Empirical Reflections: A Statistical Evaluation of Bar Exam Program Interventions

Abstract

The bar exam seems like a formidable hurdle to many law students. Consistent with approaches at other law schools, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law instituted a Bar Passage Program, primarily aimed at academically struggling students, consisting of three core components – a second year legal analysis course, a final semester pre-bar legal analysis problem-solving course, and a post-graduate supplemental bar success workshop program. This article walks through the step-by-step processes of statistically evaluating such interventions and explores whether such interventions are statistically warranted, particularly for students that struggled academically in law school. Using data over the course of a three-year period, this article finds that active learning participation in the Bar Passage Program is beneficial to students, in particular, those who struggled academically in law school.

Keywords: bar exam, LSAT, LGPA, law school grades, legal analysis, graduation, experiential learning, active learning, statistics, statistical analysis, regression, writing assignments, writing feedback