Does Law Review Actually Help You Get BigLaw?

Law review is one of the most time-consuming things you can do in law school. Is it worth it for BigLaw recruiting? It depends.

When Law Review Helps

You're at a lower-ranked school. If you're outside the T14, law review is one of the strongest signals you can send. It tells firms you can write, edit, and manage long-term projects. When firms are deciding between two candidates with similar GPAs from a T30 school, law review often tips the scale.

Your grades are borderline. If your GPA puts you on the edge of a firm's cutoff, law review can push you over. It's not a substitute for grades, but it's credible evidence of ability.

You want to clerk. If a federal clerkship is in your plans (before or after BigLaw), law review is close to mandatory. Judges love it.

When It Matters Less

You're at a T6 with strong grades. If you're in the top third at Harvard, firms are already fighting over you. Law review is nice to have but won't change your outcome.

You hate it and it tanks your grades. This is the real risk. Law review is a massive time commitment. If it takes hours away from exam prep and your GPA drops, you've traded a line on your resume for the thing firms care about most. That's a bad trade.

The Honest Take

Law review is a valuable credential. But it's not magic. It won't transform a weak application into a strong one. Think of it as a complement to good grades, not a replacement.

If you can do law review without sacrificing your GPA, do it. If you're struggling with grades and need every hour for studying, your time is probably better spent improving your GPA.

For a sense of which firms value law review in their hiring process, browse our firm directory.