how do grades work in law school

[bnoble318]

I received a scholarship from Bama (17,500 a year) and I keep it provided I get a 3.0 GPA.

I have read a bit about curves and grades in law school, and I have no clue about how this works. Can someone please explain this to me, and point me in the right direction to find out about Alabama student's grades?

Thanks in advance.

[Thistle]

you dont know how a grading curve works?  really?


try this 

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

Let's not be rude to the n00b.

OP: a grading curve works like this.  In any given class, the professor will be able to give out a strict number of As, Bs, and Cs.  At my school, about 15% earn As, 70% earn Bs, and a few earn Cs.

Alabama wants you to keep a 3.0, which means that you will need at least a B average.  However, law school curves are often much (much) lower than undergraduate curves.  The professor could be required to keep the median grade at a B-, in which case it would be hard to keep your scholarship.  You should inquire.  Furthermore, I don't think that you should matriculate at a lower-ranked law school like Bama unless you want to be a lawyer.  You could end up unemployed after graduation.

[CTL]

Let's not be rude to the n00b.

OP: a grading curve works like this.  In any given class, the professor will be able to give out a strict number of As, Bs, and Cs.  At my school, about 15% earn As, 70% earn Bs, and a few earn Cs.

Alabama wants you to keep a 3.0, which means that you will need at least a B average.  However, law school curves are often much (much) lower than undergraduate curves.  The professor could be required to keep the median grade at a B-, in which case it would be hard to keep your scholarship.  You should inquire.  Furthermore, I don't think that you should matriculate at a lower-ranked law school like Bama unless you want to be a lawyer.  You could end up unemployed after graduation.

Did he say that he doesn't want to be a lawyer?

[Thistle]

ok, to be honest, my guess is that 'bama would have a standard 3.0 curve, so you would have to stay in the top half of the class.  anything lower than that, as wally said, would be a challenge.

eta:  stop being an elitist wally.  alabama is ranked #32 for christ's sake

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

So what?  The rankings are virtually meaningless after the top ten or so.  Nobody actually thinks, for instance, that Iowa is more prestigious than Fordham.

This forum serves the useful function of a reality check.  We're not here to sugarcoat.  I'm sick of all of the flowery "you'll be fine" bull that turns people into cynical, indebted people by the time graduation rolls around.

[CTL]

I'm already cynical and indebted.

[Thistle]

and, of course, if everyone took wally's advice....and nobody went to a law school outside the t14....think how much graduates of the t14 would then make as a starting salary.....

oh wait.  graduating from the t14 guarantees you a high-paying biglaw job, so a lowly alabama grad couldnt compete with you anyway....

ok, wait.  you care again WHY?

[bnoble318]

Thanks for the one post actually about my question before yall hijacked it into a T14 debate...if anyone else has an answer  that will help on top of that one. Thanks.

[CTL]

Sorry bnoble...

Congratulations on the Bama acceptance and scholarship.  That's pretty sick!

If you look at this link http://www.law.ua.edu/students/handbook.pdf, pages 9-10 will have the grading scheme.  There is no forced curve, but it states that the range for the median will be between B- (2.67) and B (3.0) for first-year classes.  That is a pretty rough curve.  It essentially means that in some courses half of the students will have 2.67 or LESS, and the other half will have 2.67 or MORE.  In other courses, half the students will have 3.00 or LESS, and the other half will have 3.00 or MORE.

To maintain a 3.00 GPA you will have to be in at least the top half of your class.  It's hard to say how difficult that might be.