What to Do About the Abysmal Outcomes for African-American Students on the California Bar Exam

The results were abysmal for American-American students on the February California bar exam.  According to one headline, Only 5% Of Black First-Time Takers Passed February California Bar Exam, Compared To 52% Of Whites, 42% Of Asians, And 31% Of Hispanics.  It is time that law schools do something about these terrible results.  Simply stated, our minority communities need more lawyers.

The problem is that some California law schools are admitting students with low indicators, then doing nothing to help these students. Educational research has demonstrated that schools can help struggling students by using better teaching methods. I have summarized this research in my books, How to Grow a Lawyer (2018) (for deans and law professors) and How to Succeed in Law School (2019) (for law students). Law schools can help minority students succeed if they use the right approach. There is no reason for these dismal results.

(Scott Fruehwald)