Anonymous grading, and why it exists
Assigning each student an anonymous exam number for grading is near-universal for first-year courses, intended to keep the professor's grading blind to who wrote which exam until final grades are recorded. This is a structural feature of the process, not a guarantee against variation between graders or between course sections. One exam can set the whole grade.
The curve, and why one exam can outweigh a semester of effort
Many schools apply a mandatory or strongly suggested curve to first-year grades — a fixed distribution of A's, B's, and C's within each section — regardless of how the class performs in absolute terms. Because most courses base the entire grade on a single final exam, and because that exam is graded against a curve instead of an absolute standard, effort and understanding built throughout the semester matters mainly insofar as it shows up in that one exam's performance.
This structure is exactly why continuous outlining and practice-exam work matter more in law school than they typically did in undergraduate courses with multiple graded assignments — there is often no partial credit available for a strong semester if the final exam itself underperforms.
Exam format: essay, multiple choice, or both
Format varies by course and professor: some exams are pure essay, some are pure multiple choice, and a growing number combine both, particularly in courses professors want to align more closely with the bar exam's format. Confirm the specific format, time limit, and permitted materials for each course directly from the professor or syllabus instead of assuming it matches a prior course.
What LSAC and the ABA say about assessment
LSAC says most professors give little feedback until the final examination for the course. It says most course grades are determined primarily from end-of-semester or end-of-year exams. ABA Standard 314 requires a law school to use both formative and summative assessment methods. Their purpose is to measure and improve student learning and to give meaningful feedback. Use it to plan study.
Interpretation 314-2 adds that a school need not apply multiple assessment methods in any particular course. It also says the Standard does not require any particular assessment method. Assessment methods are likely to differ from school to school. Ask each professor what will be graded and when. Ask what will be graded.
Standards, support and attrition
ABA Standard 308 requires a school to adopt, publish and follow academic standards for class attendance, good standing, academic integrity, graduation and dismissal. It also requires written due process policies before any action that adversely affects good standing or graduation. Standard 309 requires academic advising and academic support that gives students a reasonable opportunity to graduate. Know your school's rules.
Interpretation 501-3 says a cumulative non-transfer attrition rate above 20 percent for a class creates a rebuttable presumption that a school is not in compliance with Standard 501. Attrition is one of the categories a school must disclose under Standard 509(b)(4). Read it before you enroll. Check the disclosures.
What the grading curve costs some students: academic dismissal across schools
Grades have a consequence at the margin. The ABA's 2025 attrition data show that 38 of 196 schools dismissed or lost more than 5% of first-years for academic reasons, while 62 lost none.
Across all schools 2.6% of first-years left for academic reasons. That is a small share and it is uneven across schools, from none at some to a fifth of the class at the highest.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Schools that dismissed or lost more than 5% of first-years for academic reasons | 38 of 196 |
| Schools that reported none | 62 |
| First-years who left for academic reasons, all schools | 2.6% |
Common questions
How are most law school course grades determined?+
Primarily by end-of-semester or end-of-year exams, according to LSAC, with little feedback from most professors before the final.
Do law schools have to give feedback during a course?+
ABA Standard 314 requires formative and summative assessment across the curriculum, but Interpretation 314-2 says it does not require multiple methods in any particular course.
Who decides what assessment method a course uses?+
Each school and professor. Interpretation 314-2 says assessment methods are likely to differ from school to school and no particular method is required.
Must a law school publish its academic standards?+
Yes. Standard 308 requires published, followed standards for attendance, good standing, academic integrity, graduation and dismissal, plus written due process policies.
What academic help must a law school provide?+
Academic advising that explains its standards and graduation requirements, and academic support giving students a reasonable opportunity to complete the program, under Standard 309.
What attrition rate signals a compliance problem?+
A cumulative non-transfer attrition rate above 20 percent for a class creates a rebuttable presumption of noncompliance with Standard 501, according to Interpretation 501-3.
Does a curve apply at every law school?+
No. Many schools use a mandatory or suggested curve on first-year grades, but confirm the format, curve and permitted materials for each course directly.
Why does one exam carry so much weight in law school?+
Most courses grade primarily on a final, so understanding built during the term shows up mainly in that exam's result, which is why periodic self-testing matters.
What to do next
- 1
Confirm each course's specific exam format and permitted materials before the reading period.
- 2
Complete at least one full timed practice exam per course, not only outline review.
- 3
Treat outlining as a continuous process, not a reading-period task.
- 4
Ask upperclassmen or the professor for past exams where available.