Exam/ Grade panic

[Alli306]

Just to follow up on this post I ended up with contracts B+, torts B+ and Criminal B. Are these grades competitive for 1L and 2L recruit?

[chaboywb]

For the future reader, this is a great example of panicking over bombing an exam and ending up with an above average grade! It's extremely difficult to predict law school exams so don't stress until you get your grade back.

You are not particularly competitive for the 1L recruit but very few students get jobs through that process. You may as well apply as you never know. Worst case, you get experience preparing application materials.

If you maintain these grades for the rest of 1L, you'll have a shot at getting a decent number of OCIs for the 2L recruit.

Edited January 18, 2024 by chaboywb

[BHC1]

26 minutes ago, Alli306 said:

Just to follow up on this post I ended up with contracts B+, torts B+ and Criminal B. Are these grades competitive for 1L and 2L recruit?

You didn’t skip a beat between over worrying about bad exam grades to worrying about recruitment 😂

Try to relax a bit - you did well enough. Try to enjoy a moment of reprieve. 

[omigone]

1L recruit - signs point to no (but it couldn't hurt to apply for the experience and you may be pleasantly surprised)

2L recruit - yes. Many people land on Bay Street (or other positions) with B+ averages. It's probably the most common cGPA if you were to poll successful applicants. Assuming you're at Osgoode, your cGPA right now is a 6.7 (on our whacky 9 point system), which puts you firmly at a B+ cGPA (https://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Grade-Profiling-Sheet-2021-2022.pdf). 

If you are at Osgoode, it's worth noting that you're still waiting on 6 other grades for the OCI process. Hold strong and you'll get plenty of interviews. 

Edited January 18, 2024 by omigone

[ella]

I am also a 1L at Osgoode. I received a B in Contracts, B in Crim and C in Torts. I was really surprised because I studied the most for Torts. I felt I understood the material quite well, and received a B+ on my practice Torts mid-term (didn't count for marks but the prof had told us that they were harsher in evaluating the mid-terms than they would be on finals). I am interested in union-side labour or working within the public sector (MAG/DOG) and have relevant masters, ECs & work experience. I am not sure if grades matter as much for employers in these areas. Is the C disqualifying? Any recommendations on what I should do moving forward to improve? Thank you! 

[Alli306]

21 minutes ago, omigone said:

1L recruit - signs point to no

Yeah I sorta think that too. I have a ton of relevant experience and have networked with the firms I am interested in but I think I am okay to just try my luck. Worst case is 2L and i know where I made errors so I feel better about this term. In response to people being like great example, thats totally right know one knows and you can't gage anything. 

[LMP]

1 hour ago, ella said:

I am also a 1L at Osgoode. I received a B in Contracts, B in Crim and C in Torts. I was really surprised because I studied the most for Torts. I felt I understood the material quite well, and received a B+ on my practice Torts mid-term (didn't count for marks but the prof had told us that they were harsher in evaluating the mid-terms than they would be on finals). I am interested in union-side labour or working within the public sector (MAG/DOG) and have relevant masters, ECs & work experience. I am not sure if grades matter as much for employers in these areas. Is the C disqualifying? Any recommendations on what I should do moving forward to improve? Thank you! 

I wouldn't say it is disqualifying. Union side does care about grades, but cares more about demonstrated interest. So you have non-academic signals  avalible to you. Also, you have quite a few grades still to come and if you follow the same trend you'll likely do pretty well. Especially given your background.

As for MAG, it depends on the branch but I think you'll be fine with your marks as they are. 

In terms of improvement, go over your exam with your prof. They're happy to do it and it can help you identify where you went wrong. But also remember that sometimes you just miss something, it isn't always a sign that your methods are flawed. 

[SNAILS]

@ella, law students commonly ask "Is this disqualifying?" and talk about a certain field of law.

I have always respected those students who are able to be top 10% of the class (though people may be dishonest about how their grades, but that's another story). Certain doors may be open to those "top 10%" students and  certain doors may be harder to get through for students with a Bs and some Cs.

However, I really feel law students over-obsess about the top law firms on Bay Street, the top specialized boutiques, etc. Students with B's and some C's have an amazing future ahead of them. It might not be with a firm 1L's have ever heard of, but it can be amazing, well paying, and respected work. 

It's a big myth that average and slightly below average students aren't going to succeed in their careers. 

On top of that, grades in 1L will dwindle in importance after you have your 2L and 3L grades. Even if you continue with the same grade ratio, there is lots of work "in union-side labour or working within the public sector" for dedicated, hard working students of all grade profiles (if you are in the bottom 10% of your class, that could be a probelm though).