The percentage of people taking the bar exam to practice law in Vermont and passing it dropped significantly this year.
Seventy percent of those taking the July 2018 test in Vermont passed. But when the test was administered this past July, that percentage dropped 9 points, to 61.
Andy Strauss, a lawyer at the Vermont Office of Attorney Licensing, said with the small number of people who take the test in Vermont (in July, 76 people took the test, with 41 passing), a change in percent like that isn’t always as significant as it looks.
“Given Vermont’s small size, you can lose a few percentage points with a one or two applicant difference,” Strauss said.
However, Vermont’s numbers are still out of step with the pass rates nationally. The Uniform Bar Examination, which most states — including Vermont — use, saw a 1.6% increase in pass rates this year. Of the 30 states that have released scores so far, Vermont’s bar exam saw one of the largest drops in pass rates.
Vermont adopted the UBE, written by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, in July of 2016. Before that, Vermont used the multiple choice section from the uniform exam, but wrote its own essay questions to touch on Vermont-specific laws.
Strauss said that ever since the switch, scores have seen some fluctuation, though he noted it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
In July 2016, 66% of Vermont test-takers passed the bar. In July 2017, that number was 62%.
A spokesperson at Vermont Law School, the school that the majority of Vermont bar takers had attended, declined to comment.
There is also a less popular February test date each year, which typically sees lower scores. This year, that exam saw a 59% pass rate.
Strauss said at the end of the day, he doesn’t think people are very worried about the new numbers.
“This year is not out of the ordinary given what we’ve seen the past several years,” he said.
