Law school grades can make or break your chances of getting that all important summer internship or associate position upon graduation. If you are not at the top of your law school class, it is easy to feel like all hope is lost. However, there are steps that you can take, both during and after graduation, to improve your chances of securing gainful employment. This article will tell you about what you can do overcome the stigma of a low grade point average.

Improve Your Grades

If you are still in law school, you naturally can attempt to bolster your grades as much as possible. There are a number of ways to do this:

Talk To Your Professors. Feedback from professors is invaluable in order to improve future performance. Reviewing your exams with your professor to learn what you could have done better can help you to do better on future exams. Further, requesting clarification on subject matter which you find difficult or confusing is not an admission of weakness, but shows that you are dedicated and interested in the class and do it well.

Pick Elective Classes Strategically. Your choice in electives can drastically affect your performance. Be smart about it. Talk to other students and find out their experiences with different classes. It’s a fact of life that some professors are better than others, and some classes are easier than others. Obviously, you shouldn’t pick a class you aren’t interested in just because the professor is good, or the workload lighter than other classes. But if you are torn between a few courses, this can make your decision easier. Likewise, if you prefer papers to exams (or vice versa), this can be another consideration in choosing classes.

Borrow Classmates’ Notes/Study With Classmates. Working with your classmates can be a great means of comprehending the matter better. Reviewing someone else’s notes can help you fill in gaps or intricacies that you did not get the first time around. Furthermore, studying with others helps you to “talk out” areas of confusion and clear up things you thought you knew, but perhaps weren’t as clear on as you thought.

Review and Take Old Exams. Most law schools have professors’ examinations from past years on file in the library or in journal offices. Old examinations are a critical component of studying. Many students say: “how can I take an exam if I don’t know the material yet?” However, old examinations can be useful even if you are not fully prepared for the exam yet. Early in the course, these exams can give you an idea of how the professor thinks, and what he/she considers to be the most important parts of the course. Taking the exam as exam time approaches can help you focus in on what areas you know well, and which areas you need to review further.

Get Practical Experience

Another way to make up for a less than perfect transcript is by gaining practical experience in the practice area in which you are interested in working. If you are still in law school, consider law school clinic classes or extracurricular activities. These are valuable resume builders that show you have knowledge of the subject matter you are interested in, and have worked to develop the hands on experience that will allow you to excel in an employer’s law practice.
If you have graduated from law school and are seeking permanent employment, there are still measures that you can take to gain practical experience. Numerous pro bono opportunities exist, both through nonprofits and through your local bar association. Continuing legal education courses are also a great means of broadening your knowledge and experience.

Networking

There is an old adage that “it is not what you know, but who you know.” While not entirely accurate, this saying does have a bit of truth to it. There is a whole untapped world of unadvertised job opportunities that are filled purely by word of mouth. Also, networking helps you to learn more about the practice of law, and where you can most happily and successfully fit into it. You can network by talking to your family and friends and reaching out to practitioners they know. You can also attend bar association events. Finally, you can contact attorneys in the field in which you wish to work, particularly alumnus from your law school or undergraduate school, and find out if they would be willing to talk to you. The purpose of these meetings is called an informational interview, in which you learn more about the practice area in which you are interested.

Don’t Despair

With all of the pressures of law school and the legal profession to excel, it is easy to feel like a failure and get down on yourself if you don’t have the picture perfect law school transcript. It is important to be kind to yourself and realize that you are more than a piece of paper. By recognizing your innate worth and what you have to offer, you will be better equipped to present yourself in the best light. Only a small portion of lawyers are able to be at the top of class, and vast majority of practitioners did not graduate in the top ten percent of their classes. There is room for you in the legal profession; you need only work a bit harder to seek out your place.