Bar Exam Pass Rates

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.15.19

* “I don’t care about the Mueller report. I’ve been totally exonerated.” President Trump has been “emboldened” by AG William Barr’s summation of the Mueller report, but that claim of “total exoneration” may come back to bite him when the redacted report is released. [New York Times] * Speaking of the Mueller report, George Conway has stepped up his criticism of all the “no collusion” talk, commenting on Twitter that “[i]f Mueller had used the words ‘no evidence of a conspiracy or coordination’ (i.e., no collusion), you can be damned sure Barr would have quoted those words. But Mueller didn’t, and Barr didn’t.” [The Hill] * Paul Rawlinson, global chair of Baker McKenzie, RIP. [Legal Week] * Will SCOTUS get “FUCT” this term? That’s what streetwear designer Erik Brunetti is hoping for when the high court hears oral argument on his challenge to the government’s refusal to register trademarks that are considered “scandalous” or “immoral.” [Associated Press] * The Big Fail: A deep dive into why bar exam pass rates have declined to record lows in recent years, and the impact on law schools and the legal profession. [Law.com] * Law students better start reading up on legal operations, because word on the street is that Biglaw firms are going to start hiring law school graduates for these jobs. Plus, “[s]alaries for these positions are quite big.” [American Lawyer]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 04.11.16

* TRUCE! In the wake of his settlement with Paul Cassell, Alan Dershowitz looks to make peace with David Boies after a vicious fight. [Big Law Business] * Speaking of making peace, Chris Christie has made a deal with New Jersey Democrats to end a six-year stalemate over the state Supreme Court. He is nominating Bridget Kelly's old lawyer, Walter Timpone. [New Jersey.com] * More analysis of bar exam results: see what happened in Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, and Kentucky. [Bar Exam Stats] * Is it ethically acceptable -- and does it work -- to shame prosecutors for wrongful convictions? [Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics via Slate] * Yes, that's billions with a B: Goldman Sachs to pay $5 billion in settlements over charges it contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. [Gawker] * Kevin Abikoff, partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, cleared Unaoil in an anti-corruption report, and is now facing questions about that representation. [Huffington Post]

By Kathryn Rubino
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.21.15

* Arizona Summit Law wasn't the only law school to post an embarrassing passage rate on the July 2015 administration of the bar exam. Only 28 percent of test-takers from this law school passed, but its dean says that the scores don't "reflect a problem with the school's quality." Hey, whatever helps you get to sleep at night. [Tennessean] * Speaking of bar passage rates, if you're applying to law school, should you care about them? Job statistics are probably a more telling measurement when comparing schools, but then again, it's harder to get a job when you can't pass the bar exam. [U.S. News] * “It’s a huge blow to his tenure as DA." The mistrial in the criminal case against Dewey & LeBoeuf's former executives is putting a major damper on what was supposed to be Manhattan DA Cy Vance's crackdown on corporate crime. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg] * Thanks to the Department of Education's "gainful employment rule," for-profit law schools could be in trouble when it comes to eligibility for federal student loans under the "debt-to-earnings" test. This certainly may put a crimp in Infilaw's style. [Huffington Post] * The vast majority of all class members in the Subway "footlong" lawsuit aren't likely to see a dime. This is fine because they don't need to see any "dough," but a guarantee that the company's next spokesperson won't be a child predator would be nice. [WSJ Law Blog]

By Staci Zaretsky