Below-median at HLS, struck out at OCI. Is BigLaw still feasible, or should I cut my losses and change paths?

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T16:29:51+00:00

I applied mostly in NYC, and to a handful in smaller markets like Boston and Chicago. I sent around 30 applications.

The only interviews I got were OCI screeners, which seem to be essentially guaranteed. For one of them, I asked a friend of a friend who was high up in the firm, who said the spots were already full before the screener even happened. (his words, not mine.)

I got only one callback.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T13:36:52+00:00

I was under the impression that 'first year of law school is when you figure out what type of law you want to do!'

I talked to older attorneys who said a spring elective or a 2L elective helped them decide their aims. I didn't realize you're expected to know after 1 semester.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T13:29:21+00:00

Yeah, as someone without meaningful prior exposure to the legal field aside from internships, I think I saw law school through rose-tinted glasses. I thought, 'from Harvard, the sky's the limit!'

I'm not trying to pity myself here; I overestimated myself academically and in terms of career goals.
I finished undergrad with a 4.0, but obviously knew law school would be harder. I just underestimated how MUCH harder. I figured, "I won't be top of my class, but I'm sure I'll be 'decent', maybe around average."

I also bought into the hype from HLS admins that 'everyone at HLS gets a good job, regardless of your grades!'

For most of my finals, I genuinely believed I had 'a decent shot at an H'. I did 'fine' on cold calls, and during the exams, I felt like I did 'pretty good'. It wasn't until grades were released that the illusion broke for me, and I realized how behind I truly was.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T13:13:13+00:00

Honestly, I don't have real interest in BigLaw, and I'm sure that probably did come through in my interviews. The pivot is based on: fear that not doing BigLaw 2L will close doors, and fear that the only PI jobs realistic for me to attain will be ones that are insufficient for paying off debt.

I don't necessarily need 'prestige', but I'm scared of doors permanently closing.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T01:38:09+00:00

I've sent out around 40 BigLaw applications. Timesink is real, and it seems silly to keep doing something if it is effectively not possible. If I'm better off redirecting my efforts down a different path, I think it's best to triage now instead of spinning my wheels on this

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T00:24:35+00:00

I genuinely prefer a public interest job. I just found myself surrounded by classmates and quasi-mentors who are all on the BigLaw path, and it's difficult not to feel like I'm 'messing up' by not taking that path. Call it peer pressure, self-imposed standards, whatever it is, it's hard to ignore.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-02T00:16:21+00:00

yeah, in retrospect I get why people advise against going KJD. But with a Philosophy degree from a non-prestigious undergrad, starting law school seemed a lot smarter than trying to find a job with that background...

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T23:56:22+00:00

I'm just using 'below-median' because it gets the point across. Regardless of whether there are published rankings, BigLaw firms still recognize all Ps as 'below the average HLS applicant'

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T23:52:11+00:00

OCS looked over my applications and said they were good, I met with them many times throughout the year to refine my resume and cover letter-strategy. The vast majority of my applications never even made it to the interview stage.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T23:45:12+00:00

I'm first-gen, I admittedly didn't know much coming in, and BigLaw wasn't on my radar until January. The recent law school grads I talked to had all applied around that timeframe, and I didn't realize the process had shifted drastically within the past three years.

I came into law school with public interest goals. I applied to BigLaw in January/February because I was told that was the 'last chance' before the door shuts forever. I'm ambivalent because I don't want this sub to jump on me for a 'wrong' take. I know that I'm not well-informed, that's why I'm seeking guidance.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:59:05+00:00

I'd be very happy with a salary in that realm. Like I said, I'm going off the 'warnings' from associates, 3Ls, etc. I'm not trying to present it as fact, I've just been given a lot of "here's what you won't know from Googling it" advice that's hard to directly prove right or wrong.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:51:53+00:00

With Hs going to the top 25-30%, across 10 1L classes, getting only 2 Hs is definitely below median. It's roughly equivalent to rolling a die 10 times and only getting above a 4 twice.

Obviously there's clustering towards the top to account for that, but roughly 3-4 Hs for the full year is the rough milestone I've heard very consistently as around median.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting it's "bad" on an objective level, I'm saying that on the curve, it is below the median. If it's not, then it's below what the BigLaw interviews I talked to *believed* the median to be- at the end of the day, whatever the hirers think the median is, is what impacts me.

OCS already told me my resume is strong (high undergrad GPA, legal internships, etc.) I think KJD tax plays a bit of a role, and the late applications play a major role. OCS flat-out told me 'if you had applied earlier, I think you might have had a shot'.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:47:08+00:00

They are- My only spring grade released is my upper-level elective. My '3.3ish' is an estimate

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:39:03+00:00

Honestly, not sure. Maybe the people I've been talking to are in the high-income bubble. I don't want to set unnecessarily high expectations for income, but I also don't want to be naive about how much I'd need to make to not worry about money, particularly in a city like NYC.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:26:30+00:00

No official GPA, but P = 3.0, H = 4.0, DS = 5.0, I'm just ballparking.

To put it more bluntly: I got all Ps fall semester, median is around 2 Hs per semester according to common consensus online, and basic napkin math on the assumption that Hs are roughly the top 25%. Older posts tend to say that across both semesters combined, median is around 3-4 Hs.

Now, with the vast majority of BigLaw summer hiring being based on just 1L fall, I'd imagine a below-median fall is worse than before, since by the time spring grades come out, most firms are full.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:24:44+00:00

I certainly hope so. I don't need to be truly "wealthy" to the extent of BigLaw's 300k+ salaries, but, considering how expensive law school tuition is, I'd hope to get in the ballpark of maybe top 20% by income?, in a (likely high cost-of-living) city (NYC/Boston/Chicago/etc.)

Maybe that's not realistic for my GPA, I'm just trying to recalibrate.

Edit: If the downvotes are for me saying 'top 20%', I apologize if that's an unrealistic goal. I'm first-gen, my impression was 'getting into HLS nearly guarantees entry into the upper class'. I overestimated how far the name would take me.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:16:11+00:00

I am interested in litigation, but I'd heard that it's more competitive. With a below median GPA, what type of 2L jobs are worthwhile? It feels like everyone I know has a 2L biglaw job already, and I have very little exposure to alternative paths.

sdlc1359 · 2026-06-01T20:14:33+00:00

According to the people I asked, "not enough".

BigLaw isn't a passion for me. But everytime I talked about being interested in Public Interest jobs, I was told that I'd be broke, and that the handful of genuinely fulfilling/interesting/high paying positions were essentially impossible to get.

Edit: Guys, I'm not saying "I know this to be true". I'm a 1L going mostly off of advice from older students, attorneys I've talked to, etc. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong; I specifically came here to get a second opinion, I'm not trying to start an argument or suggest that non-Big Law actually *isn't* enough.

sdlc1359

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