The St. Petersburg Times has spared no ink in criticizing the FAMU College of Law’s bar passage rate. An August 2007 article stated:“FIU is already fully accredited and on the bar exam early this year had the highest passage rate in the state, 94.4 percent. FAMU, meanwhile, has the lowest bar passage rate, with a little more than half of the students passing. The national pass rate in 2006 for first-time test takers was 79 percent, according to the ABA.”
The Times only cited FAMU’s first-time bar passage rate. The overall passage rate is conspicuously absent.
According to page 26 of FAMU’s March 2008 ABA report, FAMU’s overall bar passage rates have been the following: June 2005, 70.6%; February 2006, 71.4%; July 2006, 70.3%; February 2007, 70.9%; and July 2007, 81.3%.
The 70-81 percent passage rates are much larger than the "little more than half" statistic listed in the Times.
These rates prove that (1) the overwhelming majority of FAMU’s law students are passing the bar and (2) most FAMU law students are resilient men and women who persevered through tough circumstances.
Again, the question must be asked: How much better could the bar passage rates have been if former Interim President Castell Bryant hadn’t withheld $5M from the law school’s 2006-2007 budget? How much additional bar exam preparation could $5M dollars have provided?
I extend a Hubba to Big Rattler. I'm not really that old school, but the endearment is there. Tight work.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We plan to make RN Fact Check a regular feature.
ReplyDeleteWow...that's how they try to get us with stats. And to think that FSU, UF, FIU, and the rest of them think we complain about these kinds of issues for no legitimate reason...knowing they'd cause an uproar if someone made a "simple error" on their statistics.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: were the rates listed for FIU, FSU and the other law schools first time rates or overall ? If they were first timers then this seems to be an Apples to Oranges comparison.
ReplyDeleteThe first time takers percentage is really all that matters. No one wants to take the bar twice! A decent law school prepares their students to pass it the very first time.
ReplyDeleteActually, what matters is passing the bar. You might be surpised at how many great lawyers across this country take the bar twice. They will tell you that passing the bar requires work by the school and, more particularly, the student.
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of current and graduating students of the law program, please remember that beyond these statistics lie dreams, a lot of hard work, a critically underserved population, and a need to support their families. The students need strong advocates, not naysayers with little to lose. Every ill-informed opinion results in a greater than likely reduction in starting salary.
If you actually knew how often FAMU law students routinely excel against students from other nationally recognized programs you would be shocked at the stark contrast between the constantly reported negative news and the reality. If you understood the impact the students are having on the community through its 7th-ranked (nationally) clinics and its volunteer programs, you might find reasons to be proud.
The school and the students are finally getting consistent support and the positive publicity is finally surfacing. Please consider this before you offer your negative opinion.
When a new program or anything new begins, it will undoubtedly have its kinks. Is it possible that FIU staff and leadership was oe maybe is superior to FAMU? Maybe. But that doesn't mean that FAMU has to accept that. They need to re-organize and work through their issues. This law school has tremendous potential to succeed. It will take dedicated leadership, committment from both students and faculty. If FAMU elects to sow good rich seeds, they will flourish. However if they don't, then more likely than not the law school will suffer and ultimately close down. I hope it succeeds. I have future aspirations to become a lawyer and I strongly feel that FAMU can be great in due time. But like anything else, they must put in the work first.
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