ORLANDO, Florida -- There’s some good news at Florida A&M University.
For the first time since its College of law was re-established in 2000, the the first-time pass rate for Florida Bar exam test takers exceeded the state average. Twenty-three students took the test in February and 19 passed. At 82.6 percent, the FAMU College of Law beat the state average of 80.2 percent. It also came out ahead of five other law schools in the state.
“We are extremely pleased with the efforts of the administration, faculty and students of the FAMU College of Law,” said Larry Robinson, interim president of FAMU. “This news could not have come at a better time. The examination results clearly demonstrate that the right steps are being taken to ensure that our law students are prepared to enter their profession. Congratulations to the FAMU College of Law.”
FAMU Interim Provost Rodner Wright, who also serves as vice president for academic affairs, was also pleased with the nearly 20-point increase in the passage rate. “It is clear that the university is committed to continuous improvement,” Wright said. “That commitment is evident in the hard work of the administration, faculty and staff of the College of Law.”
In addition to exceeding the state average for the first time, this rate represents the first time in FAMU’s history that the College of Law scored above 80 percent for either the February or July Bar Exam. The 82.6 percent rate represents a 17.1 point increase from the prior highest rate for February Bar that was achieved a year ago at 65.5 percent.
Among Florida's public universities, FAMU finished behind FSU (24 of 25, 96.0 percent) and Florida International University (33 of 36, 91.7 percent), but ahead of the University of Florida (16 of 22, 72.7 percent).
“We are very proud of our recent graduates and we commend them for the dedication they have shown to achieve this milestone,” said LeRoy Pernell, College of Law Dean. “These results are a testament to the excellent quality of our curriculum and academic support programs at the FAMU College of Law.”
The history-making bar passers will return to the College of Law on Monday, April 22 to be sworn in during the college’s ninth Oath of Admission Ceremony in the Ceremonial Moot Courtroom. The Oath of Attorney will be administered by the Honorable Belvin Perry Jr., Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit.
The public event will begin at 6:30 p.m.
February 2013 Examination Overall Passing Method Statistics (PDF - 36k) (Click here to view original letter shown below)
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Coach Kevin Ritsche has no trouble finding good things to say about his Winston-Salem State baseball team.
