Download Full Volume - UDC Law Review

YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 17C. Identifying Factors Responsible for Low Bar Passage.In 1999, Dean Broderick asked the BPTF to investigate the causes of theSchool of Law's low bar passage rate and make recommendations to improve it. 48In June 1999, the BPTF issued an interim report, recommending to the facultyand the administration measures to strengthen bar preparation efforts. Theseitems included gathering literature on bar exams, including surveys of other lawschools' course coverage and subjects tested on bar exams, surveys of alumniperceptions and common problems of bar passage, raising student awarenessabout the bar, and publishing regular articles in the School of Law's newsletter,The Advocate. 49 The School of Law also began funding financial scholarships forcompletion of the bar preparation program. 50Studies also indicated that law students with lower numerical predictors andthose in the bottom quartile of their class had difficulties in passing the bar. 51Based on the results of the 1999 Cort study, UDC-DCSL law students with a 2.8GPA had a 25% chance of bar passage. 52 During this period, an effort also wasmade to strengthen the curriculum of bar tested subjects in core courses. TheSchool of Law made a conscious commitment throughout the ensuing years to"provid[ e] ample resources to support and encourage high risk and low performingstudents. ,,53 Starting with the class of 2002, the School of Law made additionalscholarships available to help defray summer commercial bar coursesoffered to students who successfully completed the course in Remedies. It wasthought that the Remedies class provided a substantial doctrinal review of manyof the multi-state subjects tested on the bar exam. 54 Professors who taught bartested courses also were instructed to parallel course content to the multi-statesubjects where appropriate.Additionally, the Academic Support Program, headed by Professor LaurieMorin, conducted bar workshops on substantive review and bar testing of multiplechoice questions. The School of Law also hired a specialized instructor,known as the Mason Enhancement Fellow, to assist in conducting bar workshops,focusing on essay and mUltiple choice questions. 55 Today, the key components to48 The BPTF was formally adopted in 1998. See Self Study, supra note 28.49 See Jim Gray, The Bar Corner, THE ADVOCATE, Spring 2002, at 14. Professor Graychaired and later co-chaired the BPTF.50 Self Study, supra note 28.51 White, supra note 40, at 453.52 Cort, supra note 42.53 See Self Study, supra note 28, at 21.54 See Self Study, supra note 28, at 19; see also DENISE RIEBE & MICIIAEL SCIIWAR"I7., PASSTilE BAR! (2006).55 See Self Study, supra note 28, at 23. Adjunct Professor John Terzano became the first MasonEnhancement Fellow. He is now an adjunct professor at UDC-DCSL, part of the academic supportprogram, and a member of the BPTF.