Tax LLM Grades Forum

[verytaxing]

Please reassure me or add to my panic fellow weirdos. I'm in a tax LLM program and took my second exam last week (Corp Tax II). I didn't finish the last question (there were 4, the last one had a bunch of subparts and I got through about 40%). One B+ wouldn't kill my job prospects but I'm concerned it may be lower as I didn't finish. Any insight? I am at NYU if anyone knows what the curve looks like for that class

[nealric]

No point in panicking about it now. I think LLM grading is usually similar to the JD program, which at NYU/GULC makes it pretty difficult to get lower than a B-. C grades are typically reserved for extraordinarily poor performance.

LLM OCI is pretty spotty no matter what your grades are. Biglaw is always going to be tough, with most offers going to people who could have (or did) get BIglaw with their JD. Big4 is usually much more accessible, although WNT offers are probably reserved for those with top grades and lower grades may only get offers for less desirable groups (like SALT or transfer pricing instead of International/M&A).

[CanadianWolf]

Please reassure me or add to my panic fellow weirdos. I'm in a tax LLM program and took my second exam last week (Corp Tax II). I didn't finish the last question (there were 4, the last one had a bunch of subparts and I got through about 40%). One B+ wouldn't kill my job prospects but I'm concerned it may be lower as I didn't finish. Any insight? I am at NYU if anyone knows what the curve looks like for that class

Great advice thus far. However, Corp Tax II is an important core course so some concern is warranted if you do receive a low grade especially if attending an LLM Taxation programs that is not as well known as NYU or Georgetown.

[verytaxing]

Thanks all, helpful. May the chips fall where they may. I am in biglaw, but I'm trying to make a transition. Balancing with working a demanding job has been challenging, but I've learned my lesson -- I put on my OOO to give myself a reading period for the next one and made a much more explicit outline. I went to a law school without letter grades, so honestly don't really have much sense of what the curve usually looks like. I will see.

[verytaxing]

Thanks, all. Apologies if this is a double post - my earlier response may be in the moderation queue, but I wanted to make sure to thank you in case it got eaten. I am in biglaw now as a litigator. I am making a practice transition. There's a lot of pressure as I have to perform for where I want to go, but I'm trying to be practical and preparing to take any lessons for the next round.

[Anonymous User]

Why are you taking Corp Tax II? That's an online course reserved for off-campus students. Full-time LLMs generally take Corp Tax I & II.

[verytaxing]

Why are you taking Corp Tax II? That's an online course reserved for off-campus students. Full-time LLMs generally take Corp Tax I & II.

I'm in the E-LLM program. After this exam period, however, I am thinking about trying to go full-time. Balancing is super hard and I know I'll always have regrets if I don't do as well as I would like to and wonder what would've happened.