ABA Journal

Bar Exam

531 ABA Journal Bar Exam articles.

How can law schools with history of bar pass issues get their rates above 75%?

For law schools that fall below the bar pass rate required for ABA accreditation, there are many avenues for change. We spoke to three schools that have improved their numbers.

Latest version of ChatGPT aces bar exam with score nearing 90th percentile

The latest version of the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT has passed the Uniform Bar Examination by “a significant margin,” earning a combined score of 297 that surpasses even the high threshold of 273 set by Arizona.

Data on about 6,500 law students proves my mismatch theory, shows racial-preference harm, law prof says

A controversial law professor has said data on about 6,500 law students at four law schools provides strong support for his “academic mismatch” theory—that law students with lower qualifications than their peers fall behind and have worse outcomes in a learning environment geared toward better-qualified students.

Law school gets extension to meet Standard 316; ABA Legal Ed council posts additional notice on faculty diversity

Updated: The Golden Gate University School of Law, which has not had a two-year bar pass rate at or above 75% since its class of 2017, has received an extension to come into compliance with Standard 316, which requires a bar passage rate of at least 75% within a two-year time period.

3 law schools dinged on bar pass rates see improvement; another back in compliance with diversity standard

Updated: Three law schools have come into compliance with an ABA accreditation standard requiring two-year bar passage rates of at least 75%, the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently announced.

Legal Ed data shows decrease in first-time bar pass rates

Data released Friday shows a two percentage point drop in bar pass rates for first-time test takers in 2022 compared to 2021.

Citing lack of lawyers, public defenders in this state ask to let law grads work before bar admission

A Florida proposal to allow court appearances for law school graduates, up to one year before bar admission, has been made by the state’s public defenders organization.

ChatGPT is asked 50 questions about Supreme Court; it got only 21 questions right

SCOTUSblog has no worries that its coverage of the Supreme Court will be displaced by the artificial intelligence program known as ChatGPT.

AI program earned passing bar exam scores on evidence and torts; can it work in court?

Artificial intelligence programs are making inroads in the legal field, showing proficiency in two sections of a practice bar exam and getting used for the first time in traffic court.

Relax with our favorite long reads of 2022

Feel like curling up next to the fireplace with a good read? ABA Journal Managing Editor Kevin Davis has curated a selection of our favorite feature stories that ran in the magazine and online in 2022.

Top 10 news stories of 2022

Every year, we like to take a look back at the news events and stories that most resonated with our online readers. This year, the financial state of the legal industry dominated the list, accompanied by disciplinary cases, law school rankings and the bar exam.

ABA Legal Ed council advances proposal to make law school admissions tests optional

Updated: The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has advanced a proposal to make standardized admissions tests optional at accredited law schools.

Pass rates for first-time bar-takers decrease; are online classes the cause?

Aspects of law school remote learning during the pandemic, including open-book tests, are being blamed by some for first-time bar pass rate decreases in at least 31 jurisdictions.

Bar pass rates for California decrease slightly

California’s overall bar passage rate for the July 2022 administration was 52.4%, compared to 53% in July 2021. Results were released Thursday by the State Bar of California.

Washington admits bar applicant with sex-offender status, based on young age at time of conduct

A law school graduate with a 2010 conviction for voyeurism involving shared images of youths can be admitted to practice law in Washington, the Washington Supreme Court found in a 5-4 opinion.

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