Georgia Law leads in bar exam passage rate, grads of state’s flagship law school prove preparedness for legal career

Georgia Law leads in bar exam passage rate, grads of state’s flagship law school prove preparedness for legal career Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Writer: Joselyn Butler Baker, 404/929-9081, joselyn@butler-baker.com Contact: Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge, 706/542-7140, borut@uga.edu UGA School of Law leads in bar exam passage rate Grads of state’s flagship law school prove preparedness for legal career Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Law saw a higher percentage of its graduates pass the July 2015 administration of the state bar exam than any other law school in the state. UGA led both public and private law schools with regard to first-time takers and overall exam takers. “Our highest priority as a law school is to provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to be successful in their careers. These results send a clear signal that we are achieving that goal,” Georgia Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said. “I want to commend our faculty for their dedication to first-rate legal training and our students for their commitment to learning – both of which greatly factor into success on the exam.” Rutledge added that the law school is currently in the process of reaching out to its former students who did not pass in an effort to assist them. The passage rate for first-time test takers from Georgia Law was 87 percent, 9.2 percentage points higher than the state average of 77.8 percent for ABA-approved law schools. For all Georgia Law graduates who took the July 2015 exam, 85.4 percent passed. The bar exam is required in order to receive a license for practicing law. It is administered twice annually by the Supreme Court of Georgia Office of Bar Admissions. UGA School of Law Consistently regarded as one of the nation’s top public law schools, Georgia Law was established in 1859. Its accomplished faculty includes authors of some of the country’s leading legal scholarship. The school offers three degrees – the Juris Doctor, the Master of Laws and the Master in the Study of Law – and is home to the Dean Rusk International Law Center. Georgia Law is proud of its long tradition of providing first-rate legal training for future leaders who will serve state and nation in both the public and private sectors. For more information, see www.law.uga.edu. #