To ensure fairness in final course grades, the School of Law uses an anonymous grading system for examinations. In those courses which examinations are graded anonymously (experiential courses and seminars are generally the only exception), students must place only their exam number on the exam or course paper. Students are therefore also cautioned against writing anything in exams or course papers that is extrinsic to the subject matter of the course, that might develop instructor sympathy, or that has behind it other non-objective motives. When aspects of a course are graded without anonymity, such as when a paper assignment cannot be graded anonymously or grading consideration is given for class participation, the Records Office combines the anonymous and non-anonymous scores into one final grade. Also, M.L.S. students are graded “off” the J.D. curve. As such, depending on how many M.L.S. students are in a given course, anonymity might not be possible if the M.L.S numbers are so few that any submission identifies the student.
For Grading Scale, see the UCLA’s Registrar webpage.
Exceptions to the above Grading Scale are that the Law grade of “P” will be the equivalent of the Graduate Division grade of “S” and the Law grade of “NC” will be the equivalent to the Graduate Division grade of “U.”
There is no mandatory distribution of grades for M.L.S. students whether they are in courses with J.D. students or courses with only M.L.S. students.
In addition to the grade determined on an anonymous basis, an instructor may give a grade for class performance. This grade may be in the form of an increase or decrease, not exceeding one grading unit (e.g., B to B+ or B–, C+ to B– or to C), or it may be in the form of “points” awarded so long as the points provided for class participation do not exceed 20% of the total points available for the course. An instructor must announce not later than the end of the first week of instruction that grades for class performance will or may be given. The announcement may be verbal, included in the syllabus, or posted on the instructor’s webpage.
The grade for class performance should reflect the quality (as distinguished from mere quantity) of a student’s participation in class discussion. A student should never be penalized for asking questions. However, the class performance grade may reflect a student’s attendance, level of preparation for class and/or performance on assigned exercises.
In courses for which grading is not primarily anonymous, such as seminars, letter-graded experiential courses and “hybrid” courses in which grading is only partially anonymous (determined by a non-anonymous paper and an anonymous exam), participation can count for more than one grading unit at the professor’s discretion.
For Pass/No Credit grading is equivalent to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading. See the UCLA’s Registrar webpage.
Students may prospectively elect to be graded on a Pass/No Credit basis in no more than one (1) course, carrying no more than four (4) semester units of credit. This option must be elected by the last day of instruction.
The above option applies to courses in which letter grades would otherwise be assigned.
This option, once elected, shall not be revocable or transferable, even if hindsight proves conclusively that a different choice would have been more beneficial.
For grade change rules, see the UCLA’s Registrar webpage.
For repetition of courses, see the UCLA’s Registrar webpage.
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