Guide to making the most

1. UNDERSTAND THE END GAME
A.
Understand that Law School will be graded on a curve
Theoretically, in college, if everyone got 100% of a test then everyone would get A’s. Not 
so in Law School. In Law School, virtually all first-year classes are on a curve.
That means that even if everyone did “well” on the test, the professor can only give out a 
limited amount of A’s. 
So practically speaking, if there are 50 people in a class, only 5 can get A’s. The majority 
will get B’s, and some will get C’s. Most schools required the professor to “normalize” the 
grades to a B or B- average (such that the average grade is a B or B-). 
Most importantly, what that means for you is that you are competing, not against the 
professor, but against your fellow classmates for A’s. It is a harsh reality. 
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1. UNDERSTAND THE END GAME
B. Understand that your entire class grade is based on a final exam
Perhaps the biggest difference in Law School is that your entire grade is based on final 
exam.
One final exam.
There are no do-overs. There are no mid-terms. There are no term papers. There is no 
class participation¹.
You get one shot to get a good grade. Your entire 4-month semester boils down to a 
single 3-4 hour test.
Not surprisingly, final exams are high-stress situations. There is a lot riding on them. 
¹ 
In rare instances, there professors offer a token amount of credit for a mid-term test or class participation.
Usually on the order of 10%. Where these are offered, they are often voluntary.
For all intents and purposes, it’s all about the finals.

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1. UNDERSTAND THE END GAME
C. Understand That Your Finals Will Be Issue Spotting Exams (“ISE”)
Law Schools essentially designed their own special type of essay exam for finals. You 
won’t find them anywhere else. They’re called “Issues Spotting Exams”, Issue Spotter, 
Hypotheticals, or Hypos (for short).
They are called ISEs or Hypos because the professor will give you a long recitation of 
facts (a hypothetical fact situation) and ask you to “explain the liabilities of the parties” 
or “explain what claims Party A can bring against Party B” or something similar. You are 
expected to wade through the facts (which can be pages-long) and spot all the legal 
issues. You then “analyze” the issues that you have spotted – as a lawyer would – and 
come to a conclusion about the legal outcome.
Like an algebra or calculus test, it’s more important to show your work than it is to come 
to the right conclusion. You need to find the right legal issues, analyze them using the 
tools that were discussed in class and show “lawyer-like thinking.”
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