I see a lot of law students in #lawtwitter worried/freaking-out about their early grades and thinking it signals the end if a successful career before it even begins. A short thread about law school, lawyering and life. 1/

As I've said before, there is no single path to success as a lawyer. In fact, there's not even a single definition of "success." Some people want riches and the spoils. Some want to protect society, while others to defend the helpless. Most have no idea what they want. 2/

While it is true that top 1% grades will smooth the path toward certain jobs, or more to the point, that lower grades will post roadblocks along that path, THAT PATH MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU. 3/

Law school rewires your brain, and teaches you to think and evaluate differently. That's why the LSAT is so weird. Coming from an engineering undergrad, I had no idea how to read and evaluate long text. First year I struggled and my grades showed it. But not for long. 4/

One day, between 1L and summer school first term, something clicked. I started thinking of the readings as explanatory rather than regurgatory. And from that point on, my grades were great. but the damage was done. I would not be Top 10% during 3L interview season. No offers. 5/

I thought I wanted to do intellectual property law. Path: undergraduate engineering + JD = IP law. I sent 300 resumes to IP firms, and got 305 rejection letters. (You read that right.) I was devastated. Turned out that the path I wanted was not the path for me. 6/

I worked for several smaller firms, running the gammut of practice areas, and made shareholder faster than anyone I knew, not because of grades or in spite of them, but because I found my passion. Long story short, I ended up blazing my own trail, and was happier for it. 7/

And it is also true that once you graduate and are working in the field, your GPA and LSAT and BAR scores will be meaningless (except maybe at the hotel bar with colleagues at CLE conferences). So my point is this... 8/

Life is funny. It will take you unexpected places and you will be presented with opportunities you never saw coming. It's the lawyer you are, the person you are, and the effort and care you show your clients that will determine your path and ultimately your success. 9/

So focus on learning and applying that knowledge to help the little old lady who walks in and says, "I need your help and don't know where to turn." Evaluate areas of law, not by difficulty but by how interested you are in helping people in those situations. 10/

And most of all, law students, remember that graduating and passing the Bar is not the finish line, it's the starter's gun. You can't lose the race before it even starts. /End (And for other lawyers, YEMV. This was simply mine.)