Grading

Grades

Grades of A+ through D-, and the grade of P, are passing grades. Grades of F, F+ or WF are failing grades.

Grade Curves

In all first year courses, with the exception of Legal Writing, the following grade curve is mandatory. In all upper level, multiple section courses taught by more than one professor in the same year, the following grade curve is presumptive.

CALI Awards

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction sponsors The CALI Excellence for the Future Award. The CALI Award recognizes academic excellence achievement by law students in their studies. The award is given to students who receive the highest score in a course as determined by the instructor.

All law-related classes, courses and seminars delivered by the law school are eligible. There are no restrictions on the number of students registered in the course. There is no limit to the number of awards any one student can win. More information about The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, or the CALI Excellence for the Future Award, can be found at www2.cali.org.

Processing of Grades

Grades are due to the Office of the Registrar three weeks after the date of the last examination. Ordinarily, grades are processed as they are received and post within two to three days. If the course falls under the mandatory or presumptive grade curve, grades are analyzed accordingly. If the grades meet the curve, they are processed. If not, grades are given to the Vice Dean for discussion with the appropriate faculty member. After the discrepancy is resolved, grades are processed. Once grades are processed, they are available to students through MySU.

Grade Changes

If a grade is incorrect due to a mathematical error on the part of the grader, the grade may be corrected at any time by a written statement from the faculty member to the Vice Dean.

Grade changes based on substantive re-evaluation may only be made by a faculty member to correct a serious and egregious error or as a result of an official determination of the student’s violation of the Student Conduct Code by the Conduct Review Board. In order to make such a change the faculty member must submit a written petition to be voted on during a faculty meeting by the career faculty. The petition must state that the proposed change is necessary to correct a serious and egregious error. An example of a serious error might be if a professor did not read a part of an exam. Petitions must be approved by a majority of the career faculty voting at the meeting.

Class Rank

First year class rank is published after the spring semester once all grades have been processed. Class rank for upper-level students is published after the fall and spring semesters once all grades have been processed. All ranks are based on the student's cumulative GPA.

Preliminary graduate class rank is published after the fall semester for students who graduated in August or December. Final graduate class rank is published after the spring semester and includes all students who graduated in August, December or May of the academic year.

For more information, see Class Rank.

Honors

Dean's List

The Dean's List is comprised of the top ten percent (10%) of the current year students by year according to yearly grade point average.

Graduation Honors

Beginning with the May 2011 graduating class, graduation honors will be as follows:

The grade point average cut-offs that correspond to the percentages for each honors level will be published on a yearly basis on the Law School's website and in the Student Handbook. In calculating the grade point average cut-offs, we will use the average GPA data from the prior three academic years. Once published following the spring semester, the grade point average cut-offs will be applicable for the following August, December and May graduating classes.

For August 2024, December 2024, and May 2025 Graduates, the grade point cut-offs are as follows: