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I'm a 3L at HYS and goofed around my first two years big time and got less than 5 H's. This summer, I was no offered by a second-tier NYC big law firm (and rightfully so). I've finally gotten my act together and am making a strong effort. Would there be any value in getting an LLM so that I could get another year of good grades?

For those of you interested in what I was doing instead of working hard in school - it wasn't anything terribly bad. I was in a band, making films, etc. I didn't have a substance abuse problem or anything like that. I just made poor decisions in managing priorities.

Not if it's an LLM in something besides tax law.

Are you sure you really want to throw another year of work and money after something you've already shown yourself to be deeply uninterested in? Getting no-offered is pretty bad. Maybe you should be considering what else you could do with your degree, instead of chasing biglaw shit that you are clearly not into.

Also I'm not trying to be a dick here, there's nothing wrong with not being into biglaw. But if you got no-offered because you were doing a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with practicing law, maybe practicing law is not for you.

An old TLS favorite for LLM questions...

landshoes wrote:Also I'm not trying to be a dick here, there's nothing wrong with not being into biglaw. But if you got no-offered because you were doing a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with practicing law, maybe practicing law is not for you.

No offense taken. Your comments are completely justified. The truth is it wasn't the kind of work I would have been very interested in. If I had better grades, I would have gone to a firm with a practice area that better matched my interests. Something clicked in me after the end of my summer. To be honest, I was hoping to get no offered as I realized I needed to hit rock bottom in order to meet my full potential.

In short, there are big law practices areas that I could be excited about, especially now that I have my act together.

I was just thinking another year of good grades and another shot at OCI could help land me where I want to be.

HYSscrewUp wrote:I was just thinking another year of good grades and another shot at OCI could help land me where I want to be.

Ok, but where do you want to be?

Frankly, your posts here don't paint a picture of someone who's mature enough to know what they want to do in life, but putting that aside, an LLM isn't going to make a difference.

Just PM'd you!

HYSscrewUp wrote:I'm a 3L at HYS and goofed around my first two years big time and got less than 5 H's. This summer, I was no offered by a second-tier NYC big law firm (and rightfully so). I've finally gotten my act together and am making a strong effort. Would there be any value in getting an LLM so that I could get another year of good grades?

For those of you interested in what I was doing instead of working hard in school - it wasn't anything terribly bad. I was in a band, making films, etc. I didn't have a substance abuse problem or anything like that. I just made poor decisions in managing priorities.

cavalier1138 wrote:
Frankly, your posts here don't paint a picture of someone who's mature enough to know what they want to do in life, but putting that aside, an LLM isn't going to make a difference.

You're right. I have been incredibly immature. I do have my shit together. Can you walk me through your logic. I've known a good number of international LLMs who got offers from OCI. Why wouldn't a second shot at OCI be helpful for me? Would they not consider the LLM grades?

HYSscrewUp wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:
Frankly, your posts here don't paint a picture of someone who's mature enough to know what they want to do in life, but putting that aside, an LLM isn't going to make a difference.

You're right. I have been incredibly immature. I do have my shit together. Can you walk me through your logic. I've known a good number of international LLMs who got offers from OCI. Why wouldn't a second shot at OCI be helpful for me? Would they not consider the LLM grades?

International LLMs are totally different. Those students are lawyers with some amount of experience in their home jurisdiction. You would not be treated the same way as one of those LLM studetns at interviews, and the grades would likely not offset two bad years and (I'm guessing) no journal.

HYSscrewUp wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:
Frankly, your posts here don't paint a picture of someone who's mature enough to know what they want to do in life, but putting that aside, an LLM isn't going to make a difference.

You're right. I have been incredibly immature. I do have my shit together. Can you walk me through your logic. I've known a good number of international LLMs who got offers from OCI. Why wouldn't a second shot at OCI be helpful for me? Would they not consider the LLM grades?

International students who get LLMs get them because, IIRC, you need them to sit for the bar and become licensed in the US. You are getting an LLM because you fucked up so badly that you couldn't get a biglaw job even with a degree from HYS and an SA already in hand, so you spent another year of money and cash to go to school even more instead of hustling and getting a job with one of the most valuable JDs that exists.

The difference is enormous. The problem is not going to be your grades as much as it will be your obvious lack of hustle/work ethic/judgment.

You should try to get a biglaw job now, not after an LLM. If you hustle, network, do everything you can, and you still strike out you can maybe MAYBE consider an LLM.

With you going to a HYS, I'm sure you can find a good job without the LLM. It likely won't be biglaw, but why are you intent on biglaw?

HYSscrewUp wrote:I'm a 3L at HYS and goofed around my first two years big time and got less than 5 H's. This summer, I was no offered by a second-tier NYC big law firm (and rightfully so). I've finally gotten my act together and am making a strong effort. Would there be any value in getting an LLM so that I could get another year of good grades?

For those of you interested in what I was doing instead of working hard in school - it wasn't anything terribly bad. I was in a band, making films, etc. I didn't have a substance abuse problem or anything like that. I just made poor decisions in managing priorities.

Is the film finished? How close is it to being finished, and do you believe in its quality?

I'd submit it to Sundance if I believed in its quality. Maybe you can get an "Official Selection" out of it. Some of my favourite Directors/Actors started out that way. You should go with this while you're still young. I always wanted to be in that industry but went a very traditional route in my twenties. It's a regret of mine.

As for the LLM question -- more education is rarely ever the answer for millennials who can't get jobs. There are in specific instances, but usually it's just a way for students to punt a year of being unemployed or delaying reality. Here, you should probably give it a year to find work (or pursue whatever it is you really want to pursue). If you strike out after that year, then that specific instance arises where an LLM could be a good option.

LLMs are expensive. You could get a lot done in a year and with half the money spent on an LLM.

lavarman84 wrote:With you going to a HYS, I'm sure you can find a good job without the LLM. It likely won't be biglaw, but why are you intent on biglaw?

^ This.