About Brian Greenberg Expertise I can answer questions about preparing for law school (including appropriate undergraduate coursework), what to expect in law school, doing well in law school, employment during and after law school, etc.
Experience I attended the George Washington Universtity Law School and graduated in the top half of my class in 1998. I now practice entertainment law in New York City.
Organizations State Bar of New York
State Bar of California
Education/Credentials George Washington University Law School; Juris Doctor - 1998
George Washington University; Bachelor of Arts - 1994
Awards and Honors George Washington University Honors Program;
George Washington University Presidential (half tuition) scholarship
Question I recently completed my first year of law school and was very disappointed with my grades. I am in the bottom 10% of my class at a top 100 school (I think we ranked about 66th this year). I think one of my major issues is that I reluctantly went to law school right out of undergrad and never got into a strong habit of studying or working very hard (I'd like to think it's not because I am a complete moron). I am worried about my grades hurting me in the future when it comes to applying to jobs. I would like to know what becomes of people who find themselves in my position after their first year? Thanks!
Answer Hi, Cara:
Unfortunately, as you know, when the law firms start looking this Fall for a fresh crop of law students to intern next Summer, your first year grades are pretty much all they'll have to go on. As you also know, a summer internship at a good/great law firm is generally the most surefire launch pad for a young lawyer's career, as the majority of summer interns are invited to join their firms as full time lawyers after graduation. Based on the grades you're describing, I think it's pretty safe to say you're unlikely to land a law firm internship for next Summer. So that's the bad news.
The good news is that you now get to be a little more creative about the course of your legal career than do your peers who faired better academically. Why is this? Because your peers in the top 10-15% of your class are about to be shackled by the golden handcuffs of the big firm salary structure. I mean let's face it, if you're in the top 15% of your class and the big firms are all dangling those $165,000-$175,000 starting salaries in front of you, are you really going to consider whether working at that non-profit or for that political group or with that solo practitioner in your hometown is ultimately going to be more enjoyable and fulfilling? Probably not. And a lot of great performers in law school find themselves as unhappy big firm lawyers a few years out for just that reason.
It is absolutely possible to land a great job out of law school without great first year grades, or without graduating at the top of your class. But whereas the employment process becomes virtually automatic for your peers in the top 15%, 20% and even 25%, the rest of the class needs to approach the process a bit differently.
Obviously, you should do everything you can to pull your grades up by the time you graduate. The good news here is that students who do very well in their first year often slack off in their second and third years (after having landed one of those career making summer internships) leaving room for other students to pull ahead.
In addition to improving your study habits and bringing up your grades, I recommend finding an area of law you think you'd be interested in practicing and doing anything and everything you can to gain experience in that area before graduation. For example, if you're interested in environmental law, I would recommend you try to find an internship -even an unpaid internship- next Summer (you're probably a little too late for this Summer, but you can try) at the EPA or a state environmental agency, a for profit or non profit organization that deals with environmental issues, or even a small two or three person law firm that handles environmental cases. The experience could well lead directly to a paid position after graduation and would certainly make you more marketable in any event. Similarly, I recommend writing a note or article in the area of law that interests you and trying to get it published somewhere. If you can't get it published in an academic law journal, chances are you can get it published somewhere online. Having one or more articles published in a particular area gives you an aura of expertise and says all the right things about you to potential employers.
Finally, I recommend speaking to the staff at your school's career placement office, if you haven't already. It's the students in the bottom half of the class that they're most accustomed to helping, and they may very well have some good ideas and strategies for you to consider.
I hope you find this helpful, and I wish you the best of luck in your academic and professional pursuits.
