Bar Exam Race Gap Shown in New Passage Rate Data for Law Grads

White law school graduates were significantly more likely to pass the bar exam than test takers from other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new American Bar Association survey that breaks down demographic data among test takers for the first time.

About 83% of law school graduates passed the bar exam on their first try last year, the ABA survey released Tuesday found. White first-time test takers passed at a rate of 88% in 2020, compared with 80% of Asians, 78% of Native Americans, 76% of Hispanics and 66% of Black test takers.

By comparison, Whites passed at a ...