Which law schools don t grade on a curve?

Some law schools avoid traditional curves by using systems like Honors/Pass/Low Pass (Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley), while others have no mandatory curve or publish grade distributions instead of strict curves (American, Buffalo, Michigan). Many elite schools use graded systems but report GPA distributions or have more lenient policies, but even schools with curves, like NYU, vary grading by course level, with some having softer curves for upper-level classes.

Do any law schools not have a curve?

University of Detroit Mercy School of Law does not have a grading curve and instead utilizes criterion referenced assessment for all courses.

Are all law schools graded on a curve?

Law schools use a variety of grading curves to standardize student evaluations, with each school implementing its own system. These law school grade curves can broadly be categorized based on their approach to distribution and the specifics of their grading policies.

Does Yale Law School grade on a curve?

Our present grading system does not allow for computation of grade point averages. Individual class rank is not computed. There is no required curve for grades in Yale Law School classes.

Does NYU law grade on a curve?

This change in the grading curve was proposed by the SBA and then endorsed by the Executive Committee and adopted by the faculty. Grades for JD and LLM students in upper-level courses continue to be governed by a discretionary curve in which B minus grades are permitted at 4-11% (target 7-8%).

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Does Harvard law grade on a curve?

The new grading system was based on a recommended, not mandatory, curve. The way it works is: 1/3th of the class receives “Honors,” the bottom 1/10th receives “Low Pass,” and everyone else in the middle receives “Pass.”

Is a 157 a bad LSAT score?

A 157 LSAT score is considered solid, often placing you above average (around the 70th percentile) and potentially competitive for many good, regional, or Tier 2 law schools, but generally not for top-tier schools (Top 14/T14) where medians are higher (166+), suggesting you might need a retake for more selective programs, though it depends heavily on the target school's median scores and your overall application strength (GPA, essays). 

What was Barack Obama's LSAT score?

Barack Obama's specific LSAT score has never been officially released, but it's widely believed he scored very highly (likely above 170, potentially near perfect) to gain admission to Harvard Law School despite a lower undergraduate GPA, suggesting he was in the top few percentile of test-takers for his application year. While no official number exists, analyses point to a score in the top tier (e.g., 94th-98th percentile) to overcome his GPA for admission to a top-ranked program like Harvard.
 

Did Michelle Obama pass the bar?

Yes, Michelle Obama did pass the bar exam, but not on her first try; she failed the Illinois bar initially, felt discouraged, but eventually passed on her second attempt after graduating from Harvard Law School and went on to have a successful legal career before becoming First Lady.
 

What are the big 3 law schools?

The "Big Three" law schools, consistently ranked at the very top, are Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, and Harvard Law School, known for prestige, high selectivity, and strong placement into top-tier legal careers, though some sources group University of Chicago and Columbia into a slightly broader elite tier (T14) alongside these three. These schools, along with others like NYU, UPenn, Berkeley, Virginia, and Michigan, dominate the highest rankings and offer excellent paths to "BigLaw" firms. 

What is the easiest law school to get into?

The "easiest" law schools to get into generally have higher acceptance rates and lower median LSAT/GPA scores, with schools like University of North Dakota, Southern Illinois University, Touro University, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School often appearing on lists for accessibility, though admission is relative and depends on your scores. Focus on schools with acceptance rates over 60-70% and median scores below 154 LSAT and 3.5 GPA if you're looking for easier entry, but always check your specific stats against school profiles. 

What's the hardest class in law school?

The hardest subject in law school is subjective but consistently includes Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Property, often cited in the first year (1L) for their complexity, abstractness, or technical rules, with Federal Income Tax, Evidence, and Administrative Law also ranking high due to intricate codes and evolving doctrines, though difficulty depends heavily on individual strengths.
 

Can you fail because of a curve?

It depends how the curve is set up. In traditional curves that are made to fit a Gaussian distribution with some standard deviation, usually some percent of students will fail (although there's ways to avoid that if you design the distribution differently).

What is the hardest year of law school?

Most law students agree the first year (1L) is the hardest due to an intense learning curve with new teaching methods (Socratic, Case Method), massive reading, high competition, and learning to "think like a lawyer," with subjects like Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Property often cited as particularly tough; while 2L brings workload, 3L often involves "senioritis" as grades matter less for those with jobs secured. 

Does an 89.5 round up to a 90?

Yes, 89.5 is typically considered a 90 in most standard rounding scenarios, as .5 and above rounds up, but in academic grading, it depends entirely on the instructor's specific syllabus and grading scale, as some define an 'A' starting at 90.0, while others use 89.5 as the cutoff for an A- or B+. It's often the line between a high B+ and a low A-, but can be an 'A' if the professor rounds, notes Reddit users discussing grading. 

What is the mandatory curve for Duke Law?

Duke Law grades on a strict curve with a median of 3.5. This means that for every grade given above a 3.5, one must be given below a 3.5.

Did Joe Biden ever pass the bar?

Yes, Joe Biden passed the bar exam and was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969 after earning his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968, despite graduating in the lower portion of his class. He practiced law before entering politics, serving as a lawyer and later becoming the 27th President of the United States, and the first President with a law degree from a non-"T-14" law school in a century, notes Law.com. 

Did Hillary Clinton pass the bar?

Hillary Clinton took both the Washington DC and Arkansas bar exams. While she passed the Arkansas Bar Exam, she did not pass the bar exam in Washington DC. That did not stop her, though! She went on to practice in the intellectual property field in Arkansas and has since become a leading political figure.

Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam to be a lawyer?

No, Kim Kardashian did not pass the California Bar Exam in her most recent attempt (July 2025), though she shared that she came very close and vowed to keep studying, sharing her disappointment and determination to pass in future attempts on her show and social media, as revealed in late 2025. She stated she's "not a lawyer yet" but is dedicated to her law journey, viewing the setback as motivation, per reports from November 2025.
 

What LSAT did Elle Woods get?

Elle Woods scored a 179 on the LSAT in Legally Blonde, just one point shy of a perfect 180, after famously improving from a practice score of 143, making her a highly competitive applicant for Harvard Law School. Her remarkable leap from near-failure to near-perfection highlights her intelligence and dedication, even if the rapid improvement is often cited as one of the movie's least realistic elements.
 

When did Joe Biden finish law school?

In 1968, Biden earned a Juris Doctor degree from the university's College of Law, ranked 76th in his class of 85 students. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969 and practiced as a lawyer before running for political office. On December 18, 1972, Biden's wife and daughter died in a car crash.

How rare is a 165 on the LSAT?

Whereas a 165 is in the 89th percentile! That means if 1,000 people took the LSAT, only 110 would score a 165 or higher.

Should I retake the LSAT if I got a 158?

If you don't have the time or energy to grind before November, you could apply now with 158 and still be competitive at plenty of places. But if you feel like 160+ is in reach and worth the extra effort, retaking once more could pay off long term.