The Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is first in the state for the percentage of first time takers to pass the bar exam.
The Tennessee bar exam in July 2001 saw 92.1 percent of students from the University of Memphis pass on their first try, which was well above the state’s average of 81.2 percent.
This is no fluke though. The 40-year-old law school has graduated over 4,500 licensed attorneys to date and has a record of producing students who do well on the exam.
In February 2001, 85.7 percent of first time takers passed, compared to the state’s average of 81.1 percent. And in July 2000, 92.2 percent passed the first time in comparison to the 83.1 percent in the overall state.
A high standard of teaching and a comprehensive curriculum are to thank for this statistic, according to Barbara Kritchevsky, associate dean for Academic Affairs.
“We do not make any special efforts to ensure a high pass rate,” Kritchevsky said. “We believe that if we do our jobs teaching and require students to work hard and learn the material, they will succeed on the bar.”
The bar exam is given twice a year, once in February and once in July. To become an attorney, a person has to pass the bar exam in the state in which he or she wishes to practice. Because each state’s laws are different, each state’s bar exam is unique.
Focusing on Tennessee state laws gives students a step ahead on the bar exam, according to U of M professor Janet Richards.
“I teach a farm law class, which is a state-oriented course,” Richards said. “The laws differ from state to state, so by focusing on the laws in Tennessee, students have an edge on the exam.”
Another factor that aids in the bar exam is the school’s required curriculum, said assistant dean Charles DeWitt.
“We require more courses that will be covered on the bar exam,” DeWitt said. “The courses may be difficult, but when it comes to taking the bar exam, it really pays off.”
Also, the courses that are required are very practical.
“The professors work in a lot of real life situations and apply them to the class,” DeWitt said. “So students get a heavy dose of practical law which goes a long way on the exam.”
A lot of the students’ success depends on the student.
According to Kritchevsky, the school attempts to admit only students who are capable of graduating from law school and passing the bar.
“Every year, the school makes an increase in terms of its student profile,” DeWitt said. “Entering students generally have a high undergraduate GPA and did well on the LSAT. Our students are very motivated to getting an education and passing the bar.”
For example, 75 percent of the entering class of 2001 had a GPA of 3.29 and made a 155 on the LSAT.
According to the school’s web page, www.law.memphis.edu, of the 800 applicants for the 2000-01 school year, only 150 students were admitted.
“Our students do well even in other states’ exams,” DeWitt said. “We had one student go to Florida after graduating from Memphis, and she scored the highest in her district.”
Richards added, “We just have high expectations in the classroom. Our students are very well prepared when they leave Memphis law school.”
