MACON – More than 95 percent of Mercer University School of Law graduates who took the Georgia Bar Examination for the first time in July passed, according to the annual report released Nov. 3 by the Georgia Office of Bar Admissions.

The first-time pass rate of 95.8 percent for Mercer Law School graduates is the highest first-time pass rate at the law school this decade. Since 2001, Mercer’s first-time pass rate has been as high as 94.2 percent. The score this year is a testament to the dedicated faculty and extraordinary law school students who are trained at Mercer, said Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd.

“I am enormously proud of how our graduates performed this year on the state bar examination,” Dean Floyd said. “I am equally proud of our faculty, administration and staff who work tirelessly each day to help our students become exemplary lawyers who will join the legal profession with excellent skills, integrity, and a commitment to service. The fact that our graduates performed so well on the state bar exam is yet another confirmation of the quality of legal education provided at Mercer University School of Law.”

Mercer Law School is ranked among the Top 100 law schools in the United States, and its legal writing program is the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 ranking of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” The law school’s public interest law program was recently ranked No. 6 in the nation by preLaw Magazine.

“We are delighted for all our graduates who passed the bar,” said Mary S. Donovan, assistant dean for student affairs at Mercer Law School. “We look forward to seeing all their good work in practice.”

Located in central Georgia, the Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law is among the oldest in the country, founded in 1873. Its innovate Woodruff Curriculum – which focuses on ethics and practical skills amid small class sizes – earned the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association for its “depth of excellence.” With the use of this curriculum, Mercer Law School has developed the nation’s leading legal writing program and is home of the only Legal Writing Institute. With a total enrollment of about 400 students, taught by some of the sharpest legal minds in the country, Mercer Law School is among the nation’s very best.

For more information about Mercer University School of Law, visit our Web site at www.law.mercer.edu or call 478.301.5000.

The Walter F. George School of Law has been ranked number six in the country among the Best Public Interest Law Schools, according to PreLaw magazine. The rating is based on information reported in the E-Guide to Public Interest Law Schools, including student involvement, curriculum and financial factors.

The top 10 law schools included: Northeastern University School of Law, Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, Lewis and Clark School of Law, American University Washington College of Law, Stanford Law School, Mercer, University of Maryland School of Law, University of Washington School of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law and City University of New York School of Law.

The publication said the schools in its top 10 excelled in many areas, including the strength of the clinical programs and loan assistance programs, pro bono requirements and the percentage of graduates entering the field.

The student involvement category assigned points for student activity and percentage of graduates of the class of 2006 who entered jobs in the public interest field.

The curriculum category assigned points for the existence of a public interest coordinator, strength of clinical programs and existence of a voluntary or mandatory pro bono graduation requirement.

The financial factors category assigned points for cost of tuition, availability of grants and scholarships and strength of loan repayment or loan assistance programs.

The link to the article is http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cypress/prelaw-fall-08/#/28.

The team of April Holloway and Lyndsey Hurst finished first in the Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition held in Atlanta on October 10-12.  In the final round, presided over by Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein of the Georgia Supreme Court, the Mercer team defeated a team from the University of San Diego.  Cory DeBord and Leah Fiorenza served as student coaches and Tim Floyd was the faculty coach.

The competition fielded outstanding competitors from law schools throughout the nation.  Our students demonstrated once again their excellence in written and oral advocacy.  Congratulations to these students and to the Mercer Moot Court Program!

Learn more about our moot court program . . .