Do high school grades matter for law school?
Asked by: Shaun Runolfsson IV | Last update: January 8, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (52 votes)
A: Your high school GPA, while important for college admissions, is not the sole determining factor for your future in the legal field. While a higher GPA can be advantageous, it is not necessarily a deal-breaker if you are committed to pursuing a legal career.
Do law schools look at high school grades?
Applicants are required to report grades from every undergraduate and graduate institution, including college classes taken in high school or taken not for credit. The LSAC report includes several GPAs: a GPA for each institution, a GPA for each year and a cumulative GPA for all undergraduate work.
Can I be a lawyer with bad grades in high school?
Yes, even with a low GPA, you can get into law school, and even to a top law school. But first let's talk about what it means to have a “low GPA.”
Do grades really matter in law school?
Law Students
Firms can also judge how much they like you. Nevertheless, in terms of judging how serious you are about law school and how much aptitude you show for the practice of law, grades are generally the most important standard that firms use in the hiring of law students.
What is the lowest GPA a law school will accept?
What Is the Lowest GPA For Law School? Since the majority of law schools require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, anything below a 3.0 is considered very low. Some of the absolute lowest GPA requirements for schools are 2.80.
how to study less and get higher grades
Which lawyer is easiest to become?
- Easiest law to practice.
- Real estate law: the calm of contracts and closings.
- Estate planning: beyond grave matters.
- Transactional IP law: where creativity meets law.
- Tax law: counting dollars, not hours.
- Government agency roles: The legal life outside the courtroom.
- Public-interest and nonprofit work: the happiness factor.
Can a 2.7 GPA get into law school?
Can I Get Into Law School With a 2.7 GPA? Most law schools will not consider a 2.7 GPA to be competitive. However, all hope isn't lost if this is the GPA you have. 25% of Western Michigan's accepted students have GPAs of 2.64.
Is a D+ passing in law school?
PASS—Grades of “C-” or above will be recorded as “Pass (P)”. Unit credit is awarded. UNSATISFACTORY—Grades of “D+” or “D” will be recorded as “Unsatisfactory (U)”.
What GPA do big law firms want?
What Is a Good GPA for Big Law? It depends on what firms you're hoping to work with. Many firms require lawyers to have a GPA of 3.5 from a top school, while many others consider a 3.0 from the same institution to be acceptable.
Is 3.5 a good GPA in law school?
They place a strong emphasis on academic excellence to complement strong LSAT scores. Mid-tier law schools, though still competitive, might have slightly lower average GPA expectations. Here, an average GPA in the range of 3.5 to 3.7 is more common.
What is the easiest law school to get into?
- Creighton University Law School – 79%
- University of Wyoming Law School – 78%
- Marquette University Law School – 77%
- Loyola New Orleans Law School – 76%
- Drake University Law School – 75%
- Oklahoma City University School of Law – 72%
Is a B+ bad in law school?
Law School Grading
That means a B+ is the median grade at that school. However, in law school the number of people that must fall at or above that grade is not fully determined yet. Rather, the bulk of exam scores will fall exactly at the median, and the professor determines how many grades will deviate from that.
Can I get into law school with a 2.3 GPA?
A 2.3 GPA is considered low for most law schools, but it's not impossible to get admitted. You can compensate with a high LSAT score, strong letters of recommendation, and a compelling application.
Is GPA or LSAT more important?
In general terms, it can be said that law schools value LSAT scores more than they do undergraduate GPA, but whether or not this statement applies to a given institution and how by much depends on the school.
Do law schools care what college you went to?
Attending a well-known or prestigious college may provide a slight edge, but it will not compensate for significantly weaker academic or test performance. That being said, the benefit of a prestigious undergrad education is the network it can provide you, which can help in law school applications.
How to increase chances of getting into law school?
- Strong Academic Record and LSAT Score. ...
- Extracurricular Involvement. ...
- Excellent Writing and Reading Abilities. ...
- Personal Growth. ...
- Strong Recommendations from People Who Actually Know You. ...
- Something Special…
What is Harvard law GPA?
As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.
Which schools do big law hire from?
- University of Pennsylvania (Carey): 89.2%
- University of Chicago: 88.5%
- Harvard University: 86.7%
- Yale University: 84.8%
- Cornell University: 84.3%
- University of Virginia: 83.2%
- Columbia University: 83.1%
- Stanford University: 82.7%
Is a C failing at UCLA?
In order to receive a Passed, you must achieve a grade of C or better. Work done at the level of C- or below will be given a Not Passed and you will earn no units toward graduation.
Is it normal to get bad grades in law school?
In law school, there is a high importance put on the grades you receive, especially those grades that you earn after your first year of school. However, law school can be difficult and highly rigorous, so it is not unusual for your grades to be less than what you had hoped for.
How many fail out of law school?
The first-year law school attrition rate nationwide is 3.8% in 2023. 15 Enrolling in law school but failing to finish offers no greater marketability than a bachelor's degree.
Should I retake a 165 LSAT?
Improve your Scores
Some people would say “yes”, and that is fine. But if you have an above-average score, say, between 165-170, retaking the LSAT seems like overkill at that point.
What is the easiest law degree to get?
The easiest law degree to earn is a Master of Legal Studies degree. For more information about earning a Master of Legal Studies or for help finding a program, reach out to Learn.org today.
How hard is the LSAT?
This process is not only time-consuming but can be very expensive as well. So yes, the LSAT is hard, and it is designed that way. It's not so much a test that requires a student to remember random facts, but instead, it is a test that showcases a student's thought process.