Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice Forum

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Augy1

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Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by Augy1 » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:31 am

Hi everyone,

I am a 1L at Fordham and just received my grades - Crim: B (3 Credits), Torts: B+ (4 Credits) & Contracts: B- (5 credits). My GPA is 2.97; I don't know where this ranks in the class but it can't be good. I feel very low and would really appreciate some advice. My original goal was Biglaw but that's now unlikely, and I'm now more concerned about whether I can even secure decent summer employment and a decent long term job. I plan to just target NYC for employment and am willing to consider almost anything, if that makes any difference. The only thing I have going for me right now is that because of scholarship and savings, I haven't taken on any debt.

I feel really bad, especially because I busted my ass and tried my best last semester but likely still did not do well due to falling for common 1L mistakes (approaching law school with college study habits in spending too much time trying to learn the material and not enough time taking practice exams to practice applying law to fact). I plan to meet with my professors to figure out what went wrong and should probably also meet with CSO.

Thanks

silenttimer

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by silenttimer » Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:35 am

Try to improve for next semester and reevaluate after grades come out. You might get a good turnaround... who knows? Also, don't be too disheartened if at the end of the day you want to be a lawyer. Just remember the bigger picture. You can still get to your goal, even with a shitty GPA. Not saying that 2.97 is shitty, as that is likely in the lower middle but still middle of the class. Good luck!

I know a guy who graduated bottom 10 people from my class and is now a big law partner.

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Wild Card

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by Wild Card » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:36 pm

Think about it this way: if you get a 4.0 next semester, you'll enter OCI with a 3.5, which would put you in the top quarter or so of the class.

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floatie

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by floatie » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:46 pm

The good thing is by being in NYC, you'll have plenty of opportunities to network. Take advantage of that - there are plenty of people before you who have landed biglaw/midlaw by making connections and putting themselves out there. And plenty of people have had less-than-stellar grades Fall semester and drastically improved in the Spring. But obviously, none of this is going to happen by chance. Be prepared to work harder and smarter than last semester - you're not the only one in your class who has a fire under their ass hoping for an improvement.

ClubberLang

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by ClubberLang » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:48 pm

What are your career goals if biglaw is off the table? Yes - if you get a 4.0 next semester would get you around a 3.5 going into OCI, but that is not a realistic goal given your prior performance. Obviously you should try and improve your grades, but refocus your career goals to something else (like trying to get an internship at a prosecutors office, if you'd be happy doing that as a career). If you are biglaw or bust, then you should cut and run, because although it is not completely out of the question, the odds are not good.

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jeffcooon

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by jeffcooon » Wed Jan 17, 2018 2:25 pm

ClubberLang wrote:What are your career goals if biglaw is off the table? Yes - if you get a 4.0 next semester would get you around a 3.5 going into OCI, but that is not a realistic goal given your prior performance. Obviously you should try and improve your grades, but refocus your career goals to something else (like trying to get an internship at a prosecutors office, if you'd be happy doing that as a career). If you are biglaw or bust, then you should cut and run, because although it is not completely out of the question, the odds are not good.


While I'd prefer ClubberLang's honest response, I do feel that all is not lost. Check below article to find some consolation, buckle up, and get moving.

http://hlrecord.org/2012/01/before-you- ... ur-grades/

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bretby

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by bretby » Thu Jan 18, 2018 2:15 am

Augy1 wrote:Hi everyone,

I am a 1L at Fordham and just received my grades - Crim: B (3 Credits), Torts: B+ (4 Credits) & Contracts: B- (5 credits). My GPA is 2.97; I don't know where this ranks in the class but it can't be good. I feel very low and would really appreciate some advice. My original goal was Biglaw but that's now unlikely, and I'm now more concerned about whether I can even secure decent summer employment and a decent long term job. I plan to just target NYC for employment and am willing to consider almost anything, if that makes any difference. The only thing I have going for me right now is that because of scholarship and savings, I haven't taken on any debt.

I feel really bad, especially because I busted my ass and tried my best last semester but likely still did not do well due to falling for common 1L mistakes (approaching law school with college study habits in spending too much time trying to learn the material and not enough time taking practice exams to practice applying law to fact). I plan to meet with my professors to figure out what went wrong and should probably also meet with CSO.

Thanks
In addition to working as hard as possible to get your grades up (which you obviously know to do), I would consider doing PI for your 1L summer rather than the judicial internships everyone does. I think you learn more at many PI jobs, get interesting exposure, and it sets you apart. You may find you enjoy areas of the law other than biglaw as well (like someone mentioned, prosecution, or working for the city, or any number of things) - it is a painless way to broaden your horizons when it seems like your horizons are shrinking. Good luck!

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BeeTeeZ

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Re: Received 1L fall grades - not good, desperately need advice

Post by BeeTeeZ » Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:38 am

Don't make the mistake of assuming grades necessarily reflect intelligence. You can be the most intelligent person in your class and still get Bs if you don't know what your professors are looking for on exam day. Follow-through on talking to your professors for feedback, but more importantly, talk to your current professors so you know what they want to see on your exam in May. Although techniques like CRAC/IRAC are generally applicable for all 1L issue spotters, there can be a surprising degree of variation among professors with respect to how they prefer an argument to be laid out. A slight distinction in the way you lay out the rule, structure headings, or even phrase concepts can sometimes mean the difference between an A- and an A. For this reason, writing an exam in May that your current professors want to see makes more sense than writing an essay that your professors last semester would have wanted to see.

Think big, try hard, and shoot for straight As. You already know what you have to do, so just do it and don't look back.

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