The Need for Bar Support and Its Place within the Law School

• Author: Sara J. Berman
• Profession: Concord's Assistant Dean of Bar Support Programs and is also the Assistant Dean of Academic Support and Bar Support at Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California
• Pages: 1-3

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THE NEED FOR

BAR SUPPORT AND

ITS PLACE WITHIN

THE LAW SCHOOL

Now more than ever, with the economic climate and attacks on law schools (some jus-

tied, some not), we need to improve bar pass rates. Students face enormous burdens

graduating with oppressive student loan debt, yet too many still do not see, fully appre-

ciate, and do their utmost to avoid the enormous costs that come from failing the bar.

Bar repeaters must spend money on additional bar review courses, they lose income

while studying for the next exam, they may nd future job opportunities diminished

because of one or more bar failures, and they often pay prolonged psychological costs.4

Standards for licensing new lawyers will continue to evolve. Note for example the

recent adoption of practice and pro bono requirements in New York and discussions

underway to do so in other jurisdictions such as California. So far, despite the many

and sometimes vocal critics of bar exams, all of these requirements have been or are

contemplated to be imposed on candidates in addition to bar passage. us, bottom

line, unless and until bar exams are eliminated, we must do all that is in our power to

help students pass them.5

Since the ABA’s relatively recent shift in allowing law schools to oer bar prepara-

tion courses for credit, bar support and bar courses have become familiar parts of law

schools. e conclusions reached in 2002 of an AALS survey of bar support classes

and programs seem as relevant today as they were a decade ago: “e AALS Com-

mittee on Bar Admissions and Lawyer Performance concluded that preparation for

the bar examination is an important issue for law schools as well as their graduates.

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