Results for February’s South Carolina bar exam were released May 1, and Charleston School of Law saw a marked improvement in its passage rates compared to 2014, while the rest of the field looked relatively similar to a year ago.
Charleston sat 70 examinees, with 43 of them making the grade, for a pass rate of 61.43 percent. Charleston rebounded from last February’s showing, in which just 47.76 percent (32 of 67) of its graduates passed the exam. The 2014 pass rate was down 11 percent from 2013.
Fewer graduates sit for February’s exam than for the July exam, which can contribute to greater fluctuations in passage rates than would be typical for the July exam.
Overall, 63.45 percent of the test-takers passed the exam, compared to 61.96 percent in 2014. Of 249 aspiring attorneys who took the bar, 158 passed.
The University of South Carolina School of Law scored a pass rate of 58.33 percent, with 21 of its 36 test-takers passing the bar. That is down slightly from last February’s 62.16 percent.
Of 143 out-of-state test-takers, 94 passed, for a success rate of 65.73. In 2014, 68.21 percent of examinees who attended schools other than Charleston or USC passed the February exam.
The swearing-in ceremony for applicants who have completed all requirements for admission to the South Carolina State Bar will be held on May 18 at 2:30 p.m. at the Koger Center in Columbia.