Bar Exams, Law Schools

Law School Notorious For Graduates Failing The Bar Exam Makes Passing Mock Bar Exam A Graduation Requirement

Some of the school's students may never be able to graduate....

By  
on

ARIZONA SUMMIT LAW SCHOOL — EMAIL FROM DEAN SHIRLEY MAYS — MOCK BAR GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

Dear December 2016 and May 2017 Graduates,

As I am certain you are aware, over the course of the last several years our bar pass rates for the Arizona bar exam have declined:

Arizona Bar Examination First Time Pass Rate Overall Pass Rate (includes repeaters)
February 2014 54.5 48.8
July 2014 54.8 49.5
February 2015 52.6 46.4
July 2015 30.6 26.4
February 2016 38.1 28.4

Moreover, for the last two administrations of the Arizona Bar Exam, students below a 3.33 LGPA passed the bar at rates that did not meet our expectations:

LGPA range Pass rate
<2.5 2%
2.5-3.0 23%
3.-3.33 50%
3.33-4.00 100%

While we are confident that our graduates have the potential to succeed, it also is clear that all of us need to make adjustments in response to our graduates’ recent bar exam performance.  In balancing your interest in keeping your fall schedule with the responsibility we have to make you bar ready before you graduate, we have reconsidered and removed the graduation requirement that December 2016 and May 2017 graduates take the pre-bar prep class.  We want you to take ownership of your success and make your own informed decision based on what is best for you.

Sponsored

Given the importance of the next seven months, I would like to meet with each December 2016 graduate before the end of the add-drop period (Wednesday, August 31) to discuss your bar preparation plans. Please email Wendie at [redacted] to schedule those appointments.

I strongly encourage each of you to take the pre-bar prep class.  It will help prepare you to take the bar exam.  The pre-bar prep class will have as a final a mock bar exam which will contribute significantly to your grade. Taking the mock bar exam will afford you the opportunity to receive feedback about your strengths and areas of improvement going into the bar exam. It also will give you a taste of what you will experience two months after graduation as you prepare for the February or July 2017 bar exam.

To facilitate taking the pre-bar prep class, we will offer the class from 0 – 4 credits.  Thus, for example, if taking the class will shift you from part-time to full-time status, take the class for 0 credits and you can take the class for free.  Kudos to those of you who already have taken the initiative and added this class to your schedule.  If you would like to take the class for fewer than 4 credits, we will send instructions on how to do so prior to the add/drop period.

Please note, effective with the May 2017 graduates, even though taking the class is not a requirement, a passing score on a mock bar exam will be a graduation requirement.  We will share these specifics in a subsequent email early next week.

Warm regards,

Sponsored

Dean Mays

Shirley L. Mays
Arizona Summit Law School
1 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ  85018

Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

« Previous 1 2

Topics

, , , , ,