Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) has reached a significant milestone in legal education excellence, achieving a 92.45% two-year Ultimate Bar Passage rate for 2022—the highest in recent history. This marks a steady and impressive increase over the past few years underscoring the effectiveness of our academic support and bar preparation initiatives. The 2022 rate places the school fourth among all legal institutions nationwide for an increase in the two-year bar pass percentage rate over two years, reflecting a 13.96% increase.* AJMLS proudly stands beside each of the other law schools in Georgia, all of whom can celebrate achieving two-year bar passage rates above 90%.
The American Bar Association (ABA), the accrediting body for law schools in the United States, closely monitors bar passage rates as a key indicator of a law school’s quality and its graduates’ preparedness for the legal profession. One of the most critical metrics is the two-year Ultimate Bar Passage rate, which measures the percentage of a law school’s graduates who pass the bar exam within two years of graduation. Under ABA Standard 316, accredited law schools must maintain a two-year pass rate of at least 75% to remain in good standing.
Achieving a 92.45% Ultimate Bar Passage rate not only surpasses the ABA’s accreditation requirement but also reflects our institution’s dedication to student and alumni success. The Office of Academic Achievement and Bar Success (AABS) has played a crucial role in this achievement by providing tailored support, strategic bar preparation programs, and personalized coaching to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. The team has also dedicated evenings and weekends to conduct workshops for bar takers, further providing additional support.
“This record-setting bar passage rate is a testament to our students’ dedication, our faculty’s commitment to excellence, and the effectiveness of our comprehensive bar support programming and data-analytic-driven initiatives,” said Assistant Dean of AABS, Scot Goins. “We will continue to refine and expand our resources to ensure that our graduates are successful on the bar exam and are prepared to enter the legal profession with knowledge, confidence, and readiness.” Dean Goins also highlighted the dedication and commitment of Professors Smith, Holmes, and Phillips-Biondini for their tireless efforts in supporting students. Finally, he recognized the importance of the entire institution in achieving this milestone and stated, “Every member of the AJMLS community plays a vital role in our success. The knowledge possessed by and the exceptional teaching of our faculty, the efforts of our administration and staff, the support of our alumni (including providing lunch for our examinees), and the hard work and dedication of our bar takers are all reflected in this percentage and are all key to institutional success.”
Regarding the increase, Dean Jace C. Gatewood noted, “Results such as this do not come overnight; they are the product of a true team effort. From the recruitment efforts that attract top students to our school, to the faculty who educate with excellence, the staff who provide unwavering support, and the broader community whose encouragement strengthens our foundation—we are proud of what we have accomplished together. This milestone reflects the dedication and resilience of everyone involved, and we are confident that this upward trend will continue. We look forward to building on this success and reporting even greater achievements in the years to come.”
As AJMLS celebrates this milestone, we renew our commitment to continuing to strengthen our academic and bar support initiatives, ensuring that future graduates continue to perform at the highest levels. This achievement is more than just a number—it represents the hard work, perseverance, and abilities of our students as they embark on their legal careers.
For more information about our bar success programs, browse the AABS department pages. Dean Goins also maintains an AJMLS blog, Law School Brief, that includes advice, tips, strategies, and information to help students perform their best academically, intellectually, and emotionally throughout their law school journey and beyond.
*2020 represents the last year AJMLS reported combined data with its former branch campus, Savannah Law School.