome to your friends who excelled vs yourself who has done reasonably well.

You might get lucky at OCI, but you should be preparing now to hustle.