June 20, 2011

Cooley Law School Bar Passage Rate Hits 80-Plus Percent Mark for 10th Consecutive Time

The University of Michigan Law School edged out Thomas M. Cooley Law School for first place in the percentage of first-time takers who passed the Michigan Bar Examination in February 2011, based on the results recently announced and listed below:

School                                    Passing          Taking            Pass Percentage

University of Michigan                    15                    17                           88.2
Cooley                                         169                  194                           87.1
Michigan State                               16                    19                           84.2
Detroit-Mercy                                 25                    31                           80.6
Wayne State                                  18                    23                           78.3            

All Takers*                                   300                  348                           86.2

*Total includes those taking the exam from outside of Michigan

For Cooley, this marks 10 consecutive Michigan bar examinations with a score of 80 percent first-time passage rate or more, dating back to July 2006.

President and Dean Don LeDuc said, "You don't hear sports fans yell, 'we're number two,' so we'd like to think of the accomplishment as the silver medal. Cooley is unfairly criticized by some because we have an access mission and try to be inclusive with admissions. The results over the last five years show that a law school can combine access with academic rigor and produce great law school graduates who compete favorably with graduates of schools with more exclusionary admissions policies."

Associate Dean Charles Cercone complimented the school’s faculty and staff for their efforts in preparing the students for the rigors of the Michigan Bar Examination.  He noted that Cooley has a faculty that is highly regarded by the students and a staff that provides great academic support and bar preparation programs. "On behalf of our faculty, I offer congratulations to these graduates for their outstanding achievement," said Cercone.

Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation.  Founded in 1972, the private, non-profit law school operates J.D. programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Today, Cooley Law School has more than 15,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and also offers joint degree and master of laws programs. Cooley offers enrollment three times a year; in January, May and September. Additional information about Cooley can be found at cooley.edu.