Law school grades are related to bar passage, new study finds
Grades in law school do matter, at least as they relate to first-time bar passage, according to a new study. (Image from Shutterstock)
Grades in law school do matter, at least as they relate to first-time bar passage, according to a new study.
Released Tuesday by the AccessLex Institute, the study, What Matters for Bar Success: Doctrinal Performance, Coursework Exposure, and First-Time Bar Passage, shows that doctrinal grade-point averages and first-year grade-point averages are more closely linked to bar passage than taking additional credits or specific bar-related courses.
The study was based on 13,115 law graduates from 36 ABA-approved law schools over nine years of bar exams.
Good grades in doctrinal and first-year courses show “substantially stronger associations with bar success” compared to merely taking the class itself, according to the study.
Law schools should note that rather than requiring additional bar-tested courses, offering academic support to strengthen students’ core reasoning and writing skills, helping students succeed in the types of classes that impact bar passage, and advising students to focus on academic performance and mastery of course material rather than taking additional credits should be the focus of advising.
Law schools should note that the focus of advising should be offering academic support to strengthen students’ core reasoning and writing skills, helping students succeed in the types of classes that impact bar passage, and advising students to focus on academic performance and mastery of course material, rather than taking additional credits and requiring additional bar-tested courses.
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