Grading and Class Rank Policies

Grading

Grades earned are "A+" (4.3 quality points), "A" (4.0), "A-" (3.7), "B+" (3.3), "B" (3.0), "B-" (2.7), "C+" (2.3), "C" (2.0), "C-" (1.7), "D" (1.0) and "F" (0).  The Law School has a mandatory grade curve for classes of thirty or more students, unless an exception is granted by the Vice Dean:

A+/A/A-: 15-25%

B+/B/B-:  60-75% (B+:  25-25%; B:  20-30%; B-:  10-20%)

C+ or lower:  5-15%

Class Rank

Transcripts report GPAs to the nearest hundredth.  For class rank purposes, GPAs are rounded to the nearest tenth.  (For example, GPAs falling between 3.05 and 3.14 are rounded to 3.1.)  Students' GPAs rounded to the nearest tenth, not the GPA carried to the hundredths on their transcripts, therefore, should be used when evaluating their grades.

Students are ranked initially at the conclusion of one full year of legal study.  Thereafter, they are ranked at the conclusion of each semester.

Most ranks are calculated in percentage terms.  Students with GPAs of 3.6 or higher are assigned a numerical rank.  In either case, multiple students may share the same rank.