North Carolina July 2017 Bar Results Forum

[ndbigdave]

62% is actually higher than it's been in 5 years.

This is not entirely correct.

2016 North Carolina July: 1,154 takers, 653 passers, 56.5% passing

2015 North Carolina July: 1,210 takers, 703 passers, 58% passing

2014 North Carolina July: 1,193 takers, 741 passers, 62% passing

2013 North Carolina July: 1,266 takers, 801 passers, 63% passing

2012 North Carolina July: 1,194 takers, 866 passers, 73% passing

2011 North Carolina July: 1,067 takers, 793 passers, 74% passing

I am not an NC studnet or taker, just trolling the boards and I like digging into the statistics. Did something change after 2012? It is good news to hear that the number bounced back to the low 60s% after seeing the number drop from 13, to 14, to 15 and then 16.

[phantom1412]

Did something change after 2012? It is good news to hear that the number bounced back to the low 60s% after seeing the number drop from 13, to 14, to 15 and then 16.

I believe they raised the passing score from 346 to 350 in 2013. Those 4 points made quite a bit of difference

[cricketlove00]

Or NC got more protectionist.

[DurhamNC2017]

NC raised cut score at least once in the past few years, the last time was prior to the Summer 2016 exam. I don't know the precise number right now, but certainly one of the highest in the country.

[ndbigdave]

Did something change after 2012? It is good news to hear that the number bounced back to the low 60s% after seeing the number drop from 13, to 14, to 15 and then 16.

I believe they raised the passing score from 346 to 350 in 2013. Those 4 points made quite a bit of difference

That is interesting. A 4 point jump is reasonably significant. A mix of a higher score + what is being pretty widely reported as a drop is law student "quality" is the perfect storm to see scores plummet from 73%.

[ndbigdave]

NC raised cut score at least once in the past few years, the last time was prior to the Summer 2016 exam. I don't know the precise number right now, but certainly one of the highest in the country.

So they raised the score twice? wow. That does explain the drop, but it is encouraging to see the score jump back up. In light of the information available then rise in score of almost 6% is significant.

[cricketlove00]

NC raised cut score at least once in the past few years, the last time was prior to the Summer 2016 exam. I don't know the precise number right now, but certainly one of the highest in the country.

Wait when did that happen? I've never heard of that before.

[los blancos]

62% is actually higher than it's been in 5 years.

This is not entirely correct.

2016 North Carolina July: 1,154 takers, 653 passers, 56.5% passing

2015 North Carolina July: 1,210 takers, 703 passers, 58% passing

2014 North Carolina July: 1,193 takers, 741 passers, 62% passing

2013 North Carolina July: 1,266 takers, 801 passers, 63% passing

2012 North Carolina July: 1,194 takers, 866 passers, 73% passing

2011 North Carolina July: 1,067 takers, 793 passers, 74% passing

I am not an NC studnet or taker, just trolling the boards and I like digging into the statistics. Did something change after 2012? It is good news to hear that the number bounced back to the low 60s% after seeing the number drop from 13, to 14, to 15 and then 16.

Oh oops I think I was looking at an overall July+feb table by year

[DurhamNC2017]

NC raised cut score at least once in the past few years, the last time was prior to the Summer 2016 exam. I don't know the precise number right now, but certainly one of the highest in the country.

Wait when did that happen? I've never heard of that before.

The cut score was raised prior to the July 2016 exam per a colleague of mine who keeps up with this stuff generally. I don't know when the decision was made but the cut score hike was effective with the July 2016 exam and going forward. The cut score and the 350 passing score are not the same thing. The cut score is somewhat complicated but essentially indicates how hard it is to pass the exam. This is an old but decent explanation: https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/r ... =cutscores

I believe that the cut score for NC was raised from what it is listed as in the chart.

[los blancos]

FWIW the 350 score was the same when I took it in 2013.

[hailcaesar34]

Wake Forest University School of Law, Duke University School of Law and Campbell Law School have taken the top three spots, respectively, when it comes to overall passage rates for the July 2017 North Carolina Bar Exam.

Their overall passage rates, including both first time and repeat test takers, were 86.3 percent, 84.2 percent, and 81.3 percent, respectively, according to The Board of Law Examiners of the State of North Carolina.

Rounding out the seven law schools in North Carolina, were the UNC School of Law, 80.6 percent; N.C. Central University School of Law, 53.7 percent; Elon University School of Law, 44.3 percent; and Charlotte School of Law, 34.1 percent.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/ne ... d=2017-09-

[Anony1234]

Does anyone know how soon they typically send the formal certification letter after you pass? The results letter says to expect the investigation to take approximately four weeks, but is that generally when people actually receive the certification letter?

I start work for Fed in mid-October. I can skip the "Law Clerk" stage (and get a raise) if I get sworn in before I start work. I'm also hoping to get sworn in before I move to DC (where I'll be working).

[daswento]

According to info on NCBLE's website, we'll receive our actual licenses (along with the certification letters) about 4 weeks after exam results are released.

The wait is killing me, though. I hope my licensure isn't delayed too much, because I took the August MPRE and just found out that I passed. I'm really hoping that they issue my license along with everyone else's since there was only a week delay between finding out that I passed the bar and the MPRE.

This whole process is just "hurry up and wait" and it's absolute torture.

