2009 SC Bar Exam Results Are In
The oft-maligned Charleston School of Law (CSOL) posted solid gains on the July 2009 South Carolina bar exam – and this time the school didn’t even need the S.C. Supreme Court to toss out any sections of the test!
Two years ago, CSOL attained a 70% passage rate on the bar exam – but only after S.C. Chief Justice Jean Toal and her colleagues got together and decided to throw out an entire section of the exam.
The result was mass hysteria, and accusations of collusion and corruption that continue to dog Toal and the Supremes to this day.
In addition to some issues with the American Bar Association, the scandal also led to a summit of sorts in Charleston between our founding editor, Sic Willie, and dozens of CSOL students who felt that their degrees had been devalued by our full-frontal assault on the credibility of their institution.
Anyway, that was then …
According to bar exam results released by the Court this week, CSOL obtained a 75.88% passage rate on the latest bar exam results – compared to the historically-superior University of South Carolina’s passage rate of 84.81%.
“Not there yet,” in other words, but CSOL is definitely making progress.
Props to its students and faculty for all of their hard work. We’ve (obviously) had a lot of fun at CSOL’s expense, and it’s nice to see that all the criticism has resulted in a desire on the school’s part to do better.
That’s what it’s all about, people.
Oh, and to those ungrateful tweeds who teach law at USC, you better hope your students’ digits never “fall below the yellow line …”
WEB EXTRA
Pic: Zazzle
Comments
By K Trane on October 24th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Fits, do you have any statistics on the bar passage rates in S.C. for out of state educated law students (like me)? My guess is the S.C. bar isn’t forgiving to those who were educated by yankees.
By James the Foot Soldier on October 24th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
75% and 85% passage rates?
Obviously a dumbed down test – and it shows in the lawyers that grow up to be legislators.
By fitsnews on October 24th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
James-
You rock!
-FITS
By Patrick Bland on October 24th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
K Trane
If you look at the bar results link that was posted at the bottom of this article, they have the pass rates for students from out of state law schools.
Cheers
Patrick
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on October 25th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Dumbed down, but maybe not dumb enough: Rep. Bakari Sellers apparently flunked.
By OhNoNotAgain on October 25th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Any data on the passage rates of daughters of sitting circuit court judges?
By K Trane on October 25th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Ouch 66% out of state law schools passage rate. I wonder if that’s solely recent graduates from out-of-state or include attorneys moving to SC and taking the bar. Thanks Patrick!
By Earl Capps on October 26th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Hey Not, Sellers was in law school?
By Toughgirl on October 26th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Congratulations to all who passed. Now, what in the world is SC going to do with 370 MORE lawyers???? Where are they going to work? Haven’t they read about lawyers getting laid off in droves? Supply and demand people.
By weighing in on October 26th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Yes, he was, but i don’t think he took the Bar this July is waiting until February 2010…could be wrong though
By Danielle on October 26th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I’m in the process of dealing with lawyers now and I can say firsthand that the bar exam must be a joke. I’m more competent than my former attorney and my current attorney and the opposing attorney. She doesn’t even verify her information before she states it as being truth in court then she ends up looking like a fool and tries to turn it all over on me for not being “forthcoming” with information that wasn’t for me to provide anyway. Anytime you make an allegation of someone’s employment or marital status, the least you can do as an attorney is make sure the information is accurate. I thought attorneys weren’t supposed to ask questions they didn’t already know the answer to…
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on October 26th, 2009 at 11:26 am
He (barely) graduated in 2008. What’s he waiting for? And why would he wait and take it during session? It seems to me that you would want to take it as soon as possible after finishing law school so the material would be fresh in your mind. But maybe it was never in his mind in the first place.
By tin star on October 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Sellers definitely took the bar in July 2009.
By Michael on October 26th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I was told that Sellers took and failed the bar in July 2008. Is that three strikes for him, or has he not taken it every time it’s been offered?
By James the Foot Soldier on October 26th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
danielle – did one of your attorney’s first name begin with a word that ryhmes with folly?
I had the pleasure of dealing with “folly” for a year – she displayed the worst lawyering skills I’ve seen in 25 years of dealing with these morons – and would have sunk plaintiff’s case had she not been fired.
Within 2 months of her firing the case was resolved.
If yours is a family court matter I strongly recommend mediation (sooner rather than later) and not with a mediator in Columbia – they are an incestuous (not to mention incompetent) clan.
By Observer on October 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Just a side note, the first-time test-takers from the CSOL passed the bar at 84% this year, for what it’s worth.
By My Two Cents on October 27th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
If Rep. Sellers has not passed the bar, why does he represesnt himself to be an attorney in his legislative biography? This appears to be a violation of the Code of Professional Conduct that should be reported to the South Carolina Bar’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
http://intranet.scstatehouse.gov/members/bios/1648863439.html
By Marty R on October 29th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Can anyone tell me where they administer the SC bar exam in February (and a hotel recommendation if you have one).
Many thanks.