Bar Exams, Law Schools

Despite All Efforts, Law School Posts Worst Bar Exam Performance Ever

Do extensive research before investing in a law school education -- you might be able to uncover ugly facts like these.

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This summer, we regaled our readers with the tale of one for-profit law school’s plan to keep low-performing students from taking the bar exam immediately following graduation. The law school’s program is called Unlock Potential, and it “extends the bar preparation from the usual 10-week program to more of a four-month program.” To make those additional months of bar prep seem more palatable, the law school offered stipends of $5,000 to all participants. Several of those who opted not to unlock their potential received phone calls from the law school’s dean on the day before the test — not to wish them luck, but to plead with them to take a bar deferral stipend of $10,000 and not sit for the exam the next day.

The institution in question is Arizona Summit Law School (formerly known as the Phoenix School of Law), and now that the exam results from the Arizona bar are out, it’s time celebrate its graduates’ successes thanks to the school’s innovative preparation techniques.

Here are some of the gushing emails we received from Arizona Summit Law graduates:

* Infilaw school ASLS managed to post a 30.6% first-time bar pass rate for the July 2015 exam.

* ASL managed to drag the overall pass rate down to 56% for the state. [T]hat school is doing everything possible to devalue its diploma.

* Their accreditation should end today.

* [N]ote the AZ Summit pass rate of 30%. That’s after they paid those people to not take the bar exam.

Yikes! Apparently the July administration of the exam didn’t go over as well as one would have thought. For the sake of comparison, take a look at this breakdown of results by in-state law schools, courtesy of the State of Arizona Committee on Examinations:

Hmm, this is just a thought, but perhaps Arizona Summit Law should look into the bar prep programs that are being offered at Arizona State Law and U. Arizona Law.

Here is some additional commentary from an Arizona Summit graduate who participated in the Unlock Potential program for the July 2015 bar exam (emphasis added):

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There was approximately 25 students in this class, and only one out of the many students that I know the name of (who was not a regular on the class) passed the July 2015 exam. The school is now telling current students that it is not a reflection of the school but it is a reflection of the students that were taking the bar and that it is “on us” that we didn’t pass.

The UP program was not implemented well. We were sat in front of a video day after day listening to a “bar exam guru” (Litvin) go through exam material. When we asked questions about the test and material the unqualified staff member, one who had not passed the AZ exam, would always defer answers and say she would find someone that could give us the answer.

It was an unpleasant experience and the school has not reached out to us with any explanation or refund, as we had to pay $2250 or $2500 to participate in the UP program. I am also working on trying to afford another program, as money does not come easily when you can’t use your law degree to work.

The school also has a MyBar program and it is the same cost and very similar to UP. I have heard from the MyBar participants that many of them did not pass either.

I am over $315k in debt from school loans. I hope students stop going to school there as it is a huge financial risk with the possibility that you will not be able to practice law.

It’s truly shocking that people are willing to pay money hand over fist to Arizona Summit Law while it’s so clearly evident that the overwhelming majority of its graduates likely shouldn’t have been admitted to law school in the first place. This is the very definition of what it means to take advantage of a person. It’s shameful and disgusting that a law school — for-profit or otherwise — would subject its students and graduates to behavior like this.

Please, please do extensive research before investing in a law school education, because you might be able to uncover facts like these that will make you change your mind.

Law school pays graduates not to take the bar; 75% fail anyway [Lawyers, Guns & Money]

Earlier: Law School Dean Allegedly Begged Graduates Not To Take The Bar Exam — On The Day Before The Test
Which Law Schools Allegedly Paid Students Not To Take The Bar Exam?

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