What is top 10% at SLS? Top 40%? Forum

[Anonymous User]

If anyone knows

[Anonymous User]

Top 10% is 75% Hs at the end of 1L, and probably slightly more by the end of 2L given the relaxed curve in many elective classes. Source: the publicly available grading sheet and talking to professors.

Not sure if anyone is tracking top 40%. Would be curious what median is if anyone knows.

[Anonymous User]

Top 10% is 75% Hs at the end of 1L, and probably slightly more by the end of 2L given the relaxed curve in many elective classes. Source: the publicly available grading sheet and talking to professors.

Not sure if anyone is tracking top 40%. Would be curious what median is if anyone knows.

Do you think 80-85% by the end of 2L is enough for top 10% still?

For median I've heard 30-33% fwiw

[Anonymous User]

No way of knowing for sure but I’d say probably? If you’re really curious just ask one of your recommenders. Most of the long time profs will be willing to comment on grades. They rarely know/care about specific percentile designations (other than top 10 which can be relevant for clerkships.) but if 75% is top 10 coming out of 1L it’s hard to imagine 85 at the end of 2L isn’t from a purely mathematical perspective.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone explain how clinic grading works? How many Hs are there to give out? Book prizes? Is it possible to get multiple Hs or multiple prizes?

And how are clinic grades seen in chambers? I hear that one or two Ps is virtually guaranteed, looking to verify…

[Anonymous User]

Can someone explain how clinic grading works? How many Hs are there to give out? Book prizes? Is it possible to get multiple Hs or multiple prizes?

And how are clinic grades seen in chambers? I hear that one or two Ps is virtually guaranteed, looking to verify…

Each full-time clinic is three four-unit classes. Each class is subject to the curve, so a majority of people will get Ps in each course--I think it's slightly relaxed from the usual 30% and is closer to 40% who get Hs. The most common clinic grade is an H and 2 Ps. It is definitely possible and not uncommon to get 2 Hs and a P, though I'm not sure if I've heard of someone getting straight Hs in clinic. The courses award prizes, I think up to one in each course, though that's up to the instructors to some extent. I haven't seen any transcripts with multiple prizes. If judges get a lot of SLS applications, they will know this and expect at least one P in clinic.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone explain how clinic grading works? How many Hs are there to give out? Book prizes? Is it possible to get multiple Hs or multiple prizes?

And how are clinic grades seen in chambers? I hear that one or two Ps is virtually guaranteed, looking to verify…

Clinic is curved, though it's more relaxed than the class one. From my understanding, at least 1 P is guaranteed, no question (i.e. nobody gets 3 H's from clinic). I've heard varying things about 2 H's vs. 1. It does seem like some people finish clinic with 2 H's and 1 P, while others finish with 1 H and 2 P's. I've also heard that SCOTUS clinic has more leeway to give their students 2 H's / 1 P but I'm unsure how true that is and someone should confirm or deny if they know.

Clinics can give prizes, see https://law.stanford.edu/office-of-the- ... -2023-2024. Seems like the larger ones can give 3 (one for each clinic "class") while smaller ones can give 2. I imagine they try and spread them out and nobody will get more than 1, but again I'm unsure.

Not a clerk so can't comment on how chambers view clinic grades, though I'm sure it's common knowledge that at least 1 P is guaranteed so I can't imagine they care that much.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks! I imagine this means that clinic prizes are seen as less “valuable” than doctrinal ones?

Trying to figure out where I sit compared to the benchmark “more prizes than Ps” for SDNY/DDC. Curious if clinic prizes really count there.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks! I imagine this means that clinic prizes are seen as less “valuable” than doctrinal ones?

Trying to figure out where I sit compared to the benchmark “more prizes than Ps” for SDNY/DDC. Curious if clinic prizes really count there.

Hm, maybe! I'm sure they're still good signals. And it probably means your clinic recommender (if you asked) will have a lot of good stuff to say about you.

Fwiw, I haven't heard "more prizes than P's" for SDNY/DDC? I generally hear that for DC Circuit only. For SDNY/DDC I've heard you generally want to be around top 10%, and it sounds like a clinic prize might be the difference between prizes > P's for you which means you're probably already in that range regardless? I guess some super competitive judges in those districts (ex. Engelmayer / Boasberg) might want more prizes than P's but even then I'm not sure. Is that a hard metric you've heard?

[Anonymous User]

Can someone explain how clinic grading works? How many Hs are there to give out? Book prizes? Is it possible to get multiple Hs or multiple prizes?

And how are clinic grades seen in chambers? I hear that one or two Ps is virtually guaranteed, looking to verify…

Each full-time clinic is three four-unit classes. Each class is subject to the curve, so a majority of people will get Ps in each course--I think it's slightly relaxed from the usual 30% and is closer to 40% who get Hs. The most common clinic grade is an H and 2 Ps. It is definitely possible and not uncommon to get 2 Hs and a P, though I'm not sure if I've heard of someone getting straight Hs in clinic. The courses award prizes, I think up to one in each course, though that's up to the instructors to some extent. I haven't seen any transcripts with multiple prizes. If judges get a lot of SLS applications, they will know this and expect at least one P in clinic.

Thoughts on how judges view 2 P's and 1 H? Do they view the P's as the same as getting a P in a doctrinal class? Is it considerably better to get 2 H's and 1 P? How about feeders / SCOTUS? Trying to get a sense of how 2 P's and 1 H comes across on a transcript that otherwise has very few P's and if it's a big blow or not.