Bar Preparation Program

High Bar Exam Pass Rate for First-time Takers

Duquesne University School of Law achieved an 85.96 percent pass rate for first-time takers of the July 2012 bar exam administered by the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners. The School of Law's rate exceeded the state average first-time pass rate of 83.01 percent.

This is the seventh consecutive year Duquesne exceeded the state average.

The statistics point to the success of the School of Law's comprehensive bar preparation program, which is ranked 22nd in the nation, according to National Jurist magazine's 2012 report. The School of Law created a Director of Bar Services position in 2006 to administer the bar preparation program, including teaching two core competency courses and working with students individually and in small study groups to maximize their scores on the bar examinations.

The courses, Core Competencies for Legal Practice I and II, build upon the fundamental concepts learned in the first two years of law school. Both courses provide detailed information on the form and substance of bar examinations, including subjects tested on the multistate bar examination and subjects tested on the essay portion of the Pennsylvania bar examination. Lecture topics include substantive law, character and fitness issues, and multiple-choice test taking skills. Students also learn how to respond to performance test questions that are a critical component of bar examinations.

Read more about Duquesne University School of Law's bar preparation and bar passage rates.