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Bar Passage Program

Preparing You To Pass The Bar!

Bar Ceremony 2019 Group Picture

One of the biggest challenges you will face as a law student is preparing for the bar exam. We want to make sure that when you take it you are confident in your ability to pass it. That is why the School of Law has an integrated and ambitious program for improving student success on the bar and in practice.

  • 86%

    bar passage rate for Class of 2023 first-time takers on the July 2023 Ohio Bar Exam (3rd among Ohio law schools)

  • 89%

    bar passage rate for Class of 2023 first-time takers on July 2023 bar exams outside Ohio

  • 92%

    bar passage rate for first graduating Online Hybrid J.D. cohort

Innovations In Teaching The Law

Our efforts go beyond simply doing prep work for the bar exam. We are improving the way you learn to think like a lawyer. The first-semester Learning Skills Lab course uses exercises and multiple formative assessments to help students develop the skills needed to be effective, self-regulated learners, critical readers and thinkers, and analytical writers. With a solid foundation on which to build, you will be ready for the material that will follow in your law school classes.

Focus On Foundational Courses And Formative Assessments

Students will have more time to focus on key, bar-tested subjects. Moreover, all major bar-tested courses provide a minimum of three formative assessments so students get individualized feedback to make mid-course corrections as needed.

Personalized Bar Preparation

Our final semester Bar Practice & Process course focuses on preparing students for the hardest examination of their lives by providing skill-building techniques in the context of substantive course review. Students who are struggling may be assigned Bar Mentors who can provide individualized attention throughout the semester and up to the bar examination.

Our Road to Bar Passage program provides unprecedented support to students who are preparing for a bar examination in any jurisdiction. For those sitting in July, the Road to Bar Passage program begins in mid-May and runs through mid-July, offering twice-weekly practice essay writing sessions and weekly practice MPT writing sessions. All submitted work receives individual, actionable feedback so students can improve their writing skills throughout the summer. The same program is offered for February first-time bar takers and repeat takers. All students, regardless of where they are sitting for the bar exam, are invited to participate in the program. Additionally, for those staying in Dayton, free, on-campus housing may be available for the duration of your bar study.

Character, Fitness & Other Qualifications for Bar Admission

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Glossary Of Bar Exam Terms

Uniform Bar Examination. More than half of the U.S. jurisdictions now utilize the UBE, including Ohio in July 2020. This exam has three components – MPT, MEE, and MBE.

Multistate Performance Test. This portion of the bar exam is a practical application portion of the test, where bar takers are provided the applicable facts and law and asked to draft a legal document.

Multistate Essay Exam. This portion of the bar exam tests substantive knowledge of 12 subjects, as well as writing skills and ability to apply specific fact patterns to the law.

Multistate Bar Exam. This is the multiple-choice section of the bar exam that tests substantive knowledge of 7 subject areas.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. Most students take this multiple-choice test while still in law school. It is required in nearly every jurisdiction.

CONTACT

School of Law

Keller Hall
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 2760
937-229-3555
Email