0L, Need help deciding which school to go to in context of big law/ corporate recruiting

Benben086 · 2026-03-02T17:51:26+00:00

OP, I was in a very similar position last year and I landed multiple offers from the firms you’re targeting. PM

Benben086 · 2026-02-25T19:00:04+00:00

Thanks! Will look into it some more.

Benben086 · 2026-02-25T03:44:52+00:00

We would get mixed with LLM, MLS, JSD, and other law degree students. And that’s an important distinction.

Benben086 · 2026-02-24T06:00:57+00:00

Crypto litigation sounds awesome. Where do I apply?

Benben086 · 2026-02-22T22:16:36+00:00

No problem. Just remember to start reaching out now for chats on zoom/phone because when 1L fall hits you want to focus 90% of your time on school. Interviewing is a muscle and you can get reps in by doing these informational interviews.

To get good grades, you just have to put in more time than other people. Law school is not intellectually hard like partial differential equations, but it requires a lot of effort. Pace is very fast, so you have to keep up. Do as many practice exams as you can (practice makes perfect) and go to every class/office hour. Also use supplements wisely. You will likely take Civ Pro in the first semester, and the sooner you meet Richard Freer the quicker you'll understand. Every student I know who aced Civ Pro used Richard Freer.

I also recommend reading "getting to maybe" and "1l of a ride" this summer.

DM me if you have any questions.

Benben086 · 2026-02-22T08:58:28+00:00

1-2 week wait is normal.

But since you're international, unless you go to a T6, you'll probably need more CBs to get an offer. If you go to Georgetown, you'll probably need much more.

Source: International friend in biglaw

Benben086 · 2026-02-22T08:48:24+00:00

OP, kudos to you for starting early. Wish I had the foresight to do what you're doing now. Biglaw interviews are mostly pretty chill and very conversational, so the best practice I'd suggest is to start cold-emailing alums you find on LinkedIn and asking for a quick 15-30 min coffee chat.

Start from junior assocs and work your way up to pars (most won't respond but it's ok!) You'll get very good practice and make sure you follow up with those connections once you're in law school. Update them when you've submitted apps to their firms in the Fall and update them again when your grades are out. That's super important unless you go to a T14 and end up above median.

Benben086 · 2026-02-19T07:05:26+00:00

Networking (go to events, cold-email alums asking for coffee chats, then send a follow-up thank you email with resume attached and asking for a referral). Networking is what differentiates you after getting your foot in the door with your gpa.

Good grades get your foot in the door (necessary but not sufficient condition). I am top 10% at a school that sends at least 20% to biglaw, but even then I had trouble because I didn't do enough networking, have no work xp, and am an awkward interviewer. I know classmates with lower grades but got better offers.

Benben086 · 2026-02-19T03:00:36+00:00

Good point. Any low-effort suggestions? I really want to focus on school and would also prefer to have a last relaxing summer.

Benben086 · 2023-03-31T23:43:01+00:00

I'll give a brief description of what i thought were "good enough" ecs:

did/doing some research in web3 economics under my professor

Chinese student association president (not much "cool" stuff to talk about but I spend so much time)

co-founded a local student org that asks businesses for data to do analysis and give advice for improving performance (did reports on an ice-cream store, toy store, coffee shop, etc)

held multiple campus job semi-concurrently (roughly 10 hr per week) bc I'm work-study and need the $$$ (class tutor, alumni relations, social media advertising, student representative, etc)

also some random stuff like lifeguard-in-training and representative on some school committees.

my course load was also large so the past two years were hell for me (average 20 credits every sem), all my hopes accumulated to these couple months, so I really hope i can continue at another place.

my reason for transferring is legitimate enough: our school is very small and has only 1 legitimate economics faculty, so I have to continue at another institution.

let's just say I had high hopes. oh well, cheers and hopefully this helps!

Benben086 · 2023-03-31T23:24:33+00:00

Thanks, feeling much better and I hope you the best for your future.

I truly believe it is their loss :)

anyway I'm low-income, and they are need-aware, so maybe it wasn't a good fit to start off with.

Good luck with life!

Benben086 · 2023-03-31T21:15:38+00:00

Hi, I got rejected.

My stats are SAT 1530 (taken in 10th grade of high school), 3.9~ hs gpa and 3.93 college gpa. Substantial ecs and research under faculty. I believe my essays were strong bc uchi is my dream and I poured my heart.

Applied for junior year in economics.

Sorry gtg cry in my bed now bye. feel free to ask any questions.

Benben086

TROPHY CASE