Homework Question - B Grade Average in Law School?

Australia's #1 for Law
Join 150,000 Australians every month. Ask a question, respond to a question and better understand the law today!
FREE - Join Now

Sapphire

Active Member
11 February 2015
8
0
31
Victoria, Australia
I just cannot seem to crack an A for any of my core law subjects! I have received a B for every single core subject so far, with only a few A grades in my Arts subjects (which is my second degree). I try my absolute best but I never seem to get there! I'm in my third year right now and I have one exam and one assignment coming up for my two core subjects this semester. I'd love to get an A for at least one! How can I improve my grades?
 

Sapphire

Active Member
11 February 2015
8
0
31
Victoria, Australia
By the way, at this point I'm pretty sure that I don't want to work in a huge top-tier law firm when I graduate. I don't really want anything to do with commercial law. I want to either work in the criminal law or family law field. Or, mediation/arbitration.
 
S

Sophea

Guest
Dear Sapphire,

No, you are not doomed. Law is an incredibly competitive business and sometimes as a law student you can feel as if you are never going to get anywhere, but don't despair.

(1) Keep working on your grades, but work smarter not harder. Talk to your lecturers and tutors about what you can do to improve your grades. Generally the difference between a B and an A if you are really trying your best, is attention to detail, and giving your lecturers exactly what they want to see without any unnecessary detail. Many students excel simply because they are good at writing essays or exams. So work on your essay and exam technique. The biggest downfall is not answering the question properly or addressing the issues that they want you to. Spend a lot of time dwelling on the question you are being asked, and again talk to your lecturers about why you didn't get an A in previous essays.

(2) Get work experience - you can trump any student with better grades at an interview if you can demonstrate that you have solid prior experience in a legal environment. Can you get a part-time job in a law firm as a law clerk, research assistant, paralegal or secretary? This will have weight in getting a grad position. Or even volunteer to assist in such a capacity. Also many mid tier firms would prefer a person who is switched on, balanced, interesting and great to work with, over someone with an amazing GPA. A through the roof GPA can often indicate that a person has no life outside of their study or work which is not very attractive to prospective employers.

(3) Demonstrate your interest in law by joining legal industry associations as a student etc and getting involved in the industry before you graduate.

All the best!
 

Iamthelaw

Well-Known Member
13 September 2016
412
86
794
By 'A' grades do you mean High Distinction? and by 'B' grades to you mean 'Distinction'?

To be honest, if you're sitting on a Distinction average in law you have nothing to worry about, in terms of grades.

There's quite a few seniors I know who were credit average students. In fact one in particular comes to mind that achieved very average grades at University who has gone on to achieve far more professionally than his peers who received higher grades have or may ever will. If two students came to me for a job, one a straight HD student with no experience and the other a credit average student but with a good amount of experience and good references etc, I would choose the credit average student any day of the week.
 

qarmatian

Well-Known Member
18 June 2017
16
4
74
Read the work of your A-grade peers and learn from their example.

My friend with first-grade honours always wrote with simple words and simple sentences, whereas average students tended to use pretentious language with muddled answers.