Peter Vieth//April 28, 2016
The numbers continue to drop for would-be Virginia lawyers taking the February bar exam.
The two-day February exam — a small-scale alternative to the more heavily attended bar examination in July — has seen a steady decline in the number of applicants.
This year, 458 people completed the exam, compared to 484 last year, 547 in 2014 and 564 in 2013.
The pass rate this year was 57.64 percent, a slight drop from 59.30 percent last year.
The full list of successful applicants is posted on the website of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners, which provides the figures.
There are two lists. The first is “Pass List Licensed” — the list of those who passed the February exam, have completed all other admission requirements and were licensed as of April 22.
The second list is “Pass List Not Licensed.” Those applicants still have outstanding admission requirements.
The pass rates for Virginia’s eight law schools are in the chart below.
The new lawyers will be admitted before a special session of the Supreme Court of Virginia on June 8 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Pass rates for all Virginia Bar Exam applicants and for law schools in Virginia:
|
First-time Takers Percentage |
Overall Percentage |
All February 2016 Bar Exam Applicants |
65.44% |
57.64% |
Virginia Law Schools: | ||
Appalachian School of Law |
66.67% |
33.33% |
College of William and Mary |
100.00% |
60.00% |
George Mason University |
100.00% |
83.33% |
Liberty University |
50.00% |
45.45% |
Regent University |
66.67% |
73.08% |
University of Richmond |
63.64% |
75.76% |
University of Virginia |
90.00% |
82.35% |
Washington and Lee University |
50.00% |
83.33% |