The 2004 bar examination outcomes all through america have been lower than inspiring. Solely 64% of bar takers really handed. The examination is obtainable twice every year in July and February, and simply final month, whereas many People loved summer season holidays, 77,000 legislation faculty graduates sat for the July 2006 bar examination. Among the many 77,000, over three,000 graduates sat for the Illinois bar examination with hopes of changing into Illinois attorneys.Illinois is residence to seven legislation colleges, which is greater than most states, and in response to the outcomes of the 2004 bar examination, solely 76% of Illinois bar takers will likely be licensed Illinois attorneys after commencement. Though 76% is much less grim than the nationwide common, it’s intestine wrenching from the angle of those that have spent three years of their lives in legislation faculty.Fueled by sufficient caffeine to maintain quite a lot of espresso retailers in enterprise, many legislation college students sacrifice lengthy evenings onerous at work pouring over a whole lot of pages of circumstances. The scholars who full three years of this regime often purchase legislation levels and debt hundreds that go nicely into the six digits, however these legislation levels don’t make legislation faculty grads Illinois attorneys till they move the 2-day lengthy Illinois bar examination.
The Illinois bar examination covers nearly the whole lot that’s taught all through three years of legislation faculty, from Prison Process to Trusts and Future Pursuits, each topic lined in legislation faculty is truthful sport for the examination. Though most Illinois attorneys by no means come throughout bar examination subjects like Future Pursuits within the follow of legislation, they continue to be haunted by the subjects and in a position to regurgitate their definitions tens of years later. Thus, many subjects that aren’t even helpful within the modern-day follow of Illinois legislation forestall quite a lot of legislation faculty grads from changing into attorneys.Many proficient legislation faculty grads, together with Hillary Clinton and John F. Kennedy Jr., have failed their state bar exams. One current bar taker, Kathleen Sullivan, a Harvard legislation professor and Stanford legislation dean, confirmed the world how tough it’s to move the dreaded examination when she failed the California bar. The California bar is called one of many hardest within the nation with a 50% move price.What occurs to the 24% of legislation faculty grads who fail the bar examination? A few of them take it once more, and repeatedly… There’s a restrict of 6 makes an attempt that legislation faculty graduates could make to move the Illinois bar, nevertheless, the passage price is considerably decrease for serial bar takers. Some legislation faculty grads try and take the bar examination in neighboring states like Indiana and Iowa. Lastly, some legislation faculty grads discover authorized careers that don’t require legislation licenses corresponding to writing for authorized newspapers.And what occurs to these prime 76% of bar takers who move the bar? The ABA experiences that there are at present 1,116,967 licensed attorneys all through america and 961,000 of them have been employed as attorneys in 2005. After passing the bar, younger Illinois attorneys should compete with about 47,000 different licensed attorneys all through the state.
Once more, the 2004 bar examination outcomes have been lower than inspiring for individuals who are eager about changing into Illinois attorneys. Nonetheless, whether or not you need to name them persistent or simply downright naive, this era of scholars continues to use to legislation faculty. If there’s a brilliant aspect to the outlook for Illinois and its future non-licensed legislation diploma holders, it is that all through human historical past, it’s onerous to consider a society that has ever suffered for being over-educated. As extra legislation college students compete for positions as attorneys, Illinois can have higher attorneys and a extra educated populace.
