Grade Reform, Law Schools

University of Chicago Reminds Students Not To Be Tools About Grades

Continuing our discussion of "elite law school problems," let's talk about grades. If your law school is ranked poorly, waiting for your grades has made you stressed all January. But if you go to a top-ranked law school, it really shouldn't be that stressful, right? Sadly, there are a lot of people at top law schools who are doing it wrong....

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UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL — MEMORANDUM — FIRST-YEAR GRADES

From: Amy Gardner

Dear 1Ls:

Today will be the first time many of you have ever received a B or a C, because at some point after 3:30 you will receive the grades your professors gave your exams. The grades you receive are a reflection of what a professor thought of your exam and how much you were able to convey in one 3 hour or 8 hour period. Your grades are not a reflection of your worth as a lawyer, as a student, or anything else.

If you are thrilled with your grades, congratulations. Go home, pat yourself on the back, and remember that law school is like a pie eating contest. Only the prize for getting great grades is the same as the prize for getting lower grades: more pie. Take some time to whoop, call your non-Law School friends, and get back to work.

If you are disappointed with your grades, go home, take some time to be frustrated, and remember that law school is like a pie eating contest. Only the prize for getting lower grades is the same as the prize for great grades: more pie. Take some time to be disappointed, call your non-Law School friends, and get back to work.

Regardless of whether you are thrilled or disappointed, think very carefully before you tell your classmates your grades. I truly believe that no good comes of it, and strongly urge you to resist the temptation. As I mentioned at Friday’s Academic Counselor session, things people say about their grades aren’t necessarily true, so if a classmate has the bad judgment to talk about their grades, keep in mind that they may or may not be entirely truthful.

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Keep in mind that one quarter of grades you’re not happy with is not the end of the world. As the Academic Counselors pointed out last Friday, the first quarter counts for 6 credits. 1L year is 40 credits. Graduating from the Law School requires 105 credits. Some of the people who graded on to Law Review this year did very poorly their first quarter of 1L year, and the grades combined are only worth as much as your crim, contracts, or property exams alone.

Finally, think about why you came here. Was it for the clerkship opportunities, the chance to learn from outstanding legal scholars, the chance to be surrounded by smart and fun classmates, or because you wanted to challenge yourself to succeed in a place where reading headnotes on cases isn’t enough – you’re expected to delve into the material and come to class ready to be pushed? Either way, those things are all still in play whether your exams received 172s or 182s.

If you want to think more about how to improve this quarter, here are some resources that may help:

Above all, please don’t take these two grades too seriously, and remember what I told you during orientation: Ann Perry doesn’t make mistakes. You are all here because we know you can thrive here and are all important to our community.

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Take care,
A.M.G.

Earlier: You Can Transfer the Student into Stanford, But You Can’t Transfer the Stanford into the Student
Columbia Reassures 1Ls By Sharing Professors’ Dirty Transcript Secrets

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