Importance of 2L/3L grades

[jk23]

How important are your 2L / 3L grades? I did well in my 1L year and have got some offers at some great firms paying tons of money. I'm sick of caring about law school and just want to float until graduation. Now I understand that if I dislike my summer associate job this summer and want to get another job after my 2L year, that I'll have to go through OCI again and grades will be important. But assuming I like my summer, will I ever need to report my GPA ever again?

[jacy85]

Unless your firm gives 100% offer rates consistently, you can't assume you'll get an offer.  Odds are you will, but some firms notoriously hire far more people than they need and they choose the best out of them (or at least the ones that "fit in" best).  You're not guaranteed an offer.So if you don't get an offer, and your grades go down, you're going to be in some trouble. 

Also, have you thought about whether you might have any interest in clerking?  If so, you need to keep your grades up this year.

Generally, once you have a job offer after the summer, most people relax and slack off more during 3L.  There are too many unknowns still after 2L, and I think it would be foolish to get lazy now.

[ANBUDOM]

hm i wish we could get some list of firms that have (and don't have) 100% offer rates. 

[thorc954]

hm i wish we could get some list of firms that have (and don't have) 100% offer rates. 

nalp

[GA-fan]

I realize the NALP #'s are all you have to go on, but don't put too much faith in them. Lots of firms give soft or cold offers which they get to claim were offers, yet leave you high and dry. I've heard that the number of soft offers may be up to 15% from associates at a few biglaw offices. Just be skeptical.

[thorc954]

what do you mean by "soft offers?"  Ive  heard the term, but I am just not too familiar with what it means. 

[Ad oculos]

what do you mean by "soft offers?"  Ive  heard the term, but I am just not too familiar with what it means. 

A soft offer (also known as a cold offer) is where the employer officially extends you an offer, but makes very clear to you that you're not to accept it.  That way, you can interview elsewhere and tell them that you received an offer, but you're not actually welcome back at the firm.

[wardwilliams]

what do you mean by "soft offers?"  Ive  heard the term, but I am just not too familiar with what it means. 

A soft offer (also known as a cold offer) is where the employer officially extends you an offer, but makes very clear to you that you're not to accept it.  That way, you can interview elsewhere and tell them that you received an offer, but you're not actually welcome back at the firm.

When you interview with another firm, you tell them you received an offer, or you received an offer but you're not actually welcome?

[Mr. Roe]

no...

Here's the easiest way to explain a soft offer:

They basically tell you "We don't want you," but they allow you to tell other firms/jobs that you were offered the job, and you didn't take it.

The reasoning is that if they say "we don't want you," and you go to apply for another job without a soft-offer in hand, they will wonder what you did wrong to not get an offer, so you will look like a pile of crap.

A soft-offer is basically the way that the firm screws you over without completely ruining your life.

[thorc954]

nice, thank you