SWLAW'S Bar Exam Results

The Dean released the numbers for first time takers of the July 2004 Bar exam. SWLAW had a pass rate of 57% among the first time takers which still placed it 14th, and still behind Chapman, among the 19 ABA approved California law schools. In comparison, Loyola was in the 60s and Pepperdine, which recently was given second tier staus, had a pass rate in the 70s. Other numbers to the best of my recall:

• 19 out of 20 law review people passed - hate to be the one person who didn't.
• Moot Court had a pass rate of 86%.
• The Int'l Trade Journal people had a pass rate in the 60s.
• ITAP was somewhere in the mid to high 50s.
• The pass rate for those graduating in the top quartile was in the low 90s.
• The pass rate for those graduating in the second quartile was in the low 70s.
• The pass rate for those graduating in the bottom quartile was 11%.
• Evening students passed at a 46% clip.
• SCALE students - an accelerated 2 year program - had a 73% pass rate.
• The Day program was in the mid to upper 50s.

In 2001 the rate of first time takers on the Bar Exam from SWLAW was 72%, the next year it was 71%, in 2003 it dropped to 58%, and this year it is 57%. While I sincerely hope that I am wrong, I don't have much faith in this year's 3Ls to reverse the trend. I do have greater faith in my graduating class, but that's probably due to a heavily biased opinion.