As a rule, when UK falls behind other Kentucky colleges, people start to notice. This is no different with the recent findings that UK Law students are passing the bar exam — a mandatory test given to any lawyer wishing to practice law in a certain state — at a lower percentage rate than Northern Kentucky University and the University of Louisville, according to a Jan. 22 Kernel article.
UK’s first-time takers had a passage rate of 83 percent, which was 6 percentage points lower than NKU and the all-time takers passage rate dropped 12 percentage points.
One suggestion to fix these declining statistics would be to offer bar exam courses as a part of the curriculum. However, currently the American Bar Association accreditation rules say that a law school may not count such a course toward academic progress or require students to take it.
So even if UK were to offer the classes as a part of the curriculum, it would not be something that would help with graduating students — UK’s main goal. However, the way to attain the accolades and praise that comes with being a top level institution requires doing things that set you apart from other schools.
“I am not in the business of competing against other law schools,†Mary Davis, associate dean of administration for the College of Law “My business is educating our students … Âand ensuring that, to the extent that we can, our students pass.â€
That is a fair statement, especially when considering the ABA’s rules regarding bar exam prep classes. But what UK can do even if it doesn’t offer the prep courses is make course offerings more accessible to students so they can learn the material that will be on the exam. After all, law schools are tasked with teaching students how to think like lawyers, but how can students think like a lawyer if they aren’t properly prepared?
The reported decline may not be the end of the world, but it may be time to raise the bar for UK’s curriculum.
(1) “I am not in the business of competing against other law schools,†Mary Davis, associate dean of administration for the College of Law “My business is educating our students … and ensuring that, to the extent that we can, our students pass.â€
(2) That is a fair statement, especially when considering the ABA’s rules regarding bar exam prep classes. But what UK can do even if it doesn’t offer the prep courses is make course offerings more accessible to students so they can take learn the material that will be on the exam. After all, law schools are tasked with teaching students how to think like lawyers, but how can students think like a lawyer if they aren’t properly prepared?
(1) Your students are sub-par, deal with it. Competition is what drives all organizations, without it you get fat and lazy like Davis.
(2) Take Learn The Material?? I think you meant to say ‘ Take Home and Learn the Subject Matter’?? Think like Lawyers?? What tripe is that?? Lawyers should uphold the Law and nothing else. When Lawyers uphold the Law they validate the Constitution. Only the Military Can Protect and Enforce the Constitution. The pen is useless without the sword. State your case Plebe.
Declining pass rates, does not mean that UK law students are sub-par. UK Law admittees consistently have higher GPA and LSAT scores than those at Chase (NKY) and Brandeis (UofL). With all due respect to those schools, UK Law is generally considered “the best” school in KY. Ask most any student applying to law schools in KY. (The best is very subjective, but I do beleive that UK law is probably above those schools on the lists of most law school applicants).
Second, there is plenty of competition in law schools. It is refreshing to hear Associate Dean Davis say that UK Law focuses on the legal education, not the competition among law schools.
Here are some suggestions (which any school would be wise to consider):
1. Teach and test on Bar Exam material:
For subjects tested on the bar, teach bar exam law (blackletter), in addition to the normal curriculum. Also, teach KY law on that subject to the extent it differs.
Test students like a bar exam. 1/2 of the exam would be multiple choice questions, 1/4 would be mutli-state essay, and 1/4 would be KY essay. Use actual old bar exam questions.
This will not be a popular among professors, but it is practical and ensures that students are exposed to the material tested on the bar exam.
2. Bar subject courses:
Require or strongly encourage (through incentive) all students to take the UK Law courses offered that are tested on the bar exam.
All the required classes taken by first year law students are tested on the bar. However, Uk Law offers other courses that are the subject of testing on the bar exam, but are not required course work(i.e. secured transactions, Con Law II, etc.). If students don’t have these courses in law school, then they will have to learn them before the bar.
3. Tuition breaks for Bar Review courses:
Bar review courses have a proven record of bar pass success.
The bar is expensive, and bar review courses are very expensive (largely due to thier success). Whats more, after graduation, students no longer have access to student loans, not financially sensible loans anyway, to pay for the bar review courses. Law students preparing for the bar, should not, and most do not (can not), work to pay for these costs.
UK Law school should incorporate into tuition the costs of bar review (and the bar exam) over the three years of law school. Come the summer after graduation, every graduate has a seat in a bar review course (and UK writes the check for the bar exam too).
4. Focus on the bar exam:
The bar should not be the dreaded exam that is not spoken about until graduation. The law school should have programs about the exam for 3rd year students. Have former students and bar-examiners speak to the class. The Uk law website should have an everything bar exam section. The law library should have a bar review material section.
Those are my thoughts, for what they are worth.