Thursday, January 24, 2019

The ABA Will Reconsider Its Proposal to Tighten Bar Exam Pass Standards

The ABA is once again trying to strengthen its bar pass requirements for law schools.  They will consider a proposal to bolster the existing rule, requiring at least 75% of a school’s graduates to pass the bar within 2 years of graduating or risk losing accreditation. The ABA rejected the same proposal in February 2017 amid concern from advocates who said it could imperil schools with a large percentage of minority students, especially at a time when pass rates across the country have plummeted.

Black and Hispanic students on average score lower on the bar exam. While 52% of white takers passed the July 2016 bar exam, that pass rate was 34% for Hispanics and 21% for African-American test takers, according to a 2017 state bar report.

The NCBE favors the proposal, stating that law students have the right to know what their chances are to pass the bar when looking at a particular school. 

The existing standard allows schools to meet the bar pass threshold in 2 ways. Schools are in compliance as long as at least 75% of graduates pass the bar exam within 5 years of leaving campus or if their 1st time pass rate is no lower than 15% of the statewide average.

The proposed change eliminates the first-time pass rate provision and shortens the time span to meet the 75% threshold from 5 to 2 years. Also, it requires schools to report bar pass rates on all graduates who take the exam. The existing rule mandates that schools report data for at least 70% of graduates.

A study on repeat test taker by the NCBE found that very few people take the bar exam more than 4 times, and the number of people who continue to take the test beyond the 2-year post-graduation point is negligible. The UBE & UBE Testing Institute disputes this claim, as most of our students have taken the bar exam more than 4 times.

Schools reported data on nearly 98% of 2015 graduates who sat for the bar and more than 88% passed within 2 years, according to a legal education council memo in support of the change. But results varied by school. In total, 19 of the 203 ABA-accredited law schools fell short of the 75% pass threshold over two years. 2 of those schools were in California and 2 were part of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The standard is based on the notion that law schools are supposed to admit people who are qualified and give them a program that allows them to graduate and pass the bar. The bar pass standard is the best measure of whether a school is doing that.

The MBE & UBE Testing Institute knows that taking the bar exam as a repeat taker can be an isolating experience. The MBE & UBE Testing Institute helps the student keep motivated and confident through interaction with an MBE & UBE Testing Institute’s bar tutor.

When you need help passing the bar exam, contact the MBE & UBE Testing Institute at pass@mbetestinginstitute.com for more information, like us on facebook at UBE & MBE Testing Institute, follow us on twitter @MBETesting, see us on youtube.

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