The FAMU College of Law continues to demonstrate marked improvement in bar exam performance, with 76.1% of its first-time test takers passing the July 2025 exam — a significant jump from just two years ago and the latest sign of the institution’s renewed commitment to academic rigor and student support.
According to results released by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, 51 of the 67 FAMU Law graduates who took the July exam passed on their first attempt. The pass rate placed the college eighth among Florida’s 12 accredited law schools and reflected a steady upward trajectory: just two years earlier, in July 2023, the first-time pass rate was 41.7%. Last July, it stood at 67.2%.
The improvement was even more pronounced in the smaller February 2025 sitting, where the law school saw an 18.1% year-over-year increase, with 15 of its 23 test takers — 65.24% — passing the exam.
“Our eyes are fixed on 100%,” FAMU officials said in a statement. “Every student’s success is non-negotiable.”
The bar exam, a grueling two-day test that serves as the gateway to legal practice, is administered twice a year nationwide. The July exam typically draws far more test takers, including most recent May graduates, while the February administration is smaller and often includes repeat examinees.
Deans and legal educators across the country have long viewed bar passage rates as a critical metric of a law school’s effectiveness, influencing both reputation and admissions. For historically Black law schools like FAMU, which reopened its College of Law in Orlando in 2002 after a 35-year hiatus, these results carry particular weight.
“Bar passage isn’t just about a score — it’s about gatekeeping and access to the profession,” said Prof. Janel George, an expert in legal education and equity at Georgetown University Law Center. “For schools like FAMU that serve significant numbers of students of color, strong and improving bar outcomes signal institutional health and a commitment to student investment.”
FAMU Law administrators attribute the gains to enhanced academic support, including more robust bar preparation programs, individualized coaching, and earlier intervention for students who may be struggling.
“We’ve implemented a culture of success that begins on day one of law school,” said Dean Cecil Howard. “Our students are capable, and our job is to ensure they have the tools and confidence to demonstrate that on the bar exam.”
As the institution prepares future graduates for the next exam cycle, it has reaffirmed its pledge to, in its words, “bridge gaps and redefine excellence in legal education” — aiming not just to improve, but to lead.
With continued focus and strategic support, FAMU Law appears poised to continue its climb, shaking up the status quo of legal education in Florida and beyond.