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Is it ethical to not list your gpa in your resume and still state that you got a CALI award for a certain class (i.e. if your gpa isn't amazing due to one bad class or a few B's, but you still CALI'd a class) ?

Of course they will see your grades when it comes to your transcript. I am only wondering about whether or not the omission of the GPA is unethical if you mention you got a "top-score" type award. I assume it is not.

FOLLOW UP - Is this foolish in the respect they will think you are trying to mislead them when they look at your transcript? I feel this is merely focusing on the positive, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot.

As always, it depends. I would only put it if its in a class that relates to the type of job I want to do. For example, if you got it in civil procedure and and want to do civil litigation, or criminal law and want to do criminal defense

I think a firm or any employer understands that you are trying to market yourself as best as possible through your resume. So, no I do not think it would be unethical, unless they specifically ask for it.

Also I was of the understanding that GPA is meaningless and they really just care about rank.

I don't think it's unethical, but your strategy will be apparent to most people reading your resume.

edit: never mind

There's nothing unethical about it. If you are leaving GPA/rank off, most employers will assume that means "somewhere in the bottom half."

I'm pretty sure we aren't even allowed to list GPA on resumes we use for on grounds interviews at UVA (but I may be remembering that wrong).

That would be to frustrate pre-screening.

thesealocust wrote:I'm pretty sure we aren't even allowed to list GPA on resumes we use for on grounds interviews at UVA (but I may be remembering that wrong).

We're not supposed to, but if the interviewer cares they can request we submit a transcript which will show them your GPA and all grades anyway. I had to submit a transcript through Symplicity for a few interviews.

@ Penn your not allowed and specifically instructed not to have your "estimated" GPA listed on your resume

If the information about the award is not available elsewhere (such as a transcript notation), I would think it's appropriate to put it on the resume. A top grade, especially in a foundational course, is an achievement. If I were an employer, I would assume that any academic award earned in law school would have been included somewhere in what I'd been given. If it's already in your transcript (or mentioned in a letter of reference, etc.) it might come off as pompous. Just my $.02.

as top grade got me just an A for this class (A+ is just 4.0 and its discretionary), it will not be notated on my transcript, if i didnt mention it I am a 1L.

thesealocust wrote:GPA on a resume is often tacky. Even people with nothing to hide would be advised to not have GPA on the resume under many (possibly most) circumstances.

I have never in my life heard this. In fact, I've always been advised to put your GPA on your resume if it's decent. My law school advises us to, as well.

YMMV, I guess.

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edit: never mind

Having been out of undergraduate and graduate school for five-plus years before returning to law school, I have simply taken off my GPA and referenced latin honors instead.

Slight update:

I now have A (CALI) A A- and C+ = 3.33 = ~top30-25 of 1L

Not horrible, but not good, and I don't expect to be top 25 although apparently last year 3.2X was minimum for top 25.

I REALLY appreciate the legit responses, any idea what to put on resume now? (i.e. simply the CALI vs. CALI and unofficial GPA [don't think rankings will come out for awhile]). I am at UC-TTT law school, so this isn't for Spring OCI (passed anyway), this are just symplicity and mailers for 1L summer.

ALSO, should you ever put any ranking lower than top 25 on cover letter/resume? Or does this look foolish (basically top third or top half) ?