University of Virginia Library

LAW SCHOOL-CHANGE IN GRADING SYSTEM AND BASIS FOR GRANTING LL.B DEGREE:

Upon the recommendations of the Law Faculty, and with the approval of the President, the
following recommendations with respect to change in grading system, and basis for granting degree, were adopted

The Law Faculty unanimously recommends that the existing numerical grading system be abolished
in the Law School and that a letter system be substituted therefor; the letter A to symbolize Distinghished;
the letter B to symbolize Good; the letter C to symbolize Fair; the letter D to symbolize Pass; the letter
F to symbolize Failure. Expressed in terms of the grading system currently used in the Law School, the
foregoing letter-grades would have the following numerical equivalent:

         

A —	93 or over
B —	90 to 92 inclusive
C —	85 to 89 inclusive
D —	83 to 84 inclusive
F —	below 83

The Law Faculty also unanimously recommends that the degree of Bachelor of Laws be denied a
student with a grade point average of less than one, computed on the basis of all law courses taken by the
student. In computing grade point averages A shall equal 4, B, 3, C, 2, D, 1. To ascertain the grade point
average of a student the term-hours of each course taken by the student shall be multiplied by the number
representing the grade received in each course.

The total of these products shall then be divided by the sum of the term-hours of the courses
taken by the student. The resulting quotient will be the student's grade point average. For example,
assume the first term grades of a first year student to be as follows.

       

Contracts	D
Criminal Law	C
Torts	B
Procedure	A.

Further assume contracts, torts and criminal law each to meet four hours a week for the first term, and
procedure to meet three hours a week for that term. This student's grade point average would be computed
as follows:

         

Contracts	E = 1 ×	4	=	4	grade points
Criminal Law	C = 2 ×	4	=	8	grade points
Torts	B = 3 ×	4	=	12	grade points
Procedure	A = 4 ×	3	=	12	grade points
Total term hours -		15		36	Total grade points

       

15	36.0	2.40	grade point average
	30
	60
	60