Grading

Students receive a letter grade and two units of academic credit for LW&R.  The grade for this class is not included in the GPA, but employers know that it is an important course and the grade is always considered for hiring purposes.

The second and third memos in the course are graded and provide the basis for the LW&R grade.  All of the other written class assignments must be completed on time and, although they are not graded, they may factor into the final grade. 

Teachers may deduct points for incomplete or late work and may add points for class participation.  The grading standards include points for research, citations, writing style, legal analysis, sentence and paragraph structure and grammar. 

Some professors use blind or anonymous grading.  However, it is difficult to thoroughly analyze writing without personal feedback, so most teachers use standard assessment procedures.  If the teacher uses blind grading, the LW&R office keeps a list of numbers or other identifying information and gives it to the professor after all of the grades are completed.

Successful completion of the LW&R course is a prerequisite for enrollment in Moot Court.  Both classes are required for graduation, and both classes are prerequisites to membership on Hastings scholarly publications, work as a Teaching Assistant (TA), participation in a Moot Court Intercollegiate Competition, and enrollment in an Appellate Advocacy class.