The Big Bad Wolf: Helping Students Conquer their Fear of the Bar Exam through P.A.S.S.- Preparation, Assessment, Self-Regulated Reflection, and Support

In light of the national decline in bar pass rates, coping with and addressing a law school’s bar passage rate is viewed by some as an insurmountable undertaking. However, I see it as an invaluable opportunity to redefine who are as law professors. Most importantly this challenge provides an opportunity for us as educators to train future attorneys to become self-aware, confident, and component to handle the challenges presented by the legal profession. tion (“ABA”) has made it quite clear to accredited law schools and those seeking accreditation that bar passage is now a paramount factor in retaining and obtaining accreditation. To that end, year after year, proposals are being reviewed by the ABA with the overall goal of defining what is an acceptable bar passage rate for ABA approved law schools. As a result, some law schools find themselves scrambling to implement programming and courses aimed at facilitating success on the bar exam. While some will argue the bar exam itself should be the major focus of a law school’s curriculum, others will argue in the alternative that the bar exam does not accurately assess the worthiness of a law school graduate to practice law. Irrespective of the side of the argument you take, it is undeniable that helping students to acknowledge and conquer their fears associated with the bar exam is a necessary step to assist them in passing the bar exam