Ann Israel is the legal profession's Dear Abby. A New York legal recruiter since 1979, Ann is a past president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants.

Q: I attended a third-tier law school and performed badly my first year of law school, in part due to an illness that required hospitalization. I was able to significantly improve my grades during my second and third years of law school, but, unfortunately, those first-year grades pull down my overall GPA to below a 3.0. I managed to obtain (i.e, luck-into) a position at a Biglaw firm, but have not been happy with the work environment.

After some informal networking, I believe I would be happy with a different firm or, perhaps, an in-house position. I am currently working as a litigation associate but am considering pursuing a tax LL.M. While I am aware that an LL.M. will not compensate for a low-GPA at a third-tier school, I was hoping you would advise me as to how I can best present myself to potential employers. Will my one year at a top law firm help, or will I always be haunted by my JD GPA?

Before I obtained my current position, I found that employers were generally impressed by my resume (which included some unique work experience but omitted my GPA) and my interviewing skills, but when it came time for them to request a copy of my transcript, I never heard from them again.

My hospitalization during my first year of law school was a significant contributor to my low GPA. Is it worth explaining this to employers? Or, does it just sound like a convenient excuse? If it is worth discussing, when is the appropriate time to bring this up?

Thank you,
Haunted

Dear Haunted: I receive so many phone calls and letters from law school graduates with low GPAs from second- and third-tier law schools that would kill to be in your situation, particularly in this economy. How very fortunate you are that you were able to "luck-into" an associate position at a Biglaw firm coming out of a third-tier law school with a GPA below a 3.0. People are drooling with envy out there!

My advice to you is simple: Pay attention to what has been happening after you meet with employers who seem to be interested in you and request to see your resume. You submit your resume and then never hear from them again.

You have less than a year's experience. I would advise any associate to stick it out for at least another year before making a move, but in your specific situation, if you want to work at a Biglaw firm, I would try to stay at this firm as long as possible. Is the environment truly that bad? What kind of problems are you experiencing? Are there any ways to resolve these issues?

If you are able to secure interviews with the types of firms that are of interest to you (after they have seen your transcript), I don't think it will be necessary to go into a long, drawn-out explanation of your first year's illness and hospital visits. In fact, if asked about your grades, I would simply reply that you had been ill and applied everything you had during your second and third years, as evidenced by the dramatic rise in your grades.

I am sympathetic to the fact that you believe you would be happier at a different law firm or perhaps going in-house. I do believe you need to have a bit more experience before you jump ship and make this first move to another law firm -- certainly, at least another year, if you can stand it. It really will make a big difference for you, both in your resume value and in experience.

As for an in-house opportunity, you are so very junior to be thinking about moving to an in-house spot at this time. Wait until you have more training and experience under your belt because at the in-house level you will not receive the mentoring and guidance that is given at a law firm.

If you do decide that you cannot stand the environment at your Biglaw firm and need to make a move sooner rather than later, I advise you to be very cautious in your interviewing. Be certain that any future employer is aware of your transcript prior to giving notice at your current firm. You do not want to give notice only to have a new employer then ask for the transcript and rescind your offer. Make sure you do your due diligence on any new position so that you are certain that the environment is suited to your liking. Remember, Biglaw environments are not necessarily the most friendly or warm environments. Perhaps you were just not prepared for what to expect.

Lastly, as I wrote above, you do not need to go into complete detail about your year of illness and hospital visits. Focus more on what you accomplished after your first year and what you have accomplished since then.

Good luck!

Sincerely,
Ann Israel
President, Ann Israel & Associates