CALI's Pre-Law Blog

28 Jan, 2008

As first semester grades roll in a month after finals, students are FINALLY receiving, for the most part, their first real feedback of law school. Congratulations to those of you who met or exceeded your expectations!

But unfortunately for a lot of students, with grades comes a bit of a (or a big) disappointment.

One reader sent this:

I just received my 1st semester grades at Boston College Law...I cannot believe I got a 2.55 gpa. I thought I knew my"stuff" I wasn't lost in class... What happens to the students that graduate in the bottom of the class? Everyone told me that where you place in the beginning is pretty much where you stay. I would love to hear from any BC graduates that weren't in the top of the class Where are they now and how did they get there?

Click below to see the response...

A lot of questions in this reader comment, understandably as I can imagine the confusion and slight panic that comes with not meeting personal expectations in law school.

Let's address the questions and comments one at a time.

I cannot believe I got a 2.55 gpa.

For those of you in the position of just seeing a number that you think should be higher, please understand that law school grading is relative with the curve. A GPA is just a number unless you have other numbers with which to compare it. Your class rank will likely matter more.

Now, obviously, a 2.55 is not going to put you at the top of the class at any law school. But, it might be ranked higher than you think. And, not meant for our question's author, but many of the stereotypical law school overachievers freaking out after receiving the first B of their lives along with 2 or 3 A's, might want to relax.

So try to find your school's archives of class rank cutoffs based on GPA (like this from my school). Though you probably won't find that for 1L's after just one semester, you may be able to find cutoffs for past 1L's after a year, which could give you an idea of how much you need to turnaround your GPA to get it to where you want to be.

I thought I knew my"stuff" I wasn't lost in class...

There are three potential problems here: 1) You knew your stuff but most of your classmates simply knew more (ie, victim of the curve), 2) you thought you knew your stuff but you didn't, 3) you knew your stuff but you didn't effectively communicate the stuff you knew to your professor on the exam.

Numbers 1 and especially 2 are the most troubling, but less easy to turnaround with anything other than harder work and more studying.

You're in a better position if your performance is mostly because of number 3...which amounts to poor test-taking or test-writing ability.

My advice (and I know you may not want to, but if you can), schedule time with your first semester professors to talk about your exams. Ask them where and why you were missing points. You should get a better idea where your weaknesses were after speaking to all of them.

Then you have to adjust. There is a whole bunch of advice out there about taking law school essay exams. There are some in this list, to get you started.

What happens to the students that graduate in the bottom of the class?

Generally, students in this position, and it's not just those in the bottom, but often those in the middle at schools that aren't elite, often have a much harder time getting interviews with large firms and scoring the highest paying jobs you always hear about.

This does not mean you will not find a job.

More on this below...

Everyone told me that where you place in the beginning is pretty much where you stay.

This is not entirely true.

First of all, my school did not even rank students after the first semester. Why? I assume because it's only 3 or 4 grades. Add 3 or 4 more different grades to that and things can change dramatically if those second semster grades are significantly different than the first. So a turnaround in the second semester can and will make a pretty big difference in GPA and class rank.

Second, first YEAR, not first semester, grades and class rank are the big ones (see why below). It's not good to be in the hole like you are to start out. But it's still an important point.

Third, first year grades are probably the most important for those hoping for biglaw jobs or salaries. This is simply because a good first year performance by itself can lead to a big law firm job offer...

Big law firms generally conduct on campus interviewing (OCI) for summer associate jobs at the beginning of the second year of law school. So, by nature, these firms only have first year grades by which to judge students, giving preference to the top first-year performers. These summer associate jobs are generally the easiest (but not the only) way to catch on at a big firm.

So it is true that first year grades are generally the most important for those planning on working at a big law firm or for those most concerned about starting salary. Your chances of a salary over $150,000 (or even $100,000) decrease dramatically without those top-performing first year grades. Starting salaries start to look like what you were probably expecting out of undergrad. See here for more on starting salaries.

But you are certainly not precluded from finding meaningful/fulfilling work as an attorney and moving up the ladder as a lawyer through other types of attorney jobs, making long-term prospects still pretty good.

I would love to hear from any BC graduates that weren't in the top of the class Where are they now and how did they get there?

Unfortunately, this blog doesn't field comments because its blog system becomes overwhelmed with unsavory spam comments when opened. But if any BC students or grads have somethign to add, send an email (agroothuis@cali.org) and I'll post it.

Lastly, I post this link from the WSJ Blog not to encourage the question's author to consider leaving law school. But I think it deals with a lot of issues that many students are going through at this point and its comments offers a lot of different opinions, however valid those may be.