Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is proud to announce another year of outstanding bar examination performance, reinforcing our mission to prepare graduates for success in the legal profession. In recent years, we have celebrated historic bar outcomes, including a 92.45% two-year ultimate bar passage rate for the Class of 2022.
That trajectory has continued. For the Class of 2023, AJMLS achieved a 90% two-year pass rate, marking the second-highest rate in school history. The school remains on track to report similar strong results for the Class of 2024.
Scot Goins, Associate Dean of Academic Achievement, Bar Success, and Data Analytics, shared,
“I am pleased to share that Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) continues to shine in terms of bar passage rate. AJMLS will report its second-highest two-year bar passage rate in school history, following our stellar 92.45% rate for the graduating class of 2022, with a 90% rate for the graduating class of 2023. We remain comfortably on track for similar results for the graduating class of 2024.
In terms of our July 2025 Georgia bar passage rate, our 2025 graduating class achieved a 71% pass rate, continuing the trend of improvement in first-time statistics. Although the state-reported rate is 67.4% for AJMLS, this reflects additional takers from prior graduation years. The 71% is more reflective of where we are as an institution with the most recent graduating class.”
This 71% first-time pass rate for the Class of 2025 underscores the continued success of AJMLS’s bar readiness initiatives. While the state-reported rate includes examinees from previous years, the 71% result more accurately represents the strong performance of the most recent graduating class and reflects steady growth in student outcomes.
These results hold deep significance not only for our students and alumni but also within the broader framework of accreditation. As an ABA-accredited law school, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is proud to meet the rigorous standards set by the American Bar Association (ABA), which considers bar passage rates a critical measure of a law school’s effectiveness in preparing graduates for the legal profession. Under ABA Standard 316, accredited law schools must maintain a minimum two-year bar passage rate of 75%. AJMLS’s recent results far exceed this requirement and underscore the success of our academic programming and student support systems.
A key component of this achievement has been the work of the Office of Academic Achievement and Bar Success (AABS). The AABS team provides individualized academic coaching, bar preparation strategies, and data-driven programming designed to strengthen students’ skills and confidence before the exam. This department, led by Dean Goins, is central to the law school’s ongoing commitment to bar readiness and student success. Dean Goins is quick to note that academic achievement and bar success is a team effort:
“AJMLS is committed to successful student outcomes. Our distinguished faculty, our hardworking staff, and our team in AABS (Professors Smith, Holmes, and Phillips-Biondini) all go above and beyond to support our students and alumni. We are so proud of what the alumni have accomplished, and it is an honor to be part of their journeys.”
Dean Goins also serves as the voice behind The Law School Brief, a blog that offers practical advice, study strategies, and encouragement for current and prospective law students. Through this platform, he continues to promote a culture of discipline, reflection, and improvement that resonates throughout the AJMLS community.
The success celebrated today is the result of collaboration and dedication across the entire AJMLS network. Our faculty’s expertise, our alumni’s mentorship, and our students’ perseverance have all contributed to these achievements. Together, they reflect a shared commitment to excellence and a deep belief in the transformative power of legal education.
As AJMLS looks ahead, we remain focused on further strengthening our academic support, enhancing curriculum design, and continuing a data-informed approach to student learning and bar preparation. With this foundation and community spirit, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School continues to build a future defined by opportunity, achievement, and lasting impact.