In a promising development for the legal profession, bar exam pass rates in the United States rose significantly in 2024, with an encouraging narrowing of racial disparities, according to the latest data from the American Bar Association (ABA).
Nearly 83% of graduates from ABA-accredited law schools who took the bar exam for the first time passed, marking a notable improvement from the 79% first-time pass rate in 2023. This is the highest national first-time pass rate since 2020, when 84% of candidates passed.
Experts had predicted strong results for the 2024 bar exam, citing a large entering class from 2021 and the strong academic credentials of these enrollees.
The 2021 law school application cycle saw a 13% increase in applicants, fueled in part by the pandemic. This influx allowed law schools to be more selective, ensuring that those taking the bar exam were well-prepared.
The “ultimate bar pass rate,” which reflects the percentage of law graduates who pass the bar exam within two years of graduation, remained steady at over 90%, the same as last year’s class.
Significant improvements were also seen in several large states. California’s pass rate for the July 2024 bar exam rose to 54%, up from 52% in 2023, while New York posted its highest overall pass rate since 2013, reaching 69%—a three-percentage-point increase from the previous year.
While longstanding racial gaps in bar exam pass rates have been a topic of intense scrutiny, 2024 saw notable progress. The first-time pass rate for white candidates was 87%, compared with 81% for Asian examinees, 75% for Hispanic test-takers, and 65% for Black examinees.
However, the percentage-point gains for racial minority groups were greater than for white examinees, reflecting a promising trend towards greater equity in bar exam success.
Black and Asian first-time pass rates each increased by seven percentage points, while Hispanic test-takers saw a four-percentage-point increase. White candidates saw a three-percentage-point rise.
The ABA’s annual release of this data provides valuable insight into national trends and individual law school performances.
The figures serve as a critical resource for prospective law school applicants, offering transparency and guidance in their academic and career decisions.
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