[daswento]

Speaking of our bar exam results letters, I've noticed a number of different forms exist. One informs applicants that they've met all requirements for licensure and that their license will be forwarded to the address on file. Another advises that investigation of applications does not finish for another 4 weeks. The version I received informed me that I could not yet be certified for licensure because I had not yet passed the MPRE, which I found out I passed yesterday (so presumably I've now met all requirements for licensure).

What's up with the differences in the first two forms? Why have some applicants met all requirements and others still need their applications investigated? Do some people simply take longer to investigate? Does the timing of our submitting C&F applications affect when our investigation is completed? Did letters of the first type get sent to repeat takers who've already had a C&F investigation completed?

I certainly understand why my letter was written as such, but I don't get why some applicants seem to be all set on C&F and others will take an additional 4 weeks to complete.

[cricketlove00]

That's weird and I didn't notice that. Mine says typically four weeks until investigations are complete.

[Anony1234]

That's interesting. I didn't realize that they sent different letters. I passed on the first try, and had already passed the MPRE, so I would meet your rule. I also went to law school in a different state, worked for several years after undergrad so had longer living/work experience sections, and disclosed some legal stuff from undergrad that presumably could have required a longer investigation. Does any of that make sense for the people you know who got the letter specifying a potential four-week delay?

I'll probably just give them a call later in the month if I haven't heard anything. I initially assumed that they just wanted to do another credit check or something similar.

[DurhamNC2017]

I passed in Feb. 2017 and when i got my passing letter it stated that the board does not typically finish review of the overall application until four weeks after the results are released (or something like that). I got my formal license and letter to bring to the swearing in ceremony in lieu of the formal license about 3 weeks later.

I've not heard of a letter that stated that your license will be sent straight away and thought that the typical process/language was the 4 week language.

In terms of the timing of the swearing in, there are mass swearing in ceremonies or you can find a lawyer who is the member of the bar in a particular county/local bar association and ask that person to arrange a swearing in separately. They don't offer a mass swearing in for my local area following the February exam, so I did the individual swearing in and it was very nice. If you can do that, I think its a better experience (although I don't know if the courts will offer it this time of year given that there are mass ceremonies). However, if you don't do a mass ceremony, note that you'll need to get sworn in to the federal courts separately; the mass ceremonies, per my understanding, involve swearing in for state and federal purposes.

Here is some info re the Greensboro mass swearing in: http://greensborobar.org/events/bridge- ... earing-in/

[Anony1234]

I passed in Feb. 2017 and when i got my passing letter it stated that the board does not typically finish review of the overall application until four weeks after the results are released (or something like that). I got my formal license and letter to bring to the swearing in ceremony in lieu of the formal license about 3 weeks later.

I've not heard of a letter that stated that your license will be sent straight away and thought that the typical process/language was the 4 week language.

In terms of the timing of the swearing in, there are mass swearing in ceremonies or you can find a lawyer who is the member of the bar in a particular county/local bar association and ask that person to arrange a swearing in separately. They don't offer a mass swearing in for my local area following the February exam, so I did the individual swearing in and it was very nice. If you can do that, I think its a better experience (although I don't know if the courts will offer it this time of year given that there are mass ceremonies). However, if you don't do a mass ceremony, note that you'll need to get sworn in to the federal courts separately; the mass ceremonies, per my understanding, involve swearing in for state and federal purposes.

Here is some info re the Greensboro mass swearing in: http://greensborobar.org/events/bridge- ... earing-in/

That is all really helpful - thank you!

[daswento]

Here is a link to the "you've met all requirements" form letter I've found. No mention of an additional 4 weeks for c&f investigation.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRiGWEiHCcI/U ... letter.jpg

[hipcatdaddio]

Here is a link to the "you've met all requirements" form letter I've found. No mention of an additional 4 weeks for c&f investigation.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRiGWEiHCcI/U ... letter.jpg

That letter appears to be from 2013. I think the letters from 2017 all have the same standard 4 week language, unless you're scheduled to have a C&F Hearing.

[cricketlove00]

Here is a link to the "you've met all requirements" form letter I've found. No mention of an additional 4 weeks for c&f investigation.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRiGWEiHCcI/U ... letter.jpg

That letter appears to be from 2013. I think the letters from 2017 all have the same standard 4 week language, unless you're scheduled to have a C&F Hearing.

Thank you for clearing this up.

[cricketlove00]

Hoping for licenses soon. I wanna get that shit framed asap.

[hipcatdaddio]

Hoping for licenses soon. I wanna get that shit framed asap.

They gotta be coming in the next week or two, right?

[DurhamNC2017]

I think it may take a little longer in the fall compared to the spring just based on total number of licenses issued ( I think mine came in the spring about 2.5 weeks after I got my pass letter); it appears that all the members of the board actually sign each one!

I think that some of the local bars that are having mass swearing in events may require you to bring the formal license certificate with you, so if that is the case, you may want to refrain from framing until after the ceremony. When i got my certificate, I also got a one page letter saying that the letter could substitute for the formal certificate at a swearing in ceremony, and I was able to just use the letter for my ceremony.

[Anony1234]

I just got an email with a bunch of info about registering with the NC Bar website. The email seems to indicate that they've completed whatever additional c&f procedure they needed to do. This hopefully means we'll receive our license in the mail soon.