They say bad grades aren't an indicator of future performance....

[zaphod]

...but what about GOOD grades?  I got a 3.9 gpa, lowest grade a B+ (I hate civ pro).  It seems like now that we're back into the semester, every teacher has a speech about how your grades aren't an indicator of future performance.  I sure as hell want them to be.  People who did really well first semester:  how did things go after that? 

[Coregram]

I'm only a 1L myself, so I can't say for sure.  But it seems to me that present grades are only an indication of future grades if you put in the same work (or lack of it) in the future as you did in the past.

Bad grades in the past can be improved by more/better studying in the future.

Likewise, good grades in the past probably are the result of hard work/studying, and can only be repeated by the same effort. 

Congratulations on the good grades, but don't rest on your laurels and assume you will get good grades because you got them before.  Keep doing what you were doing.

[rapunzel]

All my first year finals were essay based, and I did very well.  Midterms this year included a lot of objective testing and I did, not quite so well.  So though I assume that previous grades plus similar effort equals similar result, that assumption presumes all other factors remaining unchanged.  I do know that the guy who was doing the best at midterms 1L really fell down the rankings at finals, maybe too sure of himself.  So I'd say just keep plugging along and doing what you are doing.
Usually when my profs say this same phrase they mean indicator of an ability to be a lawyer.  Law school exams do not simulate practice.  So there will be a lot of mediorce students who are amazing lawyers.  Meanwhile we all suffer at the hands of a few profs who were incredible students, but have settled in to be mini-tyranists in the classroom.

[Andrew]

I think grades are a great indication of future *grade* performance (not necessarily job performance).  You're in a great situation.  Just remember that everyone is still going to be studying hard, and you should too.

[zaphod]

You know, I'm more than willing to accept the fact that good grades aren't an indicator of future job performance as long as it is *generally* an indicator of future grade performance, especially considering no negative indicators towards job performance exist.

[JD_MSA]

Just remember that everyone is still going to be studying hard, and you should too.

Amen to that.  I had a friend that did very well last year, took it for granted, and got a slate full of D's and F's this past fall.