AccessLex Institute has released a study “[d]rawing on data from more than 13,000 law graduates from 36 law schools [that] examine[s] how academic performance (GPA and course grades) and coursework exposure (credit hours and course completion) relate to first-time bar passage. Results indicate that academic performance is more strongly associated with bar success than completing additional credits or specific bar-related courses.”
Here are the “key findngs”:
- “Academic performance is the strongest predictor of first-time bar passage, with doctrinal GPA and first-year GPA showing substantially stronger associations with bar success than coursework exposure.
- Performance in specific upper-level doctrinal coursework is more strongly associated with first time bar passage than completion of these courses.
- The findings suggest that law schools can best support bar outcomes by improving student learning, doctrinal mastery, and foundational competencies rather than simply requiring additional bar-tested courses. This paper is currently undergoing peer review.”
