Got a 3.03 in the fall. Had several call backs in December, but when the grades were released, I was rejected by all the firms. I desperately kept applying, but had no screeners at all. So, I stopped looking and started studying. I got 3.96 this semester. I'm going to start looking again. Wish me luck.
Currently a rising 2L at T14. Average GPA. Any hopes of a NYC BL SA for next summer? When would positions open if so? Or am I fully depended on networking at this point?
Ironically BECAUSE of recruiting I had a tough time keeping up with classes. My GPA dropped from 3.7 to 3.4 and I am worried about my offer being pulled. There’s no specific language on a GPA cutoff in my offer but it does say that they expect comparable results. I will lock in next two semesters but rn kinda freaking out…
I'm an incoming 1L at Penn and am wondering if any current Penn students have any insight into this and how recruiting is generally from Penn?
Looking at my chances to land big law during 3L recruiting after spending 2L summer interning with a prominent federal agency and looking to do the same kind of work I’m doing this summer. I have a 3.65 at a T30.
I get so many emails from recruiters that say something along the lines of, “I’m a recruiter at X recruiting firm and I work with national firms. Would you be interested in exploring other opportunities?”
That gives me absolutely nothing to distinguish you from the other five-to-ten identical messages I receive on a weekly basis. I will never respond to that kind of message, and I doubt many others would either.
If you want a response, you either need to list specific job openings you’re trying to fill, explain why your specific experience lines up with my profile (Are you an alum of my firm or have you placed alums elsewhere? Do you primarily work with former judicial clerks?), or something else that makes working with you make any more sense than picking a name out of a hat.
I’m a 1L with a summer associate position at a large firm. My fall grades were strong (3.76), but my spring grades came back much lower than expected, mainly because of one very bad grade in a doctrinal class. My cumulative GPA is still around a 3.35, I’m in good academic standing, and I had strong legal writing/research grades.
My offer letter says employment is contingent on things like remaining in good standing and having a “comparable transcript.” I’m worried about whether a spring drop like this could put the offer at risk.
Has anyone actually heard of a biglaw firm revoking a 1L/2L summer offer based on grades where the student was still in good standing and had a cumulative GPA in the mid-3s? Or is this usually only an issue with academic probation, failing grades, dishonesty, or a much more severe drop?
Not looking for reassurance only, just trying to understand how this usually works in practice (and stay sane)
I am a rising 3l and was wondering if it’s too late for big law?
Especially in NYU and Columbia. Thanks!
Currently working in State SG's office but curious about big law. Is it realistic to consider eventually trying to go straight from here to a firm or would i need to clerk first? My docket is currently about a 50/50 mix of special lit and appeals so i would like to stay in a more issues and apeals kind of gig but i know that isnt always realistic. I also know ill probably have to wait a couple more years but cant hurt having a long term plan.
For context:
Graduated from T14, no clerkship, been doing appeals for various state AGs my whole career, less than five years out of law school
Hiya recruits!
New updates for Insider Info just arrived!
*If you want more details about the screenshots below, check the tracker for live updates. You can also chat with all the super awesome folks joining the Discord server.
**If you’d like to see Insider Info posts earlier, you can support us on Substack!
***If you want to contribute your cycle data to the tracker (no pressure to use it), just let me know in the DM’s. The more students who contribute, the more useful it is.
Some students have reached out to us to share that, in some dual-summer offers, they've started to see some GPA contingency language that looks like this:
"This offer is contingent upon… submission of law school transcripts demonstrating a record of strong academic achievement (a minimum overall GPA equivalent to B+)… to return for the 2027 summer program, successful completion of the 2026 summer program…"
This language comes from Perkins Coie according to two different students (both at a T70 and T20)
The question this leads students to reasonably ask is: if I dip below B+ after 1L spring, does one bad semester kill the offer — or do I get to bring it up during 2L?
So first, the answer is, we don't really know yet. And I'll caveat everything here to say that this is really just our best guess so take it all with a grain of salt since we're really just reading the tea leaves like anyone else here.
But here are our thoughts generally:
First, the language seems purposefully vague, and we've seen some other contract language changes before, but this one is notably different.
Second, I find it odd that the firm listed a grade (not a GPA or class ranking range) minimum, since every school can grade quite a bit differently. I'm not sure what this means just yet.
