Grades and other law school miscellany

February 3, 2003

Grades are arriving, and I am not particularly happy. Check that, I'm disappointed, pissed off and need to do really well this semester.

Like JCA, Torts was the bane of my semester. The grade on my transcript is one I am unfamiliar with seeing associated with my name. I arrived home on a friday afternoon (from a summer internship interview) and checked to see if the grades had been updated. I eagerly clicked through to see what new results were posted and my heart sank. I thought I bombed Crim and did ok on Torts, but the results spoke differently. That was not a very fun weekend, which I spent doubting myself and asking myself why I'm here. Wouldn't I be happier if I was still working?

I am coming to terms with my results. Occasionally, I am still scared of abject failure or as if I have a scarlet letter of the grade branded on my forehead. I went over the exam with Professor Torts and he pointed out why I did not do well. Explanation and discussion. While I spotted major issues on par with the top exam-takers, I discussed those issues very sparsely, only alluding to the nuances that I should have discussed.

Most of my writing features superficial or inadequate discussion. (For example, take the occasional original thoughts posted on this blog.) I am sure that is why some of my other exams had results worse than I desired. (I'm seeing those soon.) Possibly more on this later.

Last week we got the moot court problem. I'm excited about this case, which involves religion, public schools and the Establishment clause. (When I found out it would be an Establishment clause case, I thought it might be the Tenafly eruv, but it has to do with a school in Tribeca, student-made artwork to commemorate 9/11, and an unhappy atheist... Posted by Andrew Raff at February 3, 2003 11:01 PM