Echoes of law school exams

I enjoy working with law students; I consult with a law school and often join in panels and roundtable discussions with and for students.  Beginning just before Thanksgiving, students get very quiet, and those who aren’t quiet are anxiety-ridden.  That always prompts me to overwhelming gratitude that I no longer have to suffer law school exams.

Remember them?  The frantic outlining, the cramming, the procrastination… And worst of all, waiting for grades.  Now that my career no longer hangs in the balance while professors do the grading, I’m much more sympathetic with the chore they face.  I remember speculating about how professors grade: how much does neatness count?  Is original thought good, or does it run the risk of sounding like panic-inspired raving?  How do professors possibly come up with a consistent grading method?

Finally, the truth outs.  Professor Daniel Solove of George Washington University Law School has posted A Guide to Grading Exams.  He claims it’s a joke, but I’m not so sure….