News Releases

State Bar Study Expanded to July 2019 Bar Exam Applicants

The California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program, designed to help applicants navigate the challenges they face when preparing for the bar exam, will be offered again to applicants studying for the July 2019 exam. Online registration for the study program begins March 1.

The program was first offered to all applicants studying for the July 2018 exam. Initial results were promising: the program increased the likelihood of passing the bar exam by at least 7.4 percent among test takers who timely registered for the July 2018 bar exam. Due to small sample size, replication will be required to confirm the results.

“Preliminary results from last year are encouraging, but additional evaluation and more data are needed,” said Leah T. Wilson, Executive Director. “We are offering the California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program again, both to expand the study and because we want to do whatever we can to address the very legitimate concern about low bar pass rates in California. We are working with the program’s research team to streamline recruitment and program delivery for applicants preparing for the July 2019 bar exam.”

The California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program, developed by the State Bar in conjunction with a team of law and psychology researchers from Indiana University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University, has been designed to help students deal with challenges that can affect all students studying for the bar exam.

The online program includes an introductory film, stories from prior test takers, and a writing activity in which participants share insights and strategies that may be useful to them and to future test takers. The team used surveys and focus groups of recent California Bar Exam participants to develop the program’s content.

This study was supported by funding from AccessLex Institute.

Online registration for the California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program begins March 1 and closes June 3, 2019.
Registration for the program will remain open until June 7, 2019. 

The State Bar has undertaken a comprehensive series of studies to determine how to address declining bar exam pass rates.

Additional information: California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program

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The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.