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Law School Grading: An Experiment With Pass-Fail, Richard O. Lempert

Articles

The story is told about a graduate of an Ivy League institution who, when asked by a law school admissions officer whether he was in the top half of his class responded quickly, "No sir, I'm one of those who make the top half possible." For better or worse, most students, once in law school, do not take low grade averages with such equanimity. Among the objects of their displeasure are they themselves, their instructors, course content, and the grading system which makes a top and bottom half possible. It is conceivable that high average students direct displeasure at the …