Third, the key word I feel like stands out is overall. The offer says "minimum overall GPA equivalent to B+" — not semester-by-semester. That likely means your cumulative GPA at the time you submit transcripts is what matters — not any individual semester's grades (typically either a) before the summer program starts or at the time of your final review before getting your final offer or b) when you submit your GPA before starting as a first year). A rough 1L spring semester, I would guess, wouldn't automatically void the offer as long as your cumulative can recover.
1. When exactly do firms pull transcripts? Firms typically collect your official transcript before the 2L summer starts and/or during 3L before you start as a first year — not after every semester. So you generally might have 2L fall grades to help your cumulative if spring 1L hurt you.
2. This is likely standard contingency language, not a trap. Again, we've seen some "comparable" GPA language before, and firms have said that the intent is to weed out significant academic issues, not to penalize one rough semester in a brutal 1L curve.
3. "Evidence of strong academic achievement" is subjective language. Note that the offer says "demonstrating a record of strong academic achievement" with the B+ equivalent as the minimum — this gives firms some discretion. One semester under B+ in a cumulative that's otherwise solid is a very different conversation than a consistent downward trend.
As always, if you're new here, make sure to check out the welcome megathread here for some more helpful guides!
In the meantime, if you've got info, DM on Discord, here, or drop it in the comments — the Insider Info series lives because of all of you.
P.S. If you want the application tracker with current application movement and pre-OCI openings and application links for the V100 & AmLaw 200, feel free to DM or see more details in this post.
Full disclosure, we created this one and we help keep the lights on with subscriptions. But its also free for a full week so anyone is welcome to poke around and steal whatever is helpful. Either way, I hope the database and this guide are helpful to everyone out there.
Good luck out there recruits!
Ended first semester 1L with 3.76 at strong regional school and am very grateful to have received a 2L summer offer. Ended up bombing spring 1L and now have a current cumulative GPA at 3.5. How screwed am I? Should I be worried?
Apologies if already posted but it truly has been bothering me. I welcome any thoughts or advice.
For those of you with 2L jobs secured, are you still participating in write on for Law Review? I’m pretty conflicted on whether to do so or not. I’m going into transactional, and part of me feels like I’m planning on doing it purely out of pride. I just wanted to gauge other people’s thoughts. Apologies if this has been discussed.
EDIT: Thank you all for your responses, advice, and your experiences. I’ve decided to go ahead and do the write on.
Had a few good exchanges with a partner re an open spot and then he went on a two week trip. (He let me know he was leaving and when he'd be back.) Before his trip, we left it at he needs to talk internally with the group co-chair, who had been CC'd on these emails. He's now been back in the office for ten days and I haven't heard anything. Can I follow up tomorrow without sounding needy? I want to show continued interest without being a burden.
Hey guys,
So I'm aiming to do litigation in Texas. From what I've gathered, Houston litigation is dominated by the litigation boutiques and that the BigLaw firms there are pretty transactional-focused. Dallas seems to be different, with some BigLaw firms having decently strong litigation practices.
If I end up going the BigLaw route in Texas instead of a boutique, which firms are best for actual substantive litigation work? I know overall firm prestige doesn't always map perfectly onto a specific practice area. For example, Kirkland and Latham are V10 firms with Dallas offices, but that doesn't necessarily mean their litigation in Dallas is better than say V&E or Baker Botts.
A rough tier list would be super helpful if anyone has thoughts. I'm mostly just trying to figure out which Texas BigLaw firms are worth targeting if I want as close to real litigation experience as you can get at a BigLaw firm.
I'm an incoming 1L (class of 2029) at a T14 that just got my university email. Is it too early to reach out to alumni associates at law firms that I'm interested in? Normally, I'd understand the recommendation waiting until you're in 1L, but given the accelerated recruiting timeline, is it appropriate to reach out now? Or would associates hate talking to someone not already in 1L?
Sorry if this post is too general, but as an incoming 1L at BU this fall, I wanted to get a sense of what the Boston BigLaw market is like from people with more knowledge than me.
I know grades are the ultimate decider, but if you have any info you think might be helpful, please share! Thanks!
For those who also submitted their availability last week, have you had anything confirmed yet? Worried I typed in my email or something wrong but don’t want to bother them with a follow up if they’re still coordinating lol
Just posting because I haven't seen anyone post it. If anyone is looking for a job still. This is an Entry Level Housing Finance Associate position.
