4.18 J.D. Honors
Honors are awarded to J.D. students at graduation based on final cumulative grade point averages as follows:
| 182 and above | Highest Honors |
| 180.5 and above | High Honors |
| 179 and above | Honors |
Note: The Law School does not round grade point averages. Thus, a student who graduates with a grade point average of 180.499 will receive Honors, and only students receiving a grade point average of exactly 180.500 or higher will receive High Honors, and so on.
Ranking
The Law School does not rank students. Students must not provide estimates of their class rank on resumes, in job interviews, or in any other context. A key on the back of the transcript provides information about the rolling percentage of students graduating with honors.
Order of the Coif
Membership in the national Order of the Coif organization is awarded pursuant to terms set by the national organization. J.D. degree students are eligible for nomination for Order of the Coif upon graduation if they have earned at least 79 of the 105 credits needed for graduation in graded courses. From that pool of eligible students, the top 10% at graduation are nominated for membership in the Coif. Transfer students are eligible for Order of the Coif as long as when determining compliance with the 75 percent graded course requirement for Coif membership, the student’s transferred credits are considered as having been earned in a “graded course” if, at the time the course was taken, a grade was received.
Kirkland & Ellis Scholars
In recognition of a generous gift to the Law School’s Centennial Capital Campaign, the Law School designates outstanding students as Kirkland & Ellis Scholars. Beginning with the Class of 2009, students with grades in the top 5% of the class are so designated at the end of their first year or second year of study. Additional students are added to this group during the third year of study so that by graduation, 10% of the class will have been designated Kirkland & Ellis Scholars. Once a student receives the designation, it is not removed. A student must be in residence the entire year at the Law School in order to be eligible for the Kirkland & Ellis Scholar designation.