Recent Changes to Fordham Law Curriculum April 2, 2014 I. Four Guiding Principles for the Changes: A. Protect the integrity of our grading scheme i. Fordhams grading scheme has been challenged by substantial disparities in grading by instructors. B. Protect our students from aggregate grade deflation i. Grade deflation risks creating competitive disadvantages with peer schools. C. Stay within the grade range of our peer schools D. Preserve the reasonable grading discretion of individual instructors II. The Changes: A. All courses with > 4 JD students will be regulated as follows: B. There will be a more generous 1L curve the mean GPA will be moved up by 0.18, an increase that would allow up to 30% to be A-level grades. C. All courses with > 20 students will be subject to same 1L curve (and courses like Corporations, for example, will be subject to the 1L curve irrespective of class size). D. All courses between 4 and 20 JD students will be subject to a mean GPA range of 3.15 to 3.50. E. Clinical component of clinical courses will be subject to a mean GPA range of 3.15 to 3.67. F. Independent studies will no longer be graded, but will be pass/fail. III. Additional Notes: A. All but one of the Curriculum Committee's members endorsed the proposal; one Committee member dissented. B. The Committee thinks that the upward adjustment of the mandatory distribution for 1L classes will offset the deflationary effect of grade reform in upper-level small courses, and that this change will keep Fordham Law students competitive with peer schools C. The Committee noted that students may end up benefiting overall despite deflation of grades in upper-level small courses because many employers tend to emphasize grades in 1L doctrinal courses.

*This memorandum was written by Stop the Curve and summarizes a memorandum that was circulated among the Curriculum Committee.