Bar Exam

Conflicting views on proposal to link accreditation to bar passage results

No ABA-accredited law school has ever been out of compliance with a standard regarding bar passage percentages, and that may indicate that the standard is not working well. The ABA House of Delegates is expected to consider a proposal to revise the standard.

Jan 1, 2017 1:10 AM CST

What’s the best way to share a school’s bad bar exam results? These deans have some thoughts

David Faigman, the acting dean at University of California Hastings College of the Law, didn’t know that he’d get individual notice of bar passage rates. But one Friday afternoon in early December, his assistant brought him a letter informing him that Hastings’ July 2016 first-time pass rate was 51 percent.…

Dec 16, 2016 2:10 PM CST

With question of accreditation looming, Texas OKs bar exam for UNT Dallas law grads

Corrected: While the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law is pursuing ABA accreditation, the state supreme court on Tuesday granted a request from the dean that its graduates be able to sit for the July 2017 bar exam. Texas law prohibits graduates from non-accredited law schools from talking…

Dec 15, 2016 11:45 AM CST

Would adoption of the UBE lead to more job options? 89% of surveyed 2016 law grads think so

Out of 1,000 recent law school graduates surveyed by Kaplan Bar Review, 91 percent wanted all states to adopt the uniform bar exam. Eighty-nine percent thought that the change would provide more employment options, and 38 percent reported that it was easier to study for the UBE. In 2013, a…

Dec 8, 2016 2:40 PM CST

Some states see increase in bar pass rates, while others witness declines

Updated: As the July 2016 bar results are released, it appears that nationally, there’s a slight uptick with scores, says Erica Moeser, president of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. “The big picture item is that we have looked for scores to continue to drop, and they didn’t,” she told…

Nov 21, 2016 5:25 PM CST

For-profit Concord School of Law seeks more state bar exam opportunities for its grads

The Concord Law School of Kaplan University, which offers online courses, in the past month has filed petitions in Arizona, New Mexico and Connecticut, asking the states to change existing rules that restrict its graduates from taking bar exams. California is currently the only state that allows Concord graduates to…

Nov 18, 2016 4:50 PM CST

Judge denies law prof’s request for bar-exam racial data

A judge in California has denied a law professor’s request for racial data on would-be lawyers who took the state bar exam. Judge Mary Wiss of San Francisco said the anonymous data would violate personal privacy rights because it could be used to identify individuals, report the Wall Street Journal…

Nov 8, 2016 9:03 AM CST

Legal ed council approves stricter ABA standard for bar passage rates amid diversity concerns

A proposal to tighten bar passage rate standards for ABA-approved law schools was passed Friday by the council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Oct 21, 2016 3:05 PM CDT

More law schools are covering bar review costs: Is it improving pass rates?

Out of law schools who have July 2016 bar results for first-time test takers, many saw their pass rate percentages drop.

Oct 20, 2016 8:30 AM CDT

Lawsuits fail to loosen bar admission rules, but issue isn’t going away

Admission barriers are challenged as infringing on competitive and First Amendment rights, driving up litigation costs and disrupting the right to counsel.

Oct 1, 2016 3:00 AM CDT

Several states report lower bar pass rates for July exam

Bar exam pass rates have fallen in at least seven out of 13 states that have so far reported July results. A higher average score was cited in August for this year’s Multistate Bar Exam in July. The news signaled a possible end to the decline in bar passage rates.…

Sep 21, 2016 3:01 PM CDT

Out of 12 Indiana Tech Law grads sitting for state bar, 1 reportedly passed

Out of the first class to graduate from Indiana Tech Law School, only one person who took the July 2016 state bar exam passed, Indiana Lawyer reports. The school graduated 20 students in May, and 12 sat for the state bar, according to the Indiana Lawyer. The publication examined the…

Sep 15, 2016 1:50 PM CDT

Software company used in faulty Georgia bar exam scoring gets hit with lawsuit

A company that designed software used to grade Georgia State Bar Exam essay answers is being sued, after a reported product glitch resulted in incorrect scores and 90 people being wrongly notified that they failed the July 2015 and February 2016 exams. The action against the California company ILG Information…

Sep 14, 2016 2:10 PM CDT

Committee OKs proposal to tighten ABA bar pass standards; some members hope more will be done

The requirements for bar passage rates for ABA-accredited law schools need tightening, an ABA committee has found, and committee members suggested the passage percentage requirement may be too low. Standard 316 holds that accredited law schools are not in compliance if within five years fewer than 75 percent of first-time…

Sep 12, 2016 5:40 PM CDT

90 people who were told they failed the bar exam learn it’s not true

Ninety people who were told they failed the Georgia Bar Exam are getting some good news: They actually passed. Errors in scoring the July 2015 and February 2016 exam caused the problem, according to a statement by the Georgia Supreme Court’s Office of Bar Examiners. The Daily Report (sub. req.)…

Sep 6, 2016 3:05 PM CDT