So what happens if you really do get a C as a 1L?

[Jake_MONDATTA]

Are you done?  Discuss.

[Matthies]

You can recover, I got a C+ in con law, and I'm still #13 in my class. You just can't get more than 1 or 2 or your out of the top 20% for good (depending on your schools curve)

[imwithhappy]

You can recover, I got a C+ in con law, and I'm still #13 in my class. You just can't get more than 1 or 2 or your out of the top 20% for good (depending on your schools curve)

a 3L here got a C- her 1L year and is now top 10, not 10% but top 10

[observationalist]

Are you done?  Discuss.

Assuming the worst- that the C isn't a fluke compared to your other grades and you just don't match up well in the often subjective law school grading system- then it would be time for you to become aggressive in networking and show yourself to be a good hire despite your grades.  We've agreed on this before, but your specific gpa isn't as important to employers (since they don't reveal it to clients) as are any accomplishments that distinguish you from your peers.  Some of these are grade-specific (Dean's List, Order of the Coif) but others are only somewhat or completely unrelated (writing onto Law Review/Journal, Moot Court, impressive work experience, etc.)

You folks are already done? Good lord... I think the 1Ls have until the 18th here. Enjoy the break, and do everything in your power not to think about grades. Focus on relaxing and/or job searching/networking.

[nealric]

Depends on the curve and other factors.

In a school with a C+ curve, grades of A/A/A-/B+/C could very well be close to the top of the class.
In a school with a B+ curve combined with otherwise median grades, it could hurt you quite a bit more (especially because it means you probably wrote worst exam in the entire section)

[Jake_MONDATTA]

Depends on the curve and other factors.

In a school with a C+ curve, grades of A/A/A-/B+/C could very well be close to the top of the class.
In a school with a B+ curve combined with otherwise median grades, it could hurt you quite a bit more (especially because it means you probably wrote worst exam in the entire section)

Man, just when I was starting to feel a little better...

[Captain]

Nobody gets a C at THE EMORY!

...


But at least one person got a D on Legal Writing...

[TheDudeMan]

You can recover, I got a C+ in con law, and I'm still #13 in my class. You just can't get more than 1 or 2 or your out of the top 20% for good (depending on your schools curve)

Depends on your curve.  We have a B+ curve at my school and there is no way in hell you could end up in the top 15% and likely not even the top 1/3 if you got a C or even a C+ 1L year.

[Matthies]

You can recover, I got a C+ in con law, and I'm still #13 in my class. You just can't get more than 1 or 2 or your out of the top 20% for good (depending on your schools curve)

Depends on your curve.  We have a B+ curve at my school and there is no way in hell you could end up in the top 15% and likely not even the top 1/3 if you got a C or even a C+ 1L year.

Its also much harder to even get a C with a B+ curve. We have a B/B- curve, so its toatlly feaseable to get As people must get cs for the mean/meadian to work, I wish we had a B+ curve I could get an A- just for puting my exam number down  , we had a midterm this semster were the prof gave like 15 C range and even 4 D's and a D- out of 48 people, I can't imagine what its like at a school like cooly with a 2.5 curve, OUCH

[TheDudeMan]

Yeah, that blows.  I'm glad I go to a school with a higher curve.  I don't think anywhere in the top 20 they have below a B or B+ curve.  Hell, the entire top 5 is switching over to a no-grade system.....  How nice that would be.

For what it's worth though, getting an A- isn't that easy on a B+ curve.  Most professors give mostly B+'s at my school, a handful of A-'s, a handful of B's, and then only a few A's or B-'s and below.