Comments on: What? Your NOT In The Top 10% Of Your Class! http://www.nontraditionallawstudent.com/general/what-your-not-in-the-top-10-of-your-class/?&owa_from=feed&owa_sid= Thoughts Of A Non Traditional Law Student Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:43:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Larry http://www.nontraditionallawstudent.com/general/what-your-not-in-the-top-10-of-your-class/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Larry Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:11:33 +0000 http://www.nontraditionallawstudent.com/general/what-your-not-in-the-top-10-of-your-class/#comment-7 Well said. Thank you for your perspective from an interviewer's point of view. I appreciate the comment. Well said. Thank you for your perspective from an interviewer’s point of view. I appreciate the comment.

]]> By: shell http://www.nontraditionallawstudent.com/general/what-your-not-in-the-top-10-of-your-class/comment-page-1/#comment-6 shell Tue, 25 Dec 2007 01:35:50 +0000 http://www.nontraditionallawstudent.com/general/what-your-not-in-the-top-10-of-your-class/#comment-6 The mistake most law students make is that they believe top grades guarantee a job. The reason why they arrive at this conclusion is because many top firms use GPA as part of the screening process. From a law firm's perspective, it is a practical method to reduce the number of candidates, but as you have pointed out, a great law student does not necessarily equate an effective attorney. From my experience as an interviewer, I would do exactly what law firms do if I do not personally know a candidate. I would want some sort of reassurance that the person I am hiring is smart, responsible, and reliable. I extract this information from his/her resume and references. The GPA and journal experience requirements are conceptually similar. But what law students forget is that summer clerkship is only one way to gain employment. You can still interview after you have graduated. There is still plenty of time to network and build your lawyering skills. The most important part is not being in the top 10% (although it makes your interviewing process a little simpler as a law student), but passing the bar exam. The mistake most law students make is that they believe top grades guarantee a job. The reason why they arrive at this conclusion is because many top firms use GPA as part of the screening process. From a law firm’s perspective, it is a practical method to reduce the number of candidates, but as you have pointed out, a great law student does not necessarily equate an effective attorney.

From my experience as an interviewer, I would do exactly what law firms do if I do not personally know a candidate. I would want some sort of reassurance that the person I am hiring is smart, responsible, and reliable. I extract this information from his/her resume and references. The GPA and journal experience requirements are conceptually similar.

But what law students forget is that summer clerkship is only one way to gain employment. You can still interview after you have graduated. There is still plenty of time to network and build your lawyering skills. The most important part is not being in the top 10% (although it makes your interviewing process a little simpler as a law student), but passing the bar exam.

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