Law schools see an increase in bar passage rates, new ABA data shows

The bar passage rate for first-time test-takers has increased by nearly 5 percentage points, according to data released Monday by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Feb 18, 2020 2:41 PM CST

California may offer more opportunities for JDs taught entirely online

If people are open to attending a non-ABA-accredited law school, they may soon have a lot more online choices in California—thanks to a recent rule change by the State Bar of California allowing state-accredited law schools to teach JD programs entirely over the internet.

Jan 14, 2020 6:30 AM CST

Tech company accused of bar-exam grading glitch has no liability in test-takers’ suit, 11th Circuit says

Law grads who were wrongly told that they failed the Georgia bar exam can’t recover damages against the software company they accused of producing the incorrect scores, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jan 9, 2020 3:12 PM CST

A better bar exam? Law profs weigh in on whether test accurately measures skills required for law practice

Some lawyers say that little has changed with bar exams nationwide, and there are still concerns about whether the test accurately evaluates skills needed to practice law. Others have argued that today’s technology could handle many methods of bar exam testing than seemed impossible in 1980.

Jan 8, 2020 10:09 AM CST

Law schools with accreditation issues see bar exam improvement, but will they hit 75% pass rate?

For a small number of schools found to be out of compliance with an ABA accreditation admissions standard, some have concerns that even with bar pass rate improvements, they still may not meet a new standard that requires pass rates of at least 75% for graduates who took a bar exam in the past two years.

Nov 21, 2019 10:21 AM CST

Prosecutors allege law grad who failed bar exam created law firms in name of classmate

A Stetson University law graduate who failed the bar exam twice has agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft after prosecutors accused her of creating fictitious law firms and representing clients.

Nov 14, 2019 3:23 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: 2019 could be ‘decent year’ for law firms; tight schedule led to bar exam leak, report says

2019 will be a ‘decent year’ for law firms, report says Law firm revenue grew 5.1% for the first nine months of 2019, largely because of billing rate growth of 4.7%, according to a third-quarter report by Citi Private Bank. And for the first time this year, revenue growth exceeded…

Nov 13, 2019 4:30 PM CST

Persistent would-be lawyer may see her 1991 bar exam results, state supreme court rules

A would-be Ohio lawyer can see her July 1991 bar exam results, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled, in the case of a persistent 1988 law grad who is still seeking admission to the bar.

Nov 6, 2019 12:31 PM CST

Law school with bar pass rate under 75% threshold considers its future

The University of La Verne in California, which had a first-time bar passage rate of 31.49% for 2018, has assembled a committee to consider the future of its law school, following a recent change that tightened bar passage requirements for ABA-accredited law schools.

Oct 30, 2019 2:00 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump couldn’t be prosecuted even if he shot someone, lawyer argues; Kellogg’s to pay $20M

Sitting president can’t be prosecuted even if he shot someone, Trump lawyer argues A sitting president couldn’t be investigated and prosecuted by New York authorities even if he shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, according to William Consovoy, President Donald Trump’s private lawyer. The lawyer made the “temporary…

Oct 23, 2019 4:47 PM CDT

Oregon bar considering paraprofessional licensing and bar-takers without JDs

The Oregon State Bar's board of governors took major steps to liberalize rules around paraprofessional licensing and allowing people without law degrees to sit for the bar exam.

Oct 7, 2019 10:49 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Florida Coastal law student sues over prep course; suit tossed over hate group label

Florida Coastal law student sues school for allegedly toughening graduation standard A law student at Florida Coastal School of Law claims in a lawsuit that the school made it more difficult to graduate after she enrolled there. The suit by the “Jane Doe” student alleges breach of contract and negligent…

Sep 17, 2019 4:05 PM CDT

Average score rises for law grads taking the multistate bar exam, a hopeful sign for bar pass rates

The average score on the July multistate bar exam has increased 1.6 points, the largest year-over-year July increase since 2008, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The average score was 141.1, compared with 139.5 in July 2018, according to a press release and a story by Law.com. The…

Sep 10, 2019 2:04 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Alleged unlicensed PD failed ethics exam; is puppy-mill law unconstitutional?

Public defender accused of working without a license failed ethics part of bar exam A public defender in New Orleans accused of working without a law license twice failed the ethics portion of the bar exam. The attorney general’s office last week obtained a warrant to arrest the would-be lawyer,…

Aug 28, 2019 4:25 PM CDT

ABA legal ed section set to send various standards and rules revisions to House of Delegates

Aug 26, 2019 2:05 PM CDT