1L with grades, need some advice.

[Meek]

Oh noes, another one of these threads. Well, I see lots of treads concerning people with very high or very low grades, but what if you're a 1L at T25 with a 3.2 curve and you got a 3.27? What should you consider doing? What if your highest grade was a solid A in Contracts ... and you're not sure if you like Contracts?? Any advice on summer job/internship ideas? Thanks in advance!

[jimmyjohn]

You better learn to like contracts because your only hope is to get a job practicing contract law. You could also just drop out and/or kill yourself if you can't deal with this as your future career path.   

[Advocate]

I think you're getting upset over nothing. You are in the top half of one of the better law schools in the country after one semester. You have 5 more semesters of grades left to go, so if you work a little harder, maybe you can edge your GPA up a bit. I don't think the market is so horrible that people who graduate in the top half of T25 schools will be begging for work! Also, maybe you'll find you really enjoy some class you're taking this semester, like property or some such, and you might pursue that . . .

[Alamo79]

I would work any connections you have with small to medium-sized firms, particularly ones in second-tier markets and below.  Your grades won't help you, for the most part, but they won't hurt you (unless, say, you want to do criminal defense and you bombed crim law).  Government jobs, public interest work (check with your school for funding sources) or research for a professor might also be good options.  I'd recommend getting something lined up as early as you can, then trying to focus on your second-semester grades, and do your best to write on to law review.  Or you could just not worry about the competitive jobs and coast through the rest of law school--it's up to you.

[Basic_Black]

I think you're getting upset over nothing. You are in the top half of one of the better law schools in the country after one semester. You have 5 more semesters of grades left to go, so if you work a little harder, maybe you can edge your GPA up a bit. I don't think the market is so horrible that people who graduate in the top half of T25 schools will be begging for work! Also, maybe you'll find you really enjoy some class you're taking this semester, like property or some such, and you might pursue that . . .

+1.   Sounds to me like you're in a pretty good position.

[Meek]

Well, I am not really disapppointed, just a bit confused. I have to be honest, I didn't really study very hard for my classes (too many beer induced naps during finals week hehehe...) and I am not aiming for a big law job (some small/mid size job is what I hope for)... so yeah... I was just looking for some real advice

[thorc954]

Well, I am not really disapppointed, just a bit confused. I have to be honest, I didn't really study very hard for my classes (too many beer induced naps during finals week hehehe...) and I am not aiming for a big law job (some small/mid size job is what I hope for)... so yeah... I was just looking for some real advice

just try to get the best job you can get.  I got a job an externship set up during my 1L summer so I could get credits and slack the fall semester of my 2L year.  That is something to consider.

oh, and study harder next semester many times tehre are crazy shifts in grades so with a little more effort you could end up in the top 35% of the class without problems and be in a better position for the 2L job search.

[redjay]

thorc, did your school let you drop down to part-time tuition during the semester you slacked because of the credits from the summer externship? Also, you had to pay money for those summer credits right?