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Tagging. Have a similar thing with someone who I want to write me a letter of rec but I never talked to her. Curious as to responses.

Per the grade, perhaps you could allude to it when scheduling an appointment with him? Not really sure how exactly, but I bet you could do that without sounding weird. I think most professors would be happy to talk about their career paths and their field of interest. I'd try to get an appointment rather than office hours. I only went to one office hour last semester, but it was sort of a clusterfuck of people coming and going. If you want to talk in a more private way, appointment may be better.

/random thoughts from a 1L

shock259 wrote:Tagging. Have a similar thing with someone who I want to write me a letter of rec but I never talked to her. Curious as to responses.

Per the grade, perhaps you could allude to it when scheduling an appointment with him? Not really sure how exactly, but I bet you could do that without sounding weird. I think most professors would be happy to talk about their career paths and their field of interest. I'd try to get an appointment rather than office hours. I only went to one office hour last semester, but it was sort of a clusterfuck of people coming and going. If you want to talk in a more private way, appointment may be better.

/random thoughts from a 1L

In a similar situation last year, I referred to my A in criminal law (to the professor that I wanted to meet with, now in an advisory capacity, and who had given me the A) like this: I told him that I'd always been interested in prosecution, and having been fortunate enough to have gotten an A in his class I now had the credentials to pursue some Summer opportunities in that field - did he have any advice on particular offices I should target, and if so, how to go about it.

This way I was able to ask the question I wanted, let him know of my grade(s) for personal credibility as well as accuracy of employment advice, and start building a relationship.

Once you know your professor well enough they will ask you about your grades. When you ask for a reference or letter of recommendation, they will ask you about your grades. When you ask for a letter of recommendation or apply for an RA position, they will ask you about your grades.

Don't volunteer grade information unless it is relevant or you can mention it for some useful purpose. A lot of it really depends on your relationship with the specific professor. I had a 4.0 after my first semester of my 1L year and most of the professors I got to know well knew it because it came up in conversation or when they asked for my resume (prior to letting me use them as a reference or to write letter of recommendations for a transfer).

The best way to get to know a professor is to meet him/her during office hours when you are taking their course. After completing the course you can still consult with them or meet them if you have established a relationship with them or if they are an expert in the area of law you are interested in. You can always meet a professor who you did not learn from or get to know, but it is much easier to take a class with a professor and get to know them through office hours and in class! Make sure you participate in class where the professor you want to make an impression with teaches. Don't go overboard and become an annoying gunner, but volunteer answers occasionally (especially if the rest of the class is quiet).


Building relationships with professors can be a challenge. I had to do it last year in my old school and do it over again this year at my new school. It takes effort, but the rewards are worth the effort.

Good luck.

Were the BLL classes big like most 1L classes. If so he probably didn't realize you weren't there. Just email him and ask him when he's free to talk about career options in XX area of law. Profs understand that they are there for more than just instruction (yes they are there for guidance). My crim law professor who I am now in a mentor/mentee relationship with spent lots of out of class time talking to me about not class stuff. She even helped me score my amazing dream internship in my dream office, without me having to interview or send in a resume etc. I've gotten scholarships because of her advice and recommendations. I didn't get an A+ in her class (I did well but didn't Cali it by any means) and she didn't give two shits if I missed a couple of classes here and there ( we have a smaller section where attendance was taken) because she knew I was dedicated to advancing my career in criminal law and she was flattered that I thought of her to ask for advice.

Basically, suck it up and send the email. No prof. is going to be like umm I'm not meeting with you because I think you're a slacker, they get paid to care. And their connections can take you very very far.