Advice--a clinical professor retaliated against me Forum

[papercut]

I'm looking forward to skimming the ATL article about this blowing up in the near future.

[worldtraveler]

Part of clinic grades is participation and part of participation is attitude. It sounds like you had a shitty one.

Unless you have some rock solid evidence, you're going nowhere with this.

[bulinus]

Some of the things she has said (not in writing) could impact the schools' accreditation--racist comments and saying how she likes some students better.

Wat

Basically if you have professors who say racist stuff and the ABA finds out the school can get in a lot of trouble.

Source?

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1765660/thumb ... cebook.jpg

[A. Nony Mouse]

OP, I have no idea what actually happened here, but you may want to think more about how you're presenting this. Because in fact, professors are allowed to give you a low grade if they don't like your assignment, and also if they don't like your response to allegations of plagiarism. Neither of those things are about not "liking" you, they're about a professpr's professional judgment about your academic work. You can disagree with that judgment, but profs have a LOT of discretion when it comes to dealing with student work. You also don't get to determine the weight a given assignment has in the total course grade because that, too, is within the prof's discretion.

[JagHopeful3L]

My 1L we had what I could honestly say was the worst professor / teacher I've ever had. Completely unprepared, but also insulting, combative, rude... chased a girl down the hall who was trying to go to the restroom, insulted students in class, etc.. Towards the end of the semester, students went to complain about her to the dean of students. Dean of students promised she'd take action..

. Result? Professor had VERY awkward explanation / spent 30 minute of next class basically addressing complaints made against her (while attempting to act like this was all part of a scheduled class / not acknowledging it happened). Class got even worse / just the most awkward tension you can imagine We had a 3.33-3.00 curv. Every professor gave 3.33 or very, very close (3.30, 3.29, etc).. Grades came out, she blind graded our final to a 2.6, (gave multiple D's / C-'s. the worst grades our section ever had by far) then raised students she liked enough under "class participation" to reach it to a final 3.00 median.

Don't complain until your grades out.. sometimes you have to suck up shitty things.

[helfer snooterbagon]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/cardozo-yeshiva.html

[MinEMorris]

Your basic options are to (1) accept your grade and move on, or (2) challenge it through whatever process is available at your school. There should be information about what procedures are available somewhere on your school website or something they gave to you during 1L. If you're unsure, contact your dean of students. As others have noted, if your school is anything like the vast majority of administrations, you will likely be fighting a very uphill battle in challenging your grade. And if your main argument that your grade should be changed is that the teacher retaliated against you, you better have phenomenal evidence.

I really don't mean this as criticism or snark, and I admit the possibility that I'm totally wrong, but I do have to say that virtually everything you've written here has indicated to me that you're socially unaware and probably a difficult person to be around. Many of the things you said seem to demonstrate an air of entitlement and certainty about your very subjective judgments (e.g. "Obviously I reported her since this is not ok for a professor to do"; "No way I could have gotten that grade given that..."; "She has a history of being vindictive and several students have emails to prove it"; "The assignment was high quality..")--both qualities that generally make people really hard to be around. And the facts that you (1) seemed to not have thought through the consequences of complaining about a teacher whose class you're in and (2) don't realize that any polite student would pretend to sympathize with you and recommend that you go to the administration even if you're batshit crazy, indicate that you generally have poor social awareness.

I only bring that up because if that's how you generally come across to people, you'll be fighting an even greater uphill battle. If you have any sort of reputation for being self-righteous or difficult, it will naturally create a very strong presumption that your complaints are frivolous (or even worse, people won't care even if they aren't).

That said, if you do choose to go to the administration, definitely gather up any 'evidence' you think might be helpful before hand. That includes stuff you plan to rely on from other students. (Don't be surprised if those sympathetic people who nodded and told you how they had similar experiences suddenly aren't so helpful once they get a whiff that you might embroil them in a dispute with a professor.) It will help you assess the strength of your 'case' and will also clear up any bad assumptions you have about what evidence exists.

Sorry for your shitty grade situation. Getting a job out of law school is no joke, and anything that hurts your chances is serious. Good luck.

[Kikero]

"." threads always deliver.

[BaiAilian2013]

I had a couple of similar situations pre-law school. It sucks but you are powerless here. Until she calls you a racial slur on tape, it's her word against yours, and her defense of her e-mails against your complaints, and the school will pick her. So I have two pieces of advice. First, start thinking of an explanation for that grade that makes you seem hirable but doesn't sound like you're shifting blame. Second, try to rise above it emotionally. If she lives like this and you live well, you will triumph in the long run. Someone tried to completely derail my career five years ago. Now I make four times what she does.

[nickb285]

..

[TelegramSam]

"." threads always deliver.

Golden TLS rule