February 2009 Florida Bar kicked some butt... FSU, UF, Miami all tank

[botbot]

http://lawschoolheadlines.com/?p=165

What happened?

[NYCFed]

Wow, I'll be eager to see what they say happened... hope my wife doesn't see this, she'll use it as an argument to go to Stetson over any other school that may admit me.

What percentage of February Bar takers are 2nd attempts?

[iahurricane]

How many people even take the Feb bar? The vast majoriy takes it in the summer so those passage rates would be much more relavent.

[botbot]

How many people even take the Feb bar? The vast majoriy takes it in the summer so those passage rates would be much more relavent.

2367 v 784

[Ninja1]

Yeah, pretty crazy. Still, I'd be curious to know how many of those were repeat takers. Feb almost always has lower pass rates and repeaters always have lower pass rates than first timers.

[peeps]

In my opinion, the Florida Bar Examiners readjusted the exam in light of the results in July. I've analyzed the essays  and I thought the three essays questions were more difficult than in prior years - the layers of analysis were more specific than the July's essays, which were more general. The results were the first time takers, not repeat takers.  The law schools and barbri/other review courses should have known this was to happen and told the students to prepare for this readjustment of the bar rate.

Besides the embarassment, I think the Florida law schools and its students will be ok come July.  The only Florida school that is up the creek without a paddle is FAMU.  Florida A&M College of Law's scores were not only the lowest in the school's history at 52.3%, but the ABA is making its final decision on accreditation.  Based on these bar results, regardless of how the other law schools did, the ABA will have to take this lowest bar pass rate in the school's history into consideration.  Too bad for them.  They went from the highest in their history in July to the lowest in their school's history - well, that's what happens when you put an inexperienced legal writing director and inexperienced bar prof with no teaching experience in charge of the program.

[Ninja1]

In my opinion, the Florida Bar Examiners readjusted the exam in light of the results in July. I've analyzed the essays  and I thought the three essays questions were more difficult than in prior years - the layers of analysis were more specific than the July's essays, which were more general. The results were the first time takers, not repeat takers.  The law schools and barbri/other review courses should have known this was to happen and told the students to prepare for this readjustment of the bar rate.

Besides the embarassment, I think the Florida law schools and its students will be ok come July.  The only Florida school that is up the creek without a paddle is FAMU.  Florida A&M College of Law's scores were not only the lowest in the school's history at 52.3%, but the ABA is making its final decision on accreditation.  Based on these bar results, regardless of how the other law schools did, the ABA will have to take this lowest bar pass rate in the school's history into consideration.  Too bad for them.  They went from the highest in their history in July to the lowest in their school's history - well, that's what happens when you put an inexperienced legal writing director and inexperienced bar prof with no teaching experience in charge of the program.

Sucks for FAMU, but now if we can just get rid of another 5 or 6 dumps in FL we might get the diploma privilege (ultra-wishful thinking).