Dear 1L: Perspective on 1L Fall Grades

Dear 1L, I hope you are ok. Everyone is in some state of reeling, it seems, this weekend.

My message is that you did nothing wrong. It is just the brutal curve. 90% or more of you will not be in the top. You are, in no way, alone.

I do not fully understand why law schools grade this way, or why the curve at one law school can be so dramatically different from that at another. But those debates are for another day.

Right now is a time for frustration, and also some shock, for sure. But you know you are an excellent student. You got into law school because of good grades. The problem is that so did everyone else.

That means there is a razor thin distinction between one grade and the one above it, and also the one below.

So it’s OK to be disillusioned and feel a bit taken aback.

When you are ready to come out of the funk, here is some good news:

1: First semester grades mean nothing about how excellent a lawyer you will be. You all have the ability to become an excellent lawyer, if you choose.

—> Focus on getting the training you need to become that excellent lawyer. True, it’s nice to get good grades. But at the end of the day, it’s what you choose to do now, after those grades, that will define your future.

—> Don’t wait another day to get started.

2: You are learning to become a lawyer, and you will. But everyone has to learn the exam-taking skill at their own pace.

If you want to speed up the process? You just need to practice more. It is more within your control than it seems.

▫️ Think of all the skills you have acquired thus far during your life. You learned to walk, to swim, to drive. Maybe how to play a sport, or an instrument. You all got through middle school language arts and learned how to create an outline and write a research paper.

▫️ No one will protest when I say that you got better at each skill through practice.

▫️ Taking law school exams are like all those other skills. Without practice, no one can become a great swimmer, writer, or anything else.

Try to start with Week 1 and set aside time to practice every week thereafter.

***

All that said, back to the moment. First semester grades were not what you hoped for. Get mad. Yell. Hate the system. But do it quickly. And then get on with it.

Move on like gangbusters into the spring.

I am with you and thinking of you. I am around all weekend to listen for anyone who wants to just vent. I respond to every comment and DM and welcome all new connections.

I am cheering for you from the sidelines—always.

Fondly,
💌 Amanda
January 7, 2023