2L Grades Forum

[cam1992]

Does anyone have any tips (i.e. confidence, explaining to your firm, etc) for a law students whose 2L grades weren't great? I know what it is like to make bad grades, I did pretty poorly my first semester, but, after that and up until 2L spring, I was able to do really well (3.9 and 3.78). This past semester I took a harder schedule than I probably should have, and my grades so far are showing it. Luckily I padded my schedule with two "easy" A classes, so my GPA might not be terrible but so far out of my 3 "hard" classes I've gotten a B- and a B...and I am still waiting on my tax grade . I'm going to a firm that isn't particularly grade conscious, but should I be worried that I will almost certainly fall below median? I actually studied more this semester than I have ever studied before, and I really don't want my firm to think I was slacking off. I think I was just too ambitious with my schedule + I am just not good at law school exams.

[cavalier1138]

I highly doubt your firm is going to ask about it. They definitely won't ask if you do good work this summer.

Also, these statements aren't compatible:

I was able to do really well (3.9 and 3.78)

I am just not good at law school exams.

You're clearly fine at law school exams. You just overloaded your schedule and got bit in the ass by the curve this semester. It happens, and that's not going to make a difference at your firm.

[QContinuum]

I highly doubt your firm is going to ask about it. They definitely won't ask if you do good work this summer.

Also, these statements aren't compatible:

I was able to do really well (3.9 and 3.78)

I am just not good at law school exams.

You're clearly fine at law school exams. You just overloaded your schedule and got bit in the ass by the curve this semester. It happens, and that's not going to make a difference at your firm.

Yep, anyone who's able to pull a 3.9 in second semester of 1L - and then follow that up with a 3.78 semester - is objectively terrific at law school exams.

The firm won't care. After all, they hired OP after an equally bad performance first semester of 1L. At this point, bad semester + great semester, great semester + bad semester is kinda OP's modus operandi. It's not at all out of the ordinary for OP.