AboveTheLaw has this compassionate letter from the Dean of the University of Chicago Law School to the school's 1Ls on the occasion of their first law school grades:
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.
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.
ATL's Elie Mystal suggests that the message makes sense for students at elite law schools, provided they are not gunning for a Supreme Court clerkship, but does not necessarily make sense for 1Ls at other law schools. I disagree. The message makes sense for everyone. Panic and gossip are not advisable in any context. As for telling students at elite law schools to chill about their grades, forget it. Obsessing about grades is how they got there.
