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[nelziq]

Hello. I am a third year law student at a third tier US school with a good reputation in IP law. I have an average law school GPA (3.0)  but everytime a prospective employer sees my undergraduate transcript I get completely shut out. One employer specifically told me that he really wanted to hire me but changed his mind completely when he saw my undergraduate transcript. For my undergrad I went to UC Berkeley where I studied CS and EE and barely managed a 2.45 GPA. However, combined with phenomenal LSAT scores I was accepted at my law school. I have 2 years of experience in the tech industry and i am registered as an agent with the PTO. I even got a 6 month externship with the Rambus legal department where I performed well (They never asked to see my transcipts). I dont foresee any difficulties in passing my state bar exam. However I am worried now that I will have difficulty getting a full time job after graduation. Can anyone recommend things I can do to keep my past from dragging me down? I would ultimately like to work in-house or for a small firm, but I would be willing to do other things in the mean time that would help me achieve that goal.

[S._Seaborn]

Some of my friends (who are much smarter than I am and got much better grades in high school) went on to study CS and EE and barely managed to keep their GPAs above 2.5. I think everyone knows that these programs are tough and a 2.45 GPA in CS/EE means more than an equivalent (or even higher) GPA in basket-weaving. (I mean no disrespect to all you basket-weavers out there.) So I am sure they take your program into account. Plus a stellar LSAT score doesn't  hurt either.

But then again, I am a biochemistry major and what do I know...

[SoCalAttny]

Time will make a transcript less important. Granted, the first job may be difficult to land and may be in a small firm in a small town. Once you have an issued patent list then you will find GPA less important.

[NewarkNJPatent]

More of a comment than advice:

I did both humanities and Engineering undergrad and have no clue why law schools do not weigh the GPAs of engineers.  I had a 3.5 GPA with my BA in History and a 3.2 GPA in BSEE.  
I swear I practically never study or prepared for exams to get my first BA in history yet got a high GPA.  In engineering school I studied like a dog.  I probably should of graduated with a lower GPA in my second BS.  The only reason I think I got a 3.2 G.P.A in EE is because most of the profs saw my age and that I was a profession (I typically came to class in a suit).

It is fundementally unfair or down right wrong that law schools will consider a candidate with say a sociology degree (or better yet a criminal justice degree ) with a GPA of say 3.2 over a EE or other engineer with say a 2.54 GPA.

[SoCalAttny]

"there is nothing fair in this world....."
Billy Idol
White Wedding
circa 198?

[cjesqip]

Hello. I am a third year law student at a third tier US school with a good reputation in IP law. I have an average law school GPA (3.0)  but everytime a prospective employer sees my undergraduate transcript I get completely shut out. One employer specifically told me that he really wanted to hire me but changed his mind completely when he saw my undergraduate transcript. For my undergrad I went to UC Berkeley where I studied CS and EE and barely managed a 2.45 GPA. However, combined with phenomenal LSAT scores I was accepted at my law school. I have 2 years of experience in the tech industry and i am registered as an agent with the PTO. I even got a 6 month externship with the Rambus legal department where I performed well (They never asked to see my transcipts). I dont foresee any difficulties in passing my state bar exam. However I am worried now that I will have difficulty getting a full time job after graduation. Can anyone recommend things I can do to keep my past from dragging me down? I would ultimately like to work in-house or for a small firm, but I would be willing to do other things in the mean time that would help me achieve that goal.

If you know that a potential employer is going to look at your undergrad transcripts, then you better hope they also did engineering or something really difficult. If not, then look them in the eye and say that, "While my GPA isn't high, I learned to work hard and deal with adversity. And what's more, I learned a ton about engineering. I have had no trouble using that knowledge and my supervisors at Rambus were very impressed by how productive I was. I look forward to getting a lot of work done, and making life easier for my future clients." Then specifically explain how you can make that interviewer's life easier. Then lean back and see how they respond. It might not work. But at least you went down swinging.

[plex]

4.5 year old thread