FAMU law school rates improve

The Florida A&M College of Law has improved its bar passing rate by 10 percent within the last year.

In July the FAMU College of Law had a 62.5 percent passing rate. It improved from a 52.5 percent pass rate last July.

Out of the 12 Law Schools in the state of Florida, FAMU Law School had the highest percentage yearly increase of students to pass the bar exam the first time they took it. The Law School with the second highest increase only increased their yearly bar passing rate by four percent.

Despite the increase of the bar passing rate for the FAMU Law School, it is still the lowest-ranked Law School in the state of Florida.

In July of 2009, the FAMU College of Law was awarded full accreditation by the American Bar Association.

“I am glad to say that our institution is really improving. The new programs that we have here at our school will help to prepare the students for the bar exam,” said Dean LeRoy Pernell.

The institution has incorporated new classes into itscurriculum and has also added new programs that will help improve students writing and analytical skills for the bar exam. The bar preparation programs concentrate on strong support and training for the exam year-round.

“My goal for our institution was to engage in an aggressive program so that we can attract stronger students from all over and that’s exactly what our program is attracting: strong and intelligent students not only nationwide, but worldwide,” said Pernell.

In 2010 the U.S News & World Report named the FAMU College of Law as the most diverse law school in the nation. It held the same title during the 2006-2007 school year.

Although the FAMU College of Law is located in Orlando, FL, there is a Pre-law program at the Tallahassee campus. Students are able to take six courses with 18 credit hours for a pre-law minor. The university does not currently offer a pre-law major.

“We are doing our best to prepare our students and hope that they will eventually go off to law school. We have a good relationship with the FAMU college of Law and hopefully our students will work on attending their law school in the near future,” said Attorney John Washington, Director of the FAMU Pre-law program.

Students who are interested in attending law school are encouraged to get a head start with the FAMU pre-law program.

“I am going to law school after I finish my undergrad here at FAMU, but I am still not sure of what law school to attend,” said Olamide Abimbola, 18, a first-year political science student from Miami. “FAMU’s College of Law might be one of my choices.”

The FAMU College of Law is hoping to continue increasing the number of students who pass the bar exam the first time around. They are also hoping to move up in their state rankings of law schools within the next year or so.