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Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:05 am
by lawschoolproblems86
Are these classes usually graded on the same steep curve all other 1L classes are graded on? I only ask because there are literally 9 people in my LW class (as opposed to the 50-75 in my other 4 classes), so I don't really understand how that would work out-- unless maybe they throw in all the different sections into one pot and base the curve off that?

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:57 am
by jaymaynard
I think there is normally a higher curve in these classes. In mine, for example, the mandatory curve is a B in LRW and a B- in all substantive classes

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:01 am
by MrPapagiorgio
Same situation--10 people in my LRW class. According to my prof, the curve is the same as the full 1L classes and we are all lumped into the entire section for grading (not sure how this works, and I won't even attempt to understand it).

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 9:21 am
by YourCaptain
Same curve as my 1L courses, which means your returns are worse for the effort you'll put in.

Personally, I stop working in LRW, gunned up in my core courses, and pulled A-/As in those while receiving my LRW B+.

Work as hard as you like, but if your LRW like mine was 3 creds in fall and 1 in spring, then you'll see what I mean

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 9:23 am
by jess
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Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:23 am
by Bildungsroman
Depends on the school. I think some of them don't have LRW graded on the same curve as other classes, but I'm not sure.

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:43 am
by homestyle28
At NU it's not required that writing is curved (as in school policy doesn't require a curve) but word on the street is that most profs curve pretty closely to the the school's established curve. Which is a B+ curve I think.

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 1:39 pm
by random5483
Same curve as other core classes at my 1L school. The smaller section for the LRW class each had their own curve.

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:36 pm
by quiver
random5483 wrote:Same curve as other core classes at my 1L school. The smaller section for the LRW class each had their own curve.
This is how my 1L school worked as well. I do not miss LRW.

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:22 pm
by TheFutureLawyer
quiver wrote:
random5483 wrote:Same curve as other core classes at my 1L school. The smaller section for the LRW class each had their own curve.
This is how my 1L school worked as well. I do not miss LRW.
Same. I'm pretty sure I have like the 2nd or 3rd worst grade in that class. I also didn't do that well on the midterm (though we haven't got grades back on that). I think I'm going to be spending a lot more time studying from now on (not to say I wasn't doing any before).

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:38 pm
by shepdawg
Mine grades on a more lenient curve. But that only matters for people in the median and the bottom. They still only give out a couple A's

Re: Grading in a 1L Legal Writing class

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:51 pm
by alicrimson
I've been told at my school there will be one A and maybe one A-. The rest will be B+s and maybe a B or two. Allegedly, the class my TA TA'ed for last year had one A, all B+s, and one B-. The B- went to the kid who failed to turn in an assignment or two. WTF?!? Though, I suppose this is suitable grading when every memo is a closed memo and essentially we are explicitly instructed on what the rule of law is for each case and points to make. Plus, she has been giving extra credit...excuse me, mandatory assignments because extra credit in law school is a mythical creature. Especially because she's still accepting late extra credit because someone "didn't know". Absurd.