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What people can tell you generally is that getting a good GPA- in the top third of your class from a top university means you will be able to land a job at a big law firm just because of that.
If you don't have either of those things- a top GPA or a top universityβyou will have to work significantly harder. It's unlikely that large firms looking to hire a bunch of people based on short interviews will trust you have the skills because you don't have the GPA or the university. They have no reason to believe that you can do the work. You can try and assure them in the interview, but every single student with a low GPA believes it doesn't reflect their true qualities and will make the same argument.
Your best bet, if you don't have a top GPA or a top university, is to choose one mid-sized firm or litigator and intern with them multiple times for a long period of time. Build trust with them so they will prefer to hire someone they know, someone they know can do the work, than a stranger with a decent gpa. Its going to be hard. Many places will let you intern endlessly without even discussing your career. You should take the initiative to be direct. Ask them pointed questions and refuse to let them get away with evading an answer. Do it in a way that is professional and not entitled.
Instead of repeatedly asking strangers on internet to assure you about insecurities- just think about what an employer would want from an employee, and then try to become that.