Liberty Law graduates rank second in most overperforming graduates on bar exam, recent study shows

Liberty University School of Law graduates are among the most over-performing on the bar exam, coming in at No. 2 in the country in a recent study published in preLaw magazine.

The study — conducted by Jeffrey Kinsler, the founding dean of Belmont University College of Law — found that Liberty Law graduates are among the highest scoring students on the bar exam, overperforming the expectations based on LSAT scores and grade point averages upon intake into the law program.

The bar exam is the required test that law school graduates must pass if they are to be licensed to practice law in a specific state.

For the rankings, Kinsler compared the median incoming grade point averages and LSAT scores of law students who graduated between 2017 and 2019 to the ultimate bar passage rate of law school graduates, which is the percentage of law school students who pass the bar exam within two years of graduation.

Liberty has maintained high marks in bar passage rates in previous years, including coming in at No. 7 nationally in bar passage rates for the Liberty Law Class of 2018 and No. 17 nationally in the Class of 2019.

Additionally, within the School of Law’s 2020 class, more than 96% of graduates passed the bar exam within two years of graduation, five percentage points higher than the national average of 91% passage for 2020 law school graduates.

The rankings and statistics combine to show that the students’ drive, along with the practical lawyering skills curriculum implemented by School of Law leadership, create strong foundation for Liberty graduates to succeed in the profession.

“We teach a growth mindset,” said Professor of Law Rena Lindevaldsen, who plays a large role in Liberty Law’s bar preparation. “We try to instill from day one that despite what your numbers were coming in here … a growth mindset requires you to believe that you’re capable of improving no matter where you are starting. It means that professors are going to be realistic about where you’re at. You’re going to have to accept the constructive criticism, but we’re going to prepare you with the tools needed to move over that hurdle that is the bar exam.”

That mindset, Lindevaldsen added, helps students use their strong work ethic to pursue their dream careers.

“When we give them a plan for success, it gives them the motivation to put the hard work in to succeed,” she said. “They trust us. They believe what we tell them, and they’re willing to do the work because they believe that they can improve to get to the point to pass the bar.”

Lindevaldsen also said the program’s focus on promoting practical skills in the curriculum helps equip Liberty Law graduates with the tools to be successful on the exam and in the legal profession.

“From day one, we require them to take more skills courses, which make them do things they’re going to do when they graduate, such as drafting legal documents, and thinking like lawyers,” she said. “And I think that’s a big part of the success of our students.”

Along with emphasis on the rigorous curriculum and experiential learning is the high level of support provided by Liberty Law staff and professors, all the way through to graduation and the bar exam, pushing students across the finish line.

“We are here with them, literally 24/7 sometimes, to equip them academically, but it’s also an emotionally stressful time for the students. Sometimes it’s meeting them individually, sometimes it’s a hug or a note of encouragement,” Lindevaldsen said. “In just the summer leading up to the exam, they put in about 600 to 700 hours of work in a nine-week period. So the stress is always there, but we always want to come alongside them if we feel that the student needs it.”

Most importantly, Liberty Law professors remain engaged with the university’s original mission of Training Champions for Christ, creating lawyers who will be Christ-like advocates for their clients.

“We can’t ignore that God sees these students through, across the final hurdle of the bar exam and into practice, because He’s directing all of our paths,” Lindevaldsen said. “Statistically, we should be nowhere near where we are on bar passage based on incoming stats. It’s the hard work of the students and the faculty, but it’s also God. He’s got a purpose here and wants to see our students do something. And they’re out there doing it already.”