Ed. Note: This summer, Ms. JD solicited law school myths from law students across the country.  Grades were a popular topic, with many students dispelling the myth that grades are the only accurate measure of law school success.

Myth: Grades are the only guarantee to job placement.

Excelling on law school exams and earning high marks are helpful to gain interviews.  An interview is nothing more than a foot in the door towards employment.  Scholastic legal achievement is very misleading in defining how talented a person is in the real world or how far they will excel professionally.  Some employers recognize that many skills are not tested on an exam but are requisites to outperform competitors.  These employers look for law students who have prior practical experience and likeable personas capable to persuade others in addition to strong academic credentials.  Thus, a student must sell all of their talents and skills to an employer and not rely on law school grades to gain employment. (Kathleen Broughton, Case Western Reserve University)

Myth: The amount of time spent on a class is correlative to the grade received.

Since law school courses are graded on a curve, it is difficult to have any control over your own score. Do the best that you can do and then be satisfied.  If your best does not work as well as you would like, change the approach that you take in studying for your next class or preparing your next writing assignment.  Regardless of your grades, however, do not let your scores or rank become your identity.  Your grades are not reflective of the quality of attorney that you will be or of the person that you are.  You cannot control your grades; do not let them control you. (Student at University of Iowa College of Law)

Myth: Your first year grades are the most important, and the only ones that really matter.

Excelling on law school exams and earning high marks are helpful to gain interviews.  An interview is nothing more than a foot in the door towards employment.  Scholastic legal achievement is very misleading in defining how talented a person is in the real world or how far they will excel professionally.  Some employers recognize that many skills are not tested on an exam but are requisites to outperform competitors.  These employers look for law students who have prior practical experience and likeable personas capable to persuade others in addition to strong academic credentials.  Thus, a student must sell all of their talents and skills to an employer and not rely on law school grades to gain employment. (Kathleen Broughton, Case Western Reserve University)

Myth: The amount of time spent on a class is correlative to the grade received.

Since law school courses are graded on a curve, it is difficult to have any control over your own score. Do the best that you can do and then be satisfied.  If your best does not work as well as you would like, change the approach that you take in studying for your next class or preparing your next writing assignment.  Regardless of your grades, however, do not let your scores or rank become your identity.  Your grades are not reflective of the quality of attorney that you will be or of the person that you are.  You cannot control your grades; do not let them control you. (Student at University of Iowa College of Law)

Myth: Your first year grades are the most important, and the only ones that really matter.

The first semester of law school, we heard over and over that our 1L grades were the most important.  Then, when second semester rolled around, we heard how important those grades were because this was the one semester when we could impact our grades the most.  It is certainly true that first semester and first year grades are important.  These are the only grades we have when we apply for our first summer jobs.  I found, however, that a rocky start did not doom me.  I was able to finish my second year much higher in my class than I was after my first year, with a lot of hard work.  If I had listened to that advice, I would have given up and allowed myself to get the same grades through the rest of law school. (Student at Washington and Lee University)

Myth: You will get A’s in law school.

One of the most troubling aspects of law school is that A’s are not as attainable as law students would like them to be.  There is the assumption that to get into law school, students must have gotten relatively good grades in college, meaning most of these students likely saw their share of A’s.  However, once you begin law school, this suddenly is no longer the case.  It is challenging to grasp the concept that B’s and C’s may be average grades, but most law schools grade on a bell curve.  Thus, it is not as bad as you initially think, and when you do receive an A, the feeling of accomplishment is like no other. (Gina Serra, Widener University School of Law)

Myth: The grades you get during your first year will determine if you live in a mansion or a cardboard box. 

Grades are important; they may land you good jobs out of law school.  However, I do not believe that they are indicative of how good of a lawyer someone will be.  During my first semester, I truly believed that if I did not do well, I would never become a lawyer.  This was an enormous burden and early on I was so tense I was practically ineffective.  Over time, I realized that grades are one important aspect among many.  When I learned to calm down and take law school for what it is, I actually started to enjoy myself and find that law school can be interesting.  (Student at Widener University School of Law)


Myth:  First year grades are everything.

As first semester drew to a close, I worried myself sick.  Literally. I tripped down the stairs in the library rushing to take a practice exam and broke my foot.  One week later, I came down with the flu.  When I finally received my first grade, I was disappointed and certain that not only would I not get a summer job, but that I’d never work in the legal field.  When the time came to start submitting applications, I knew that I could not rely on my academic success, so I worked on my other qualities:  community involvement, extracurricular activities, and work experience.  I sent the whole package to 45 judges and 10 public interest organizations and not one person asked for a copy of my transcript.  It turns out that it’s more important to be an engaging and hardworking person (with a stellar writing sample) than to have straight As.  (Sandra Jane Durkin, The University of Michigan Law School)


Myth: Grades are a wholly accurate measure of law school success. 

Grades are not the sole factor in measuring your law school success.  Decent grades are of course important to a successful legal career, but immaculate ones are less than essential.  Law school is the first time we over-achievers must truly force ourselves to debunk and accept that self-sustained myth.  This is painful to accept if you have rarely seen less than an “A-” on a past transcript, yet pleasant to accept that employers will not eliminate you from their applicant pool if they see it too. (Maryam Sayyed, UC Davis Law School)

Myth: Grades are everything. 

Grades do not define you.  It is important to realize that you have other gifts as well, and those are gifts that can make you just as successful.  Being a hard worker is incredibly valuable.  Being a good writer is an absolute necessity in the legal profession but may not be reflected in your multiple choice final.  Also, being well-rounded and getting hands-on experience in a legal clinic is extremely valuable and will only benefit you in your future legal career.  Although grades are a reflection of how well you did in each particular class, they are not a reflection of you or the future success you will find in your legal career. (Elizabeth J. Thompson, University of Iowa College of Law)