Graduates of the UM School of Law taking the Mississippi Bar Examination for the first time scored 25 percent above the state’s average for people taking the exam for the first time. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
OXFORD, Miss. – Graduates of the University of Mississippi School of Law who were first-time takers of the Mississippi Bar Examination passed at a rate of 73.7 percent for the July 2018 cycle, substantially higher than the state’s average of 58.8 percent for graduates taking the bar exam for the first time.
The overall state average is composed of test takers from the UM law school, Mississippi College School of Law and out-of-state schools.
“Despite recent fluctuations in the number of students applying to law school nationally, the University of Mississippi School of Law has maintained the same high admissions requirements we have applied for decades,” said Susan Duncan, UM law dean.
“As a result of this decision and the implementation of new academic support programs, we continue to produce top-notch graduates who are prepared for the bar examination and the practice of law.”
Susan Duncan
Over the next several weeks, the school will receive bar passage reports from other states, which will be compiled into a comprehensive report to examine the continued improvement of bar passage for Ole Miss law graduates.
“Although we celebrate our alumni that passed, we will continue to consider how to improve our pass rate,” Duncan said. “Our focus has always been and will continue to be preparing our students for life after law school, which includes giving students the skills needed to succeed on the bar exam and in their practice or chosen career paths.”
Some 175 students took the bar exam in July. Thirty-eight of those were first-time takers from UM.
For more information, visit https://law.olemiss.edu